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Life Top Stories
Newly added
the science of contentment

You can’t buy happiness - but you can reduce the cost of misery

A new study has confirmed what most of us have long known: positive relationships and good health have the potential to make us much happier than money. And its...
Newly added
18 Jan 2017 - 4:05pm

Forget eating cauliflower rice - you need support from friends in order to lose weight

If you've made a resolution to slim down, arm yourself with the knowledge that it's not hot yoga or endless bowls of kale that will get you there – it’s the...
Newly added
secrets to success

How much ambition can a marriage sustain?

Power couples are a rarity. Instead, many high-achieving women have husbands who do their own opting out.
Newly added
Mic drop

This Pakistani singer publicly shamed men who were harassing a woman at his concert

Atif Aslam is being hailed a hero on social media.
Newly added
Location, location

Part-time hermit wanted to live in an Austrian cliffside retreat

There's no heating, running water, electricity or WiFi - but check out the view.
Diverse beauty

This ad has a beautiful message about modern Australia

"This is an Australia Day ad. The reason we do not explicitly say so is because the message behind it is timeless and not just limited to one day."
Special delivery

Swedish parents are being taught how to deliver a baby in a car

"You have to be ready, and the worst could happen," says midwife Stina Naslund.

Stairway to Spirituality

We celebrate and explore a multiplicity of spiritual beliefs from around the world. Don't miss Shaun Micallef's  #StairwayToHeaven, airs from 18 Jan, 8.30pm.

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Culture
Multiple marriages

Faith and polygamy: which religions permit plural marriage?

Polygamy is taboo in Western society and Christianity but other cultures and faiths permit plural marriage.
Culture
Social media

Feeling so emotional: why we rage about religion on Facebook

Partaking in an emotionally charged social media rant? You're probably just responding to your own identity - and some hefty emotional cues.
Agenda
WORLD

The state of same-sex marriage in Israel

While there are signs that things are improving for LGBT+ Israeli people, it will be a long time before equality is achieved.
Culture
Ashram life

A guru’s healing touch: My embrace with India’s hugging saint

The renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian, Mata Amritanandamayi, is best known for her healing hugs, having embraced a reported 33 million people worldwide. Alison Bone recalls her quest to meet ...
Culture
Finding inner peace

Could becoming a part-time Buddhist help you have a more peaceful year?

You don't have to shave your head or don a red robe to achieve inner peace and calm, says Buddhist nun Robina Courtin. Just practice the Buddhist techniques of mindfulness and be open to the lifestyle...
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Wellbeing

Optimism and eats to nourish the mind, body and soul. No empty calories here.

THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

Comment: The cult of “crazy busy” is killing us. It’s time to switch off

French companies are now legally required to provide their employees with a “right to disconnect” - should we be following suit?

Is it ever possible to 'sharent' safely?

Most parents regularly post Facebook selfies taken with their children and share details about their kids on social media. So how do you 'sharent' safely without...
Bedtime noise

Should you worry about your snoring?

The ultimate sleep interrupter, snoring, could be deteriorating your cardiovascular health.
MINDFULNESS MEMO

Do gratitude journals bug you? Here's what to do instead

Gratitude is good for us, but there are other ways to reap the benefits without keeping a journal.
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Is it time to return to the Mediterranean diet?

We've banished sugar, dined like cavemen and demonised gluten. Is 2017 the year of the Mediterranean Diet - again?

Opinion

Meet our columnists. They've got strong views on all things. Their words may (or may not) change the world.

good luck schmuck

Comment: "Good riddance, 2016" and other lies by the Gregorian calendar

It's a useful psychological crutch to say “good riddance” to an awful year, but are we setting ourselves up for disapointment when January fails to deliver? Helen...
unlocking creativity

A defence of summer boredom

By equating nonstop productivity with self-worth, our fear of boredom overlooks the creative and emotional value of doing nothing at all, writes Neha Kale.
constructing gender

Comment: What if our cities paid tribute to the lives of great women?

The statues and landmarks that dot our cities symbolise a culture that denies women the right to public spaces, writes Neha Kale.

Middle Eastern feminism: The female force protesting Lebanon's 'rape law'

Comment: Activists from the Lebanese NGO Abaad group took a stand against Article 522: a law enabling rapists to avoid prosecution if they marry the victim. Now...
Flying photographers

Is nowhere sacred? Why the selfie drone is the end of silence and privacy

Comment: Selfie drones are creepy intrusive gadgets that may soon destroy our peace and privacy. Jill Stark explains why.

January 26

What it means to be Australian in the 21st century.

Identity

January 26 - Australia Day, Survival Day or Invasion Day?

Australians hold many different views on what January 26 represents - and this is particularly the case among Indigenous communities.
Survival Day

Australia Day, Invasion Day, Survival Day: What's in a name?

