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Life Top Stories
A drunk-free lifestyle

I quit alcohol

When does a social drink with dinner turn into a health concern? According to Jo Hartley, when one glass merges into two and television is always watched with a...
Education at home

Freedom, faith and family: Why we choose to home-school

It’s the alternative education method often hotly debated, but could home-schooling work for your family?
Smart and funny

People who enjoy dark, twisted jokes may be more intelligent

If you've ever been told you have a sick sense of humour, take heart.
Diet psychology

Instead of overweight, say 'overfat'

A proposed linguistic change could temper a cultural obsession with body weight.
rites and rituals

Lunar New Year: A celebration of spirits, luck and fortune

As well as coming together to eat and share stories, thousands of Vietnamese families will be clearing their debts and putting the broom away come January 28, in...
Sexuality in middle-age

Lost libido: A middle-aged man's search for his mojo

How did getting it on come to seem like a chore, asks middle-aged dad, Ian Rose. Is testosterone to blame, or is it all in the mind?
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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Agenda
RELIGION

‘Welcoming, but not affirming’: being gay and Christian

"I couldn’t even take up the offering. I was simply looking to be actively involved and become a member of the church… Because I was gay, that was sufficient for [them] to turn around and say no. ...
Shaun Micallef's Stairway To Heaven
Not sure what that was....

Falafel, faith and deep-fried mystery food: Shaun Micallef eats America

Extreme faith? Try extreme food. Comedian Shaun Micallef was in America to discover what life's like as a Mormon, but his digestive system got as much of a challenge as his thoughts on spirituality.
Shaun Micallef's Stairway To Heaven
A matter of faith

What does God have to do with food?

As a Hindu, fasting is part of my religious practice. But there's so much more than that to the links between food and faith.
Culture
Interfaith harmony

A non-Muslim in a Muslim country: How I remember Malaysia

Comment: The gentle, inclusive Islam of Sharon Verghis’s childhood in Malaysia remains one of her strongest and more enduring memories.
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 ...
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Wellbeing

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

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...
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?
Bedtime noise

Should you worry about your snoring?

The ultimate sleep interrupter, snoring, could be deteriorating your cardiovascular health.
Time to sleep

It’s time to siesta: Why more Australians should be caught napping at work

His colleagues once laughed at him for napping under his desk. But Dom Knight reckons we should all do it – and that it would improve our work, nationwide, as...
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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19 Jan 2017 - 7:49pm

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?
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.
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

1816results
bipartisanship

Deep into the mind of a moderate Trump voter (and the Democrat who loves him)

“Luckily he proved to me that a person can support Trump and not act like him,” said his girlfriend, an Obama supporter.
Joe Hession just drove 800 km from Boston to Washington D.C. for Donald Trump’s inauguration – but he’s eager to point out that he’s not your typical Trump supporter, at least not the way he says the media portrays them. “I feel it's impor...
You can't sit with us.

The twisted psychology of office cliques

Workplace politics are tricky enough - even without the fallout that can follow clique rejection.
Michael Scott and the Beast have a lot in common. Both The Office protagonist and the Disney cartoon character have copious chest hair—and both are achingly alone. But whereas the Beast broods in isolation, Michael Scott is desperate for c...
Smart and funny

People who enjoy dark, twisted jokes may be more intelligent

If you've ever been told you have a sick sense of humour, take heart.
A new study has found that people who appreciate black humour tend to be more intelligent and have higher education levels. A team of researchers, led by Ulrike Willinger at the Medical University of Vienna, tested whether people who liked...
A drunk-free lifestyle

I quit alcohol

When does a social drink with dinner turn into a health concern? According to Jo Hartley, when one glass merges into two and television is always watched with a wine in-hand. That's why six months ago, she quit alcohol. Here's how her abstinence...
From my late teens until my 30’s, I was solely a social drinker. I was the first to open a bottle with friends and rapidly consume it. Weekends were about letting myself go, and hangovers were managed with carb-laden foods and a selection ...
Education at home

Freedom, faith and family: Why we choose to home-school

It’s the alternative education method often hotly debated, but could home-schooling work for your family?
The one thing Samantha Doyle refused to compromise on in her relationship was her desire to deliver education to her children from home. Although her husband was home-schooled, and admittedly hated the experience, Doyle has been the primar...
new treatment

Zapping the brain really does seem to improve depression

A pseudoscientific sham? A miracle of modern medicine? Not quite - but scientists are finally getting some answers about transcranial direct current stimulation.
Now we know – zapping the brain with electricity really does seem to improve some medical conditions, meaning it may be a useful tool for treating depression. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) involves using electrodes to send...
Ethics of innovation

Moral dilemma: should we reshape society because we can?

We all know that policy makers struggle to keep up with the pace of change in the digital landscape. So what will happen when innovation accelerates change across ALL sectors of Australian life?
Should the wealthy live longer? Of course, they – or rather we – already do. People born in rich countries can look forward to longer lives than those born in poor ones. Now that gap is widening within societies, as well as between them. I...
Antidote to ageing?

A cure for ageing is near