All In The Mind

Five years of unpaid taxes. Homework handed in on the last day of an extension. Some people are champion procrastinators.Why? And what does task paralysis (sometimes called ADHD paralysis) have to do with it?Today: the personality traits that make you more prone to procrastination, the types of tasks we're most likely to put off, and what to do if your to-do list sends you into fight-or-flight mode.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests:EvaHigh school studentDr Catherine HoulihanClinical psychologistSenior lecturer in clinical psychologyDirector of the UniSC Psychology ClinicUniversity of the Sunshine CoastCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteMore information:The skills supercommunicators use, which you can learn tooOutwardly impressive, losing it on the inside? The cognitive distortions of a high achieverWhy do I procrastinate? And can I do anything about it?Fighting for focus in the age of distraction

If you opened up a magazine in the 2000s, you'd likely be met by countless images of celebrities on their worst days. And the conversation accompanying those images? Pretty toxic.We've come a long way in how we talk about mental health since then, but how did we get here? What changed?Today, we reflect on the cruelty of tabloid culture and how the internet shifted the narrative about mental health.If you want to hear more about our relationship with celebrities, check out our episode Moog became a Youtube megastar — and it messed with his mental health.Guests:Jo PiazzaAuthor and host of Under the InfluenceSophie GilbertStaff writer for The AtlanticAuthor of Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against ThemselvesDr Jessica FordLecturer in MediaUniversity of AdelaideProfessor Nick HaslamUniversity of MelbourneClinical Professor Jonathan ShedlerDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioural SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaHadley MearesHollywood historianMatthew SuarezAuthor of Paparazzi Daze: Celebrity EncountersDavid KampContributing EditorVanity Fair MagazineCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Jennifer LeakeProducer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteYou can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

When was the last time you decluttered? Was it a satisfying process, or did it fill you with dread?Where you sit on the clutter spectrum differs person to person, so today, we investigate if decluttering is worth the hype. Why can it be so hard for some people? Could there be a way to reduce clutter before it builds up?And what's the relationship between hoarding disorder and clutter? If you want to hear more about our relationship with objects, check out Why do we love collecting?Guests:Professor Melissa NorbergPsychologistMacquarie UniversityProfessor Jessica GrishamPsychologistUniversity of New South WalesDr Seung Hwan (Mark) LeeProfessor and Associate Dean of Engagement & InclusionTed Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan UniversityDr Omar FaresAssistant Professor in the Faculty of BusinessUniversity of New BrunswickCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteYou can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.More information:Understanding 'underconsumption core': How a new trend is challenging consumer cultureBreaking up with belongings: a pilot randomized controlled trial of an unguided web-based program to reduce overconsumptionNudging society toward more adaptive approaches to material possessions: Harnessing implicit approaches to reduce overconsumption and excessive saving

Can serial killers ever learn empathy? Is their psychology similar to mass shooters? Why are they almost always men?Welcome to All in the Mind’s first ever ‘mailbag’ episode!These are just some of the many questions you sent us after our recent episode on serial killers, called Where have all the serial killers gone?Forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee is back on the show, answering these questions and a whole lot more.And can we ask a favour? As this is our first mailbag episode, we’d love to know your thoughts. Do you find this kind of format useful or interesting? Would you be keen to hear mailbag episodes more regularly? You can reach us at mind_rn@abc.net.au if you have any feedback.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests:Dr Rajan DarjeeForensic psychiatristClinical Director, Forensic Behavioural Assessment and Consultation ServicesCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: John Jacobs

