Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

The Aunties guide our listener through their entangled friendship group when one member of this chosen family isn't pulling their weight.

Is it possible to get a friendship divorce?

If you've ever suddenly lost a job, had a surprise health diagnosis or a relationship end, you know what it feels like to grapple with uncertainty.

Let's face it, uncertainty is all around us, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. It's an uncomfortable feeling.

But what could you be missing out on when fear of the unknown drives decision making?

Author, comedian and cabaret performer Libby Trainor Parker always assumed she would meet the love of her life, have a big family, and live in a house full of children's laughter.

And in a way, she got that dream. But it's been a long road, with a lot of heartbreak, infertility, loss and grief.

Libby has documented her story of pregnancy loss and building a life after infertility in a new book.

Bringing a pet into your family is supposed to be a love-at-first-sight moment signalling a life ahead with your new best friend, but often the day-to-day reality can be a lot harder.

So what happens when that initial excitement wears off, and the stress of pet ownership sets in? How do you build a relationship with your four-legged friend, and make it through the hard days?

After years of training and patience, listener Simone's reactive dog and excitable toddler are living happily together, but the stress of constant supervision — and an extremely restricted social life — has taken its toll.

So how do you know when loyalty to a beloved pet is no longer enough? And what do you do when every option feels heartbreaking?

In an era where we have access to the technology, surgery and drugs to modify every aspect of our appearance, how can we build a relationship with our selves based on compassion and acceptance?

Ten years ago, Facebook updated its platform to introduce new ways to interact with posts you were seeing in your feed. 

Alongside the humble thumbs-up, a range of smiley face emojis offered a one-click shortcut to express love, surprise, sadness, and the most powerful emotion of all: anger. 

In the years since, it seems our online appetite for anger has only grown, with algorithms amplifying 60-second rants and spicy hot takes. 

So is there an alternative to the ragebait economy?

According to Beyond Blue, 1 in 2 Australian are facing burnout in the workplace.

Burnout almost seems like an inevitable condition of the modern age.

And we're so used to it, we kind of just accept this as a natural state of feeling awful all the time, feeling like there's never enough time to rest.

But what if you could change that, without totally changing your life? 

When something happens that you think crosses a moral line, do you call it out? And if you have, what was the moral cost? 

The bravery of whistleblowers has touched every corridor of power  — politics, the military, banking, policing — whistleblowers are behind some of the most significant moments in history.

But what are the ethical considerations?

We share a lot of life's milestones with our friends. Remember the year of 21st birthdays? Then the season of weddings, babies, mortgages.

Most of us make friends with people around our own age, and we bond over the things we're all navigating at the same stage of life.But there's something valuable in friendships that span generations, too. Friends who are decades older or younger than you bring different perspectives, different experiences, and lessons you might never find in your usual circle.

You can probably think of at least five things at work that are kind of related to your job, but in reality become distractions that keep you from achieving what you need to do. 

As constant emails, notifications and all the other tasks of your workday build up, this accumulation has been given a new name: "thoughtload".How do we recognise our "thoughtload" and process it so we can get the most out of our day?

From pop culture milestones to forgotten parts of the city you love — there's a Facebook page for that.

Whether it's a page sharing memories of music and art from a beloved decade, or old buildings from a town you used to live in, the internet loves a bit of nostalgia because we love it too. 

These pages are little pockets of nice in an online world that can get pretty ugly, but they're also performing a deeper function of documenting sub-cultures and histories that might not make it to a bricks and mortar museum.

Part of being a good friend is providing a sympathetic ear, but what do you do if you think they need professional help?

It can be hard to be there for a friend when they keep circling the same issues and aren't tracking well.

What are the signs you need to look for and how do you start the conversation without crossing a line?

Have you ever been stuck at a red light, wondering why you're still waiting when there's nothing coming the other way?

Australia's first trial of AI-powered traffic lights will test whether artificial intelligence can ease that frustration by responding to what's actually happening on our roads in real time.

A faster journey sounds appealing. But if we let AI decide who gets the green light, how do we make sure those decisions are fair and safe for everyone using the road?

Earlier this year, lawyer, educator and advocate Adair Donaldson was confronted with unimaginable loss.

His son Oliver, the youngest of four boys, died suddenly. He was 19.

As Adair navigates the grief that has followed, he's found himself reflecting on fatherhood. These reflections have taken the form of a series of letters — deeply personal, generous letters — to the fathers of boys.

Last year Australians lost more than $2 billion to scams, and while the number of victims has fallen, the total combined losses has risen.

The federal government has announced its plans to claw back some of that money, introducing an automatic reimbursement scheme for scam victims with verified losses up to $3,000.

So could this help stop cyber criminals from taking off with your hard-earned cash?

Australia's social media ban has been in place for six months — with mixed reports on its success. 

For teens managing to bypass the ban, they're still swimming in the same addictive stream of harmful content. 

But could we change the way these algorithms work, and make social media a better place for everyone? 

NASA has announced the next big step in its Artemis program: they're going to build a home base for astronauts, on the Moon.

It'll take until at least 2032 before the base can support a "sustained human presence", and even then, it'll be trained astronauts living and working there.

