Claim OwnershipLife Matters - Separate stories podcast
Subscribed: 1,699Played: 236,317
Subscribe
© Copyright 2026, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All right reserved.
Description
Helping you figure out all the big stuff in life: relationships, health, money, work and the world. Let's talk! With trusted experts and your stories, Life Matters is all about what matters to you.
2674 Episodes
Reverse
Do you pay attention to unit prices at the shops?Maybe you even know the exact time your local supermarket discounts things so you can swoop in and grab a bargain.What if supermarkets started using those same tactics on you? With the rollout of electronic shelf labels — those little digital screens replacing paper tags — prices can be updated instantly at the push of a button.It's becoming more widespread in Australia, and although it's not inherently problematic, some are concerned that the way it's being used overseas could have implications for Australian shoppers.
1Ever experienced a toxic workplace?Nearly two thirds of Australians have — and 42% of them left their job because of it, according to SEEK research.As workplace culture makes headlines following the fallout between radio duo Kylie Sandilands and Jackie O, we look at how to recognise toxic behaviour, and what you can do about it.
Australia Post has warned the day will soon come when it delivers its last letter, with the rising cost to provide the service outstripping demand.While snail mail enthusiasts are clamouring to keep the art of letter writing alive, the volume of letters we're sending each other has dropped off a cliff, to levels not seen since the late 1930s.So what might a post-post world look like, and how will the record of history we leave behind change without letters?
The way we interact with digital spaces has changed dramatically since the inception of the internet.With the spread of artificial intelligence, the challenge of fully understanding this new digital landscape — the platforms, the politics, the problems — is a big one. Aiming to be "AI literate" sounds like a reasonable goal, but is a concept like literacy even enough to cover something as vast and fast moving as AI?And if we don't understand it, how are we going to equip our kids to manage this brave new world they're entering?
Crowded lecture theatres. Hours spent sprawled on the lawn between classes. Late nights watching bands at the uni bar.For generations these were staples of university life. But with so much learning now delivered online, campuses aren't the hive of social activity they once were. Does that matter? Or are today's students missing out on the part of university that shapes them most?
Think about a piece of art that moved you — perhaps it triggered a treasured memory, or transported you to a different time and place.When we talk about the public value of the arts, we often focus on how it makes us feel, the way it helps us to connect with each other.It's a powerful force that can evoke strong emotions, change our perspectives and even motivate us into taking action, but could it save our lives?And how do we make more room for art in our lives when we're already overwhelmed by the demands of daily life?
Australians are among the highest consumers of textiles, per capita, in the world, buying an average of 55 garments of clothing per year.The over-consumption of fast fashion is a big problem to solve, and one simple solution is to opt out.Some shoppers are embracing low- or no-buy experiments to give their spending a bit of a reality check, and reassess the way they feel about what's in their wardrobe. So how realistic is this idea, and could it help address the 220,000-tonne elephant in the room?
It wasn't long ago that zero-alcohol drinks were a niche product. Now they're everywhere, including on supermarket shelves, looking almost identical to the real thing. New research warns these drinks — along with "low sugar", "low carb" and "low calorie" alcohol products — are blurring the line between drinking and healthy living.Is it time for tougher regulations?
We've all been there, when a song pops into your head and suddenly you're humming it without even thinking.But earworms aren't always innocent, advertisers have long understood the power of music. A catchy jingle can build brand recognition in seconds, and long after we've seen an ad the tune is still in our heard, and so is the product.So could the soundtrack in your head be shaping more of your decisions than you realise?
New research has explored which voices we find more attractive and how our sexuality might shape the kinds of speech that turns us on. Though, it might not come as a surprise to learn that deeper voices are considered more attractive to everyone except straight men.But what exactly shapes the way we talk, and our desires? And how do our voices reflect power, status and our place in the world?
It has never been harder to be a small live music venue in Australia.You've got multinational companies squeezing the market, an onerous regulatory environment and a young generation who don't drink alcohol. All of these elements work against venues trying to turn a profit.Music lovers will say it's never been about the money, so what if there was another way to set up these small rooms where big things start, where you didn't need to make a profit?
In the age of wellness, there's an endless stream of advice about how to live longer, stay healthy, and even reverse your biological clock.It ranges from the mild — eat well, move your body, maybe throw in some supplements — to the extreme, with billionaires "biohacking" their way to a long life.Some people are taking it so far that an unofficial diagnosis has emerged: "longevity fixation syndrome", an intense anxiety that stems from this idea of maximising our health.So are we becoming so obsessed with living longer that we're no longer living well?