Survival Day? Australia Day? Invasion Day? Feeling confused yet? We explain the history and meaning behind these different nomenclatures for January 26.

Indigenous conversations

Stories bringing Indigenous into Australia’s identity. Celebrating inspiring groups and individuals. #WalkWithUs

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17 Jan 2017 - 5:44pm

Indigenous Languages at Risk

Australia's Indigenous languages could be completely wiped out by 2050 according to experts.

Indigenous Australia

How to make a healing garden

Your garden can deliver a lot more than just outdoor decoration. SBS Life spoke to Charles Solomon, Indigenous plant consultant and founder of Garawana Creative, to find out how we can bring some Abor...
Busting myths

Here's the truth about the 'free ride' that some Australians think Indigenous peoples get

The shocking truth about non-Indigenous Australia is that many people mistakenly assume that Indigenous Australians coast through life, receiving privileges and benefits. Bronwyn Carlson busts this my...
Growth

Who owns a plant?

With more and more people relishing in the flora that has nourished Indigenous Australians for more than 50,000 years, John Newtown asks who "owns" our native plants.
Yoga fusions

Weaving Indigenous sounds and stories into yoga

A Sydney-based yoga organisation is fusing Indian and Indigenous yoga traditions, incorporating the spirit of Aboriginal Australia into the ancient practice.
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A shared Australian identity
#WalkWithUs
Join SBS and NITV as we explore Australia's rich Indigenous history, cultures and achievement together. 
Walk With Us

Relationships

Let's talk about sex, love, dating, marriage, coupledom.

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Off-line dating

How to ask someone out #IRL

The art of asking someone out in real life may be a dying practice, thanks to the popularity of dating apps. But why not be brave and give it a go?
Between the sheets

Could a period of abstinence help your relationship?

“There’s the old saying 'You want what you can't have', and we do see this a lot with couples who willingly choose to abstain from sex for whatever reason.”
Telepathic relationships

'I'm not a mind reader': Understanding your partner's thoughts can be both good and bad

Empathic accuracy - where you can read your partner's unsaid thoughts or feelings - is not only is it real, it has important implications for our relationships.
love lockdown

Dating culture: when dating more is actually less

Convenience dating via swipe apps like Tinder has singles no closer to finding 'the one’.
Gender equality

Emasculated men refuse to do chores — except cooking

International research shows that when manhood is threatened, men in some countries react by doing less housework. The only exception? Meal preparation.
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Health check

Breaking down the latest medical news, global health issues, research and analyses.

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PAIN MANAGEMENT

Living with psoriatic arthritis: When pain and inflammation takes over your body

Up to 30 percent of people living with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory strand of arthritis. Jessica Orford-Garde was 24 when a traffic accident...
Cancer doesn't discriminate

'It's your fault you got cancer': the blame game that doesn't help anyone

People with cancer are exposed to many, often misrepresented, ideas about cancer. These can induce stress and even shame for the sufferer who might feel they've...
WHEN LOVE HURTS

The woman who was allergic to her husband

Johanna Watkins' allergies are so extreme that she's been confined to a sealed room, shielded from natural light, and her husband.
Mind body living

The big meditation myth

We have 70,000 thoughts every day – are we really expected to clear them in meditation?
SOUL SCIENCE

Is grief a disease?

A new theory is challenging the way psychologists understand mourning.
age-old wisdom

What grandmothers can teach science about autism

Women who have raised a child with autism may have the ability to spot subtle signs of the condition in their grandchildren.
men's fertility

Most men don’t realise age is a factor in their fertility too

Trying for a baby? When it comes to fertility, it's not just a woman's age that matters.
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Family

Parenting for modern families: new rules for a new age.

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fatherhood penalty

Dads are now facing a conflict between kids and career that women have had for decades

More dads are open to trading hours at work for time at home with their kids - so why aren't more workplaces supporting them?
Contraception conversations

How to teach your children about IVF - and surrogacy

Two new children's books are helping kids understand modern alternatives to the birds and the bees story.
PARENTING TRAPS

In Germany, parents can sue the government for failing to provide child care

A judge has ruled that mothers and fathers can try to recover wages they lost from staying home to take care of their kids.
sports therapy

"Martial arts helped me fight postnatal depression"

After being diagnosed with crippling postnatal depression, 33-year-old Barkindji woman Shantelle Thompson took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu to help her heal. Little did...
Opinion

The terrifying miracle of creating a human

"My lady pals know to keep their miracle news away from me for fear I will lose my mind."
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#HaveYourSay

Experts and passionate individuals weigh in on Life topics. Share your story at pitchtolife@sbs.com.au.