But does this take us one step closer to a future where everyday humans are living somewhere other than Earth? And if that is on the cards, what would the ideal space city look like?

Hiking is a a great way to see the world and get active, but there are real risks involved that require careful consideration and planning. 

So when Tourism Australia described the Western Arthurs Traverse in Tasmania as a great place to "boost your step count", it received some criticism for perhaps underselling the difficulty of the Grade 5 track. 

How do we strike the balance between promoting these pristine trails and ensuring people aren't going in unprepared? 

The odds are, gambling is part of your life or the life of someone you know.

Three in four Australian adults spend money on gambling in a typical year, and two in five of us gamble at least once a week.

So do you know when it's time to talk your mates about gambling and the harms it can bring?

This week the Aunties give some advice to a listener worried that her friend is being scammed by a romantic suitor. 

If you suspect something is too good to be true, how do you burst the bubble of someone when they're finally happy after years of being unlucky in love?

New data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority shows that in 2025, only 37 per cent of year 10 students were proficient in digital skills.

So if the kids can't even keep up with this newfangled techy world — what hope do the rest of us have?

Each year the Queensland government allows up to 190 tonnes of coral to be harvested and exported from the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral fishery members say it is a highly regulated industry which operates within the rules and well under the limit. 

However, the Australian Marine Conservation Society is calling for a phase-out of live coral harvesting by the end of 2028. 

Is it something of concern? And what else is happening in coral preservation?

The federal government has announced a major overhaul of the unemployment system that it says is ill equipped to support many of the people who rely on it.

The plan is to change the way support is provided to people depending on their needs, rather than the current one-size-fits all approach.

So does this sound like a fairer system? And will it actually help people find meaningful worker faster?

Christopher Nolan's star-studded interpretation of ancient Greek epic The Odyssey has just hit cinemas, and if it's got you dreaming of a Mediterranean holiday, you're not alone. 

Planning your travel itinerary around the places your favourite stories are set is known as literary tourism, and although it's nothing new the rise of BookTok seems to have supercharged the trend. 

So what's behind this urge to set foot on the scene where your fictional heroes once stood, and how does it match up when you get there?

Sustainability has been a fashion buzzword for well over a decade.

But the controversial sale of ethical fashion brand Everlane to fast-fashion giant Shein has many shoppers asking whether sustainable clothing can make for financially sustainable businesses. 

So if ethical fashion has become just another marketing trend, does this change the way you shop?

The average person spends around 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime.

That's a lot of time to spend somewhere if you're not happy. So how do you know if it's time to leave?

And when it comes to quitting, the when and how requires some thought.

Have you ever noticed that some of Australia's most iconic events sound almost completely made up?

From Winton's dunny derby, to Port Lincoln's championship tuna toss, there seems to be an event for just about everyone. 

While they can sound delightfully absurd from the outside, these quirky festivals tell us something deeper about regional Australia. 

Often times, the novelty comes from a community finding creative ways to bring people in, keep their towns thriving, and show off a part of the country most of us would otherwise drive straight past.

A range of economic indicators paint a picture of Australians becoming stuck. Stuck in one job, in one city, in a place where the risks of trying something new are just too great. 

Even the great Australian dream of owning your own home can come with its own kind of "golden handcuffs", tying people to one version of their life.

So what's driving this inertia, and is there anything you can do about it?

For many parents, hearing the phrase "remote learning" triggers flashbacks to the pandemic-induced chaos of working from home with school-aged kids.

But long before 2020, a different kind of innovation brought education to some of the most remote communities in Australia. 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Alice Springs School of the Air, the first of its kind in the world. While times and technology have changed since 1951, it remains a lifeline for kids in the bush.

Recently the Federal Court ruled that Coles had intentionally misled customers with its "down down" discounts.

It decided the process of inflating the price of a product and then lowering it to a price still higher than the original was not a fair representation of a discount.

What role do discounts play in marketing and what does this decision mean for upcoming cases against other businesses?

Imagine being caught in a cycle where every 29 days, you transform into an angry, weepy, out-of-control mess.

Then suddenly, it passes. You forget the depths of that low and feel almost completely normal. Until the cycle starts again.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a major depressive disorder affecting between 2 to 8 per cent of people who menstruate. In the lead-up to their period, people with PMDD experience extreme symptoms of irritability, anger, anxiety and depression, often leading to suicidal ideation.

The daily reality of this illness can be debilitating, so how can we better support people with PMDD to live a full life?

What would you do if you found a fossil or artefact?

Twenty-three species of dinosaur have been discovered in Australia and 70 per cent of those were found by the public.

It can happen to anyone and pretty much anywhere, so do you know what the next steps are?

When you're parenting small children, sleep can feel like a battleground. So when one person takes a night off, how late is too late to stay out? 

The Aunties weigh in on a sensitive debate, and share some advice on navigating sleep envy and resentment.

Recent research suggests social anxiety is on the rise. Beyond the usual feelings around making awkward small talk, many people are struggling to socialise at work, meet new friends or even leave their own house.

It's estimated that around one in 10 Australians will experience social anxiety at some point in their lifetime, and younger people are particularly vulnerable. 