Have you ever felt like things were not quite real?That you were no longer connected to your body or didn’t know who you were?Nathan Dunne felt this way for years. And it’s never quite stopped affecting the way he sees himself or the world around him.Today, depersonalisation disorder — and what we know about its symptoms, causes and treatments.And a heads up, this episode discusses heavy topics such as suicide. Please take care while listening.You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests:Nathan DunneAuthor, When Nothing Feels RealDr Emma CernisClinical psychologist and researcherAssisant Professor of Clinical PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamCentre Lead, Midlands Dissociation & Depersonalisation CentreCredits:Presenter/Producer: Sana QadarReporter/Senior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound Engineer: Tegan NichollsIf you enjoyed this episode, you might like:Can we trust our memories?Memory loss and identityDissociation and coping with traumaDepersonalisation — when Nathan lost his sense of self and nothing felt real (Conversations)More Information:When Nothing Feels Real - Nathan DunneUnreal: Depersonalisation and Derealisation SupportLike being trapped behind a pane of glass – depersonalisation, derealisation disorder explained (The Conversation, 2025)Depersonalisation-derealisation as a transdiagnostic treatment target: a scoping review of the evidence in anxiety, depression, and psychosis (Frontiers in Psychology, 2025)The Prevalence of Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder: A Systematic Review (Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2023)Support resources:Lifeline 13 11 14Beyond Blue

Love it or hate it, there are reasons you might read your star sign and relate to what it says about you as a person.We all fall into cognitive traps — but if we’re aware of them, is it such a bad thing to indulge in your daily horoscope, or a tarot card reading?Today, we delve into the occult, to understand why some people seek messages from the universe, and if it can play a role in therapeutic care.If you want to hear more about otherworldly beliefs, check out our episode Spooky science: What's behind a paranormal experience?And Soul Search also has an episode called Astrology and tarot — telling the future, or connecting with the present?Guests:Professor Susan Krauss WhitbourneProfessor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts AmherstRyan FindlayPsychotherapist and tarot readerCredits:Presenter: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Shelby TraynorSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteExtra information:When It Comes to Personality Tests, a Dose of Skepticism Is a Good ThingWhy You Might Not Want to Trust a Personality Test – Psychology TodayThe validity of astrological predictions on marriage and divorce: a longitudinal analysis of Swedish register dataEven the stars think that I am superior: Personality, intelligence and belief in astrologyThe Power of Rituals – Psychology Today

The backpacker killer. The Claremont killer. Ted Bundy. The crimes serial killers commit linger in our memories for decades.But when was the last time you heard about an active serial killer in the news?In our final episode of Criminal Psychology, we probe the lead-crime hypothesis, find out about 'chemical castration' and ask — where have all the serial killers gone?And a heads up that this episode explores some heavy themes including sexual assault, child abuse, suicide and murder. It also contains the names of Aboriginal people who have died. Please take care while listening.If you've got more questions for our forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee, please send them to us! We're going to make a special mail-bag episode featuring your burning true crime questions. Get in touch by emailing us at mind_rn@abc.net.au with the subject line "criminal psychology question".Guests:Dr Rajan DarjeeForensic psychiatristClinical Director, Forensic Behavioural Assessment and Consultation ServicesDr Xanthe MallettCriminologistAssociate Professor of Criminology, Central Queensland UniversityCo-Director, Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence ResearchPodcast co-host, Motive and MethodCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Emrys CroninMore information:The lead-crime hypothesis: A meta-analysisSupport resources:Beyond BlueLifeline 13 11 141800 Respect

What drives some people to steal compulsively?This week, as part of our special four-part series Criminal Psychology, we're talking about kleptomania and the impact it can have on a person's life.We speak to someone who’s been diagnosed with kleptomania about their experiences; from their urges to steal, to the guilt and shame they feel.We also chat to a psychiatrist about what treatment looks like for people with kleptomania.Guests:LynnDr Sam ChamberlainProfessor of Psychiatry, University of Southampton Credits:Presenter/Producer: Sana QadarReporter/Senior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound Engineer: Emrys CroninVoice Actor: Swa KaushikMore information:Symptom Severity and Its Clinical Correlates in KleptomaniaA Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Opiate Antagonist, Naltrexone, in the Treatment of KleptomaniaWhy do young children sometimes steal? And what should parents do about it?Kleptomania — Mayo ClinicKleptomania and Potential Exacerbating Factors

Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire?In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson.Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a typical arsonist? And how do investigators track down the source of a blaze?Guests:Dr Paul ReadClimate criminologistDr Nichola TylerSenior lecturer, forensic psychologySwinburne University of TechnologyRichard WoodsDirector, Wildfire Investigations and AnalysisAdjunct Associate Lecturer, Wildfire Investigation, Charles Sturt UniversityCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Emrys CroninExtra information:Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic reviewThe truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this seasonSome Coalition MPs say that arson is mostly to blame for the bushfire crisis. Here are the factsDeliberately lit vegetation fires in AustraliaClinical characteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients engaging in fireplay or arson: a case–control studyWhat are the differences between children and adolescents who deliberately light fires?The Acquisition of Fire

Why would any parent lie about their child's health? Or worse, intentionally make their child sick?In episode one of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we dive into a disorder that’s long been sensationalised in the media: Munchausen by Proxy – and ask: how do these parents get away with their lies? Can their behaviour ever be reformed?Guests:Brenda Bursch, PhDDirector, Pediatric Psychology in Outpatient Subspecialty Pediatrics ProgramProfessor of Clinical Psychiatry & Biobehavioral SciencesProfessor of Clinical PediatricsDavid Geffen School of Medicine,University of California, Los AngelesProfessor Jon JureidiniChild psychiatristResearch Leader, Robinson Research InstituteUniversity of AdelaideCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrExecutive producer: Petria LadgroveSound engineer: John JacobsExtra information:Munchausen by Proxy: Clinical and Case Management GuidanceAPSAC Advisor Volume 30, Issue 1- Munchausen by Proxy Special IssuePsychological Treatment of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another/Munchausen by Proxy AbuseThe mothers accused of poisoning their kidsSupport resources:Lifeline Australia 13 11 14

On All in the Mind, we investigate why people behave the way they do. But there are some perspectives we don't often hear about.Introducing Criminal Psychology, a special series diving into just that.On this four-episode series, we'll cover arson, kleptomania, serial killers and Munchausen by proxy as we look at what drives people to the extremes of human behaviour.And we'll examine how our understanding of the human mind can better help us to prevent harm.Whether you're a dedicated fan of true crime or curious about the inner workings of our minds, find the series linked below and on the All In The Mind website.

Time and time again, Dr Rangan Chatterjee has seen chronic stress wreak havoc on his patients' lives — contributing to autoimmune disorders, gut problems, low libido and more.But the most devastating blow struck his own family, when his father's punishing work schedule forced him to medically retire in his 50s.It’s an experience that led Rangan to rethink his own work and approach to medicine.Today, Dr Chatterjee, a GP and host of a mega popular wellbeing podcast, shares his story, as well as strategies for better managing stress in your own life.Guest:Dr Rangan ChatterjeeGP, author and host of Feel Better, Live MoreCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Tegan NichollsMore information: Rangan's Australian tour

Loneliness hurts. And we know it's bad for us, worse than smoking or obesity. Even though a third of us are lonely, we're embarrassed to say so. So, what would happen if we talked about our loneliness openly? And how can we build more meaningful connections?This week we have a special episode from our friends at Ladies, We Need To Talk.Host Yumi Stynes speaks to women who are lonely, one within a marriage and one hoping to find a partner, to understand the toll it can take. Plus, psychologist Dr Bella Ingram shares tips on how we can insulate ourselves from the chill of being lonely.More information:Ending Loneliness ReportResources:Beyond BlueLifeline 13 11 14

Concussions are hard to diagnose, often get missed, and don't always get taken seriously.And if you're not a professional athlete, it can be surprisingly hard to get clear information on how to manage and recover afterwards. Why?The brain is your most important organ, after all!This week, we try and make sense of the confusion around concussions.This episode was first broadcast in October 2023.Guests:Dr Lewis FreethPsychiatristKateNaznin Virji-BabulPhysical therapist and neuroscientistAssociate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy Faculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaShreya McleodPhysiotherapistLecturer, Australian Catholic UniversityPhD candidate, University of NewcastleCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Russell Stapleton

