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Dopamine feels great, but is it always good for us? The answer is complicated, so today, we get into what dopamine actually does in the brain. How does it affect our motivation, movement and behaviour? And how does our environment influence that? Plus, should we be detoxing from dopamine ... and why are people raw dogging flights? This episode first aired in December 2024. Guest: Dr Anastasia HronisClinical psychologistLecturer, University of Technology SydneyAuthor, The Dopamine Brain: Your Science-Backed Guide to Balancing Pleasure and Purpose Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Isabella TropianoTo read the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage.

Can a shrinking brain and drop in testosterone levels ever be a good thing? Turns out, yes.  We find out why fatherhood forces these neurobiological changes in men, and how they help our species survive.  Plus… can the size of new fathers' testicles tell us something about their involvement in parenting? Guest: Darby Saxbe, PhDClinical psychologistProfessor of Psychology, University of Southern CaliforniaAuthor, Dad Brain Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mental map or GPS? Delivery or cooking at home? Scrolling or reading? In a world of convenience, there are plenty of tools that make our lives easier. But is there a benefit to doing things the hard way? Enter: friction-maxxing, the act of deliberately choosing slower, analogue options, in order to give daily routines more meaning, purpose and value. So how does doing things the hard way help us? And isn't life difficult enough — who needs MORE friction? Guests: Kathryn Jezer-MortonWriter and essayist Michael InzlichtProfessor of Psychology, University of Toronto Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

This week, we unpack the appeal of masculinity influencers and the psychological needs they fulfil, like the need for certainty and a sense of purpose.  Because interestingly, boys and men who consume manosphere content are more optimistic about their futures — but they're also more likely to struggle with their mental health. We also get advice for parents on how to talk to their kids about some of the more extreme elements of the manosphere (hint: don't lecture, lead with curiosity). Guests: Dr Zac SeidlerClinical psychologist Global Director of Research at Movember Associate Professor, Orygen, The University of Melbourne Ben Vasiliou CEO of The Man Cave More info: The State of Man on ABC iviewTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

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. This episode first aired in August 2025. Guests: EvaHigh school student Dr Catherine HoulihanClinical psychologistSenior lecturer in clinical psychologyDirector of the UniSC Psychology ClinicUniversity of the Sunshine Coast Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Simon BranthwaiteTo view the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage. To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Today, we're making sense of the tips, tricks and treatments that the self-help landscape has to offer. So whether you're keen to try exposure therapy, tackle your need for validation or restructure your thinking, we'll unpack the psychology so you can improve your life. Guests: Dr Jeremy StevensonClinical psychologistCo-author, The 12 Levers: The Complete Psychological Toolkit For Improving Your Life Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanRelated episodes: Managing your emotions so they don't manage you'What if I'm a paedophile?' The intrusive thoughts that haunted UmaHealing from self-hatredThe cognitive distortions of a high achieverHypochondria and cyberchondria: the many ways to worry about healthFacing fears and phobias

As the headlines get scarier, a neuroscientist and an English professor weigh in on some of our big questions about AI. From cognitive offloading to memory and creativity, we'll examine what AI can offer and what should be kept for human minds. Sophie Gee and Reuben Rideaux appear in Where's the AI Off Switch? on 4 October, co-presented with The University of Sydney, as part of Curious at the Sydney Opera House. Guests: Professor Sophie GeeDepartment of English, Princeton UniversityCo-director, Eleos Collaboration, University of Sydney Dr Reuben RideauxCognitive neuroscientistSenior Lecturer in the School of PsychologyUniversity of Sydney Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Tegan NichollsTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Reading is good for you, but fiction has added benefits. So how does reading work in the brain? Why are stories so impactful?  And why, in this era of book clubs and booktok, are literacy rates not thriving? Get your votes in for Radio National's Top 100 Books Countdown before October 1st.  Guests: Professor Genevieve McArthurAustralian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, ACUDirector of Research Translation, Dyslexia SPELD Foundation Dr Lili YuSenior Lecturer, School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie University Centre for Reading Dr Raymond MarProfessor of PsychologyYork University J.A. (Jess) StevensAuthor, A Change of Pace BecJess' partner Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Tim JenkinsResources: Reading Writing Hotline 1300 6 555 06Literacy for Life FoundationDyslexia SPELD foundationMore information: More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this?The benefits of reading narrative fictionA chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevityWhat Chinese can teach us about readingToo many students have 'reading anxiety'. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary schoolReading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental healthTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