So have we lost the ability to connect with each other, and is the solution as simple as flexing our social muscles?

When your kids become parents, it's like deja vu.

You've weathered these same toddler tantrums, right through to the teenage rebellions. It's just your grandchildren testing boundaries this time not your kids.

But it's probably testing you too — and despite your best intentions, eventually you're going to put your foot in it. You're only human.

This episode explores how to navigate this new phase of parenting your children as they become parents themselves, without turning speed bumps into full-blown family rifts, featuring a mother-daughter duo getting it right and estrangement expert Dr. Josh Coleman on what to do when it goes wrong.

If you could freeze your brain and body and be brought back to life at a later time, would you do it?

A new survey reveals 1 in 4 doctors believe it is somewhat possible, or at least plausible. It raises the question: just because we can, does that mean we should? And what would redefining death mean for our sense of humanity?

So many of the day-to-day activities many of us take for granted — grabbing a coffee, going to a weekly gym class, catching up with friends — are the things that make life worth living.

For some people on the NDIS, these fall under the category of "social and community participation". It's a clinical term for supports and programs that help people stay connected, build confidence and independence.

But with major changes slated for the NDIS, the future funding of those activities is uncertain. And new government analysis shows some groups are expected to be hit harder than others.

Connected cars have been described as a "privacy nightmare on wheels". Features designed for safety allow these vehicles to transmit data continuously, tracking location, monitoring calls, recording your voice and even capturing images from inside and outside your car.

But there are concerns these features can be easily weaponised, with the eSafety commissioner warning victims of domestic violence are at risk of being tracked through connected car data.

So how much data is actually being collected, and what are the rules around it?

They say friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Sometimes people drift apart when kids come into the picture, or when one friend moves away, or their career takes them in a different direction. 

But there's another factor that can up-end friendship dynamics: money. So how do you handle it when being on different financial trajectories tests the strength of your friendship?

Whether it's fire, flood or another natural disaster, the majority of people who are risking their lives to protect you are highly trained and totally unpaid.

In fact, 90 per cent of firefighters and the emergency services workforce are volunteers.National Volunteer Week is upon us, which raises some bigger questions: how sustainable is a critical system that relies so heavily on unpaid labour, and should they be paid for the work they do?

The school library is full of hidden treasures, and it's where a young Andy Griffiths stumbled across a book that showed him how something totally fantastical could also be totally accessible.

Gambling is Australia's national sport. More than half of us have had a punt recently, and we lose around $32 billion each year in the name of a flutter — making us the highest losers, per capita, in the world.

The rise of online gambling has changed the game, and there are growing concerns that children and young people are at risk of serious harm.

So how can we protect future generations from slipping into the darker side of such a popular Australian pastime?

Parenting styles are continually challenged, evolving and ultimately judged. But when did child-rearing become so competitive, and why do we hold ourselves to such high standards?

A new trend called "beta-parenting" has been coined to describe a parent who is a bit more relaxed, less focused on perfection and prioritises being in the moment with their kids.

It's been seen as a reaction helicopter parenting, but can beta parenting go too far?

Less than 4 per cent of statues in Australia are of real Australian women. And sure, it's just a bit of brass, but the people we literally put on a pedestal matter.

They matter because it's their stories we choose to remember, valorise, and keep alive.

One woman has chosen to bring those women to life not in statues but in stories, through walking tours across the country and a new series of talks at the National Library of Australia.

No matter where you live in Australia, homelessness is getting worse.

But it's a particular form of homelessness that's putting pressure on local councils to address the issue.

Since, COVID, there's been a 39 per cent increase in the number of people sleeping rough. When housed residents see this in their local parks, public squares or bus shelters, they call council to report it.

But of all the levels of government, it's this local layer that it is least equipped to respond. New research has shown the pressures councils are under to address homelessness, and how some are stepping up to the challenge.

It's time to talk about the mental load — that invisible, unpaid form of labour that keeps a household running. 

When it comes to two-parent families, research shows women do 50 per cent more housework than men, and double the amount of caring duties. 

But the mental load is about more than juggling the significant burden of daily life admin. So what would it look like if that was equally shared? 

Have you had the word peptides start to pop up more frequently on your social media feeds or in conversation?

What used to be more familiar in chemistry circles is now touted as the next big health trend to combat ageing, help with weight loss, grow muscle and even make you more tanned.

Although the use of peptides is becoming normalised on social media, the use of these chemicals is unregulated. It's prompted experts to call for stricter regulations and better education in the health care system.

There are more than 6,300 cemeteries across the country, marking the final resting place of millions of Australians who've died.

But space is at a premium, and cemeteries in some of our biggest cities are likely to reach capacity within the next decade. Many already have, and in some cases, the mourners visiting these sacred places are dying out too.

So could we find a better way to use these public spaces dedicated to grief, giving them back to the living, while maintaining respect for the dead?

Family photo albums can hold immense sentimental value, documenting a shared history and keeping memories of relatives long since passed alive for future generations. But when the family parts ways, who decides where those memories go? 

This week, the Aunties help a listener figure out how to reunite the family albums with their rightful owner while keeping the peace between separated parents.