Last year, 47 per cent of Australians with debt struggled to make their repayments. So if you've ever felt that quiet panic when a payment is due, you are very far from alone.Debt can bring up a lot of emotions — stress, shame, embarrassment — but it's a reality for most of us. So how do we get more comfortable talking about our relationship with money, and shift some of the shame around debt?
When an age-gap friendship starts to feel a little tiring, and you're finding you have less in common, is it time to break up? And how do you manage phasing someone out if you're worried about their health, and you don't know their wider support network?
Australia is having a reckoning moment for the 1.5 million children enrolled in child care.Over the last week there have been hearings at the Senate inquiry into quality and safety of Australia's early childhood system, and the report is due at the end of next month.Some groups want more flexible choice for subsidised care outside of the existing daycare system, and others want to re-imagine the system entirely.One of the options put forward is universal child care. What does that mean, is it achievable, and what would it look like?
For My Two Cents, hear how veteran rock and roller Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Roving Commission, makes his money decisions.This segment originally aired in an episode on September 25, 2025.
In the aftermath of the BAFTA awards, one moment has eclipsed the stories behind any of the films that were recognised on the night. As two Black actors took to the stage to present an award, a man in the audience shouted a racial slur. John Davidson, an advocate for Tourette Syndrome, had been invited to celebrate the success of a film inspired by his life, called I Swear.It was an involuntary tic that he had no control over. But intent can't erase impact. In a room filled with some of the most recognisable faces in film, and for the millions watching at home, the moment landed with shock and discomfort.Davidson has since issued an apology, but the moment, and the BBC's decision not to edit the broadcast to exclude the slur from the televised version, has sparked heated debate.How do we make these spaces genuinely accessible and inclusive — for everyone — and do we actually understand the nuances of a condition like Tourette's?
If you could place your head on a different body, would you?From Frankenstein's monster to centuries of philosophical thought experiments, writers and thinkers have long been captivated by the idea of mind swaps – both literal and metaphorical.But if your head was placed on a new body, would you still be you? Where does our consciousness truly reside? And even if such a transplant was possible, should we do it – and what ethical dilemmas would it unleash?
Late last month, news broke that the Launceston City Council was considering a four-day work week for its staff – that's four days' work for the same pay.It would have made the council the first government body in Australia to make the move. But less than a month later, the proposal has been shelved.So what went wrong? What questions does this raise about our attitudes to work? And when, if ever, will we be ready for a four-day week?
International Mother Language Day passed over the weekend, and the chorus of those celebrating is growing louder with 22 per cent of Australians speaking a language other than English at home, an increase on the previous census data.The language you speak is so much more than the words that come out of your mouth, and for many holding onto those words is a symbol of a fight hard won. It's the sound of refusing to be silenced.So how is the revival of languages, once on the brink of extinction, changing the new generation of speakers?
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
When I was struggling with health problems while I had 3 children under 5, one of my good friends taught me a valuable lesson: "Any job worth doing is worth doing badly!" That freed me up to get everything done, because it took less time to just do them to the essential standard. It also freed me from my perfectionist mother's voice in my head with the converse saying ending with the word "well".
lots of corporate speak, which ordinary people find incomprehensible, you have not addressed the enormous difficulties most people face trying to negotiate the NDIS, many people are being asked to be administrators which they are not, & they get lost in trying to understand the paperwork, how they can access NDIS, and many other problems
This is incredibly frustrating hearing users who do not need these drugs. The wait and price neurodivergent people pay to actually get this drug, because of how these people are misusing and causing issues in regulations is just cruel. we need these drugs and have such a hard time attaining them because of this party crap. i need this medication as medocation to function; it brings clarity, i can finally read and write, listen and focus. i cried at the reaction my body had, i finally found something that saved my life, yet people are seriously ruining my ability to even get it legally. The statements made by these rec users is so disappointing and show little awareness of the real issues people face who need these drugs.
We know that people's health and wellbeing is better when they interact with other species in positive ways. Imagine creating an Aged Care facility adjacent to an Animal Shelter and there was a shared space for interaction. Even better, aged care, childcare and animal shelter! In some parts of Europe (Netherlands, Scandinavia) they have created co-facilities for aged care and childcare.
let's get more funding to fix this problem of mental health. I'm a hip hop artist and will work on improving awareness of this issue
I like it very much as I get more and more knowledge about health .
I love the Fitzroy Diaries. What a delightful writer!