What self-help advice is actually useful?

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 essayistMichael InzlichtProfessor of Psychology, University of TorontoCredits: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 psychologistGlobal Director of Research at MovemberAssociate Professor, Orygen, The University of MelbourneBen VasiliouCEO of The Man CaveMore 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 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 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 LifeCredits: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 SydneyDr Reuben RideauxCognitive neuroscientistSenior Lecturer in the School of PsychologyUniversity of SydneyCredits: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 FoundationDr Lili YuSenior Lecturer, School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie University Centre for ReadingDr Raymond MarProfessor of PsychologyYork UniversityJ.A. (Jess) StevensAuthor, A Change of PaceBecJess' partnerCredits: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 nurseProfessor Jill NewbyClinical psychologistUniversity of New South WalesBlack Dog InstituteCredits: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 GouldParamedic; Author, Frog: The Secret Diary of a ParamedicGordon ParkerEmeritus Professor of Psychiatry, University of New South WalesCredits: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 LabNicholas Van DamAssociate Professor, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences; Director of the Contemplative Studies Center at the University of MelbourneWillem KuykenProfessor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science, University of OxfordJane ReedExperienced adverse effects from meditation and the author of First TellingSueExperienced adverse effects from meditationCredits: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 LabPawan SharmaAssistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Pattan Academy of Health Sciences School of MedicinePierce SalgueroProfessor of Asian History and Health Humanities at Penn State UniversityCredits: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.