Avoiding your emotions is generally a recipe for disaster — but Ethan Kross makes a case for occasional 'strategic' avoidance.He’s a professor of psychology from the University of Michigan, and he’s appeared in some of our most popular episodes: Controlling the chatter in your head and What influences your inner voice? Controlling 'chatter' part two.He’s back to share more tools for taking charge of your emotions.Guests:Ethan Kross, PhDProfessor of Psychology and Management, University of MichiganAuthor, Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage YouCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Dylan Prins

Panicky. Irrational. Impulsive. These are the traits that have long been associated with crowd behaviour.But modern crowd science suggests that’s an incomplete, if not inaccurate picture.From crowd crushes to terrorist attacks, we take a closer look at how people really behave in crowds, and what you can do to keep yourself safe in one.Want to listen to more All in the Mind? Check out our episode, Can music inspire mania?Guest:Associate Professor Milad HaghaniPrincipal Fellow in Urban Resilience & MobilityUniversity of MelbourneCredits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanMore info:How simple behavioural modifications can influence evacuation efficiency of crowds: Part 1. Decision making of individualsHow simple behavioural modifications can influence evacuation efficiency of crowds: Part 2. Physical movement of individualsHow behavioural changes in social groups affect evacuation efficiency of crowdsContemporary understanding of riots: Classical crowd psychology, ideology and the social identity approachThe role of social identity processes in mass emergency behaviour: An integrative reviewEnglish riots 2011: new research shows why crowd behaviour isn't contagiousHow to stay safe in a New Year's Eve crowd

Whether it's stamps, figurines, antiques or toys, plenty of people love collecting. But why?What are the psychological drivers behind the hobby? How much is marketing influencing us, and is there a risk of collecting turning into hoarding?If you enjoy the show or if you have feedback you'd like to share, please check out our survey here.Guests:Sam ToddContent creator and collectorProfessor Nick NeaveDirector of the Hoarding Research GroupDepartment of Psychology, Northumbria UniversityAssociate Professor Louise GrimmerTasmanian School of Business and EconomicsUniversity of TasmaniaCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Micky GrossmanMore info:Why They Collect: Collectors Reveal Their MotivationsHow retailers turn everyday items into 'must-have' collectables

Over years of clinical practice, psychologist Dr Mary Anderson started to notice a peculiar pattern across her many clients.Despite being impressive high achievers on the outside, inside they were struggling with burnout, imposter syndrome, anxiety and self-criticism.So she set out to develop a guide for these high achievers. A framework to support their success ... without sacrificing their mental health.If you loved this episode, you should listen to our story on controlling the chatter in your head.And if you haven't already, please take a moment to fill out our listener survey! It's only seven questions and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.Guests:Dr Mary AndersonPsychologist; Author, The Happy High AchieverExtra Information:The Happy High Achiever - Pan Macmillan Australia

If you're watching sport or browsing social media, odds are you will come across gambling ads. If you work in an office, you might've joined Melbourne Cup or footy tipping comps.In Australia, it can feel like gambling is everywhere.Today, we look at how everything from video games to shopping sites seem to be priming us for betting-like behaviours, and how the ubiquity of gambling ads is influencing young people in particular.And if you haven't already, please take a moment to fill out our listener survey! It's only 7 questions and we'd love to hear your thoughts on the show.Guests:Dr Hannah PittVicHealth Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Health Transformation Deakin UniversityDr Anastasia HronisClinical psychologistLecturer, University of Technology SydneyNic BloomMental health first aid trainerWellbeing facilitator and speakerCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Ann-Marie de BettencorResources:Gambling Help Online or over the phone 1800 858 858Lifeline resourcesExtra information:Meta-analysis of the relationship between problem gambling, excessive gaming and loot box spendingYoung people's recall and perceptions of gambling advertising and intentions to gamble on sport"It's just everywhere!" Children and parents discuss the marketing of sports wagering in AustraliaGambling activity among Australian teenagers

For years, psychologist Patricia Harney avoided true crime podcasts and documentaries. They hit too close to home.Recently she's been testing the waters, and noticing these whodunnit shows often leave out a crucial element of the story.This episode was first broadcast in July 2023Take our listener survey here: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/pMNc8TK7b7