How do you know if you have health anxiety? For mental health nurse Sarah, she had real health concerns, but they were coupled with panic, spiralling worries and late nights googling her symptoms. So how can you tell if your concerns are causing more harm than good?Today, we're demystifying health anxiety. From the impact it has on individuals, to family and friends, to the flow on effects it can have on the medical system.  And don't worry, there is good news - it is treatable, so we'll explore what to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by health anxiety.  Guests: Sarah (pseudonym)Mental health nurse Professor Jill NewbyClinical psychologistUniversity of New South WalesBlack Dog Institute Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Isabella TropianoMore information/resources: CCI Health AnxietyThis Way Up - Health AnxietyThe Black Dog Institute is doing research on digital treatments for health anxiety. If you're interested in participating, you can find more information here. To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Sally Gould was a couple of years into her dream job as a paramedic when it all started to fall apart.It wasn’t the trauma and injury she was exposed to on shifts that was getting to her. It was everything else - the hours, the nonsense callouts, the bullying.The experience would leave her isolated and thinking of suicide. But she found a way back.Today, an episode for those of you who fear you’re burning out - or have burnt out.We hear about the personality traits that put you at higher risk of burnout, how to protect yourself and getting back on the path back to good health. Guests: Sally Gould Paramedic; Author, Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic Gordon Parker Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales Credits: Presenter: Sana QadarSenior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound Engineer: Tegan NichollsMore info: Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic (Simon & Schuster).Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery (Allen & Unwin). Defining burnout: What is this syndrome and what sets it apart from other labels? (RACGP). To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Meditation sickness, meditation-related adverse effects or meditators in distress – you probably haven't heard these terms, even if you do meditate. Yet research finds adverse effects occur in half of all meditators. For one in 10, it impairs their functioning or lasts more than a month. Experts say many people can benefit from meditation, but it can also come with harms. Today, the second episode of a two-part special on the research into those harms and the personal stories of those who've experienced them. You can hear part one of the series here. Guests: Willoughby BrittonAssociate Professor, Brown University Medical School; Director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab Nicholas Van DamAssociate Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences; Director of the Contemplative Studies Center at the University of Melbourne Willem KuykenProfessor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science, University of Oxford Jane ReedExperienced adverse effects from meditation and the author of First Telling SueExperienced adverse effects from meditation Credits: Presenter: Sana QadarReporter/Producer: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrExtra info: Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programsThe varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western BuddhistsEffectiveness and cost-effectiveness of universal school-based mindfulness training compared with normal school provision in reducing risk of mental health problems and promoting well-being in adolescence: the MYRIAD cluster randomised controlled trialCheetah HouseTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Meditation has a lot of benefits, but could it also have risks? Over the past decade, meditation and mindfulness have been promoted to reduce stress and increase relaxation. But there is another story of meditation that rarely gets told... one that involves anxiety, insomnia — even psychosis. Today, how one person went from being an evangelical mindfulness meditator, to a leading researcher on the adverse effects of meditation. Guests: Willoughby BrittonAssociate professor, Brown University Medical School and director of the Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Lab Pawan SharmaAssistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Pattan Academy of Health Sciences School of Medicine Pierce SalgueroProfessor of Asian History and Health Humanities at Penn State University Credits: Presenter: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Fiona PepperSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrExtra information: Defining and measuring meditation-related adverse effects in mindfulness-based programsPrevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022Prevalence and predictors of meditation use in Australia and New Zealand: results from a nationally representative surveyMindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves polysomnographic and subjective sleep profiles in antidepressant users with sleep complaintsMeditation-induced psychosis: a narrative review and individual patient data analysisPsychiatric Problems Precipitated by Transcendental MeditationThe varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western BuddhistsCheetah HouseTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Closure can feel like the ultimate solution to help us heal. But is it all it's cracked up to be? Today, we learn about ambiguous loss — the type of grief that comes without closure.  We know navigating uncertainty is tricky, so what practical steps can we take to process this kind of loss? A heads up, this episode touches on some heavy topics around loss and trauma. Guests: Carly DoberPsychologist Dr Pauline BossProfessor emeritus, University of MinnesotaAuthor, Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic Author, Change and Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Roi HubermanMore information: The psychology of closure — and why some need it more than othersMotivated closing of the mind: "seizing" and "freezing"Beyond dogmatism: The need for closure as related to religionNeed for cognitive closure, tolerance for ambiguity, and perfectionism in medical school applicantsAmbiguous lossTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Nature is good for our wellbeing. But how much green space does a community need, before you can see a wellbeing boost? And how do we encourage people to spend more time outdoors? This episode first aired in September 2023. In celebration of National Science Week, make sure to vote in ABC Radio National's poll for Australia's most amazing wildflower. Guests: Belinda McCawleyFounder, Mindful in Nature Dr Xiaoqi FengProfessor of Urban Health and EnvironmentSchool of Population Health,University of New South Wales (UNSW)Founding Co-Director of PowerLab Josh BrownCo-founder, Deadly Ed Credits: Presenter: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSound engineer: John JacobsTo read the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage. To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Since the days of gladiator battles and public hangings, dark tourism — our attraction to places linked to death and despair — has been a part of human behaviour. But there's something in the 21st century that's causing debate… Selfies. Digital media isn't all bad though. It's also creating opportunities for authentic storytelling. Today, we examine what dark tourism is, if it's ethical, and when it is (and isn't) appropriate to snap a selfie. This episode first aired in June 2024. Guests: Dr Craig Wight, Associate Professor, Business School, Edinburgh Napier UniversityDr Nicole Basaraba, Assistant Professor, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies and Centre for Digital Humanities, Trinity College DublinDr Mariko Smith, Head of First Nations Collections & Research, First Nations Division, Australian MuseumCredits: Presenter/Producer: Sana QadarProducer: Rose KerrSenior Producer: James BullenSound engineer: Beth StewartOther information: The Australian Museum's Unsettled exhibitionTo read the transcript from this episode, head to its original webpage. To explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.