Islamophobia

What Lebanese-Australian Muslims want Peter Dutton to know

Because of the alleged actions of 22 Lebanese-Australian youths, the Minister of Immigration has said it was "a mistake" to have allowed Lebanese refugees into the...
word up

Comment: I say the wrong things all the time

Should we always say what we think and just deal with the consequences? Writer and performer Koraly Dimitriadis shares how learning to speak her mind was the best...
migrant tales

I'm a Russian immigrant with an Arabic husband: Donald Trump, your hate has no place here

Comment: Islamic terrorism and diplomatic relations with Russia have become divisive points in all three US presidential debates. But is the racially and...
Stories of belonging

"My experience is a constant longing for connection"

I am forever a tourist in my homeland and a foreigner in my birthplace.
Victory

Life lessons from winning a quiz show

Sunil Badami reveals how winning a popular game show helped him in the untrivial pursuit of leading a happy life.

More dispatches from Life

1799results
Newly added
secrets to success

How much ambition can a marriage sustain?

Power couples are a rarity. Instead, many high-achieving women have husbands who do their own opting out.
Gloria Steinem famously quipped that some women “are becoming the men we wanted to marry.” Forty years later, Sheryl Sandberg argued that the most important decision a woman makes about her career is whom to marry. But neither Sandberg nor...
Newly added
Studying spirituality

Researchers are giving religious leaders psychedelic drugs in the interest of science

Groovy-ness is next to Godliness - researchers are enlisting the help of religious leaders to study the science behind psychedelic drug trips.
Despite the fact that psychedelic drugs have been used for millennia as medicine in ritualistic ceremonies, there remain many questions in the scientific community about the relationship between their spiritual qualities and healing potent...
Newly added
Location, location

Part-time hermit wanted to live in an Austrian cliffside retreat

There's no heating, running water, electricity or WiFi - but check out the view.
The Austrian town of Saalfelden is looking for someone to live in a 350 year old hermitage built out of a cave in the side of a cliff. Saalfelden officials are looking for an applicant with a "connection to Christian belief" and someone wh...
Newly added
18 Jan 2017 - 4:05pm

Forget eating cauliflower rice - you need support from friends in order to lose weight

If you've made a resolution to slim down, arm yourself with the knowledge that it's not hot yoga or endless bowls of kale that will get you there – it’s the encouragement and support from friends and family.
It’s January of a new year, and the only thing more predictable than sunburn and extended hangovers is the resolution of millions of Australians to lose weight. A new year, a new you, so the saying that we hear all January goes. To avoid b...
Newly added
Motherly minds

Becoming a mother may change the brain to read baby’s mind

Any parent will tell you that everything is different after bub comes along.
New mums experience many changes – including dramatic ones in the brain, as scans taken before and after pregnancy have revealed. Elseline Hoekzema at Leiden University in the Netherlands and her team compared brain scans of 25 first-time ...
Newly added
Mic drop

This Pakistani singer publicly shamed men who were harassing a woman at his concert

Atif Aslam is being hailed a hero on social media.
Pakistani singer Atif Aslam stopped his Karachi concert mid-song on Saturday when he saw a female fan being harassed by some men. "Haven't you seen a girl?" the singer asked the alleged harassers, according to the Times of India. "Your mot...
Newly added
the science of contentment

You can’t buy happiness - but you can reduce the cost of misery

A new study has confirmed what most of us have long known: positive relationships and good health have the potential to make us much happier than money. And its authors are trying to convince policy makers that tackling misery is relatively cheap.
If you think that slogging it out to save for your first home, pay off the mortgage, top up the super or hustle your boss for a pay rise will make you happy, you may have your priorities wrong. According to new research, released in the UK...
Multiple marriages

Faith and polygamy: which religions permit plural marriage?

Polygamy is taboo in Western society and Christianity but other cultures and faiths permit plural marriage.
In Australia, marriage is changing. Cohabitation and kids before marriage are becoming the norm, and soon – hopefully – Australians will be allowed to marry a person of the same sex. But one thing that remains resolutely unchanged is the n...
Diverse beauty

This ad has a beautiful message about modern Australia

"This is an Australia Day ad. The reason we do not explicitly say so is because the message behind it is timeless and not just limited to one day."
Four Aussie women are wearing green and gold headscarves in an online Australia Day advertisement, which celebrates the diversity and multiculturalism of our country.   Fashion label MOGA is releasing the ad in the lead up to January 26, f...
THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

Comment: The cult of “crazy busy” is killing us. It’s time to switch off

French companies are now legally required to provide their employees with a “right to disconnect” - should we be following suit?
There are 2,301 unread emails in my inbox. I feel like I’m perpetually in the middle of a conversation I never finish. I try to get through them – respond to the ones that matter, cull the ones that don’t – but there’s always more. It’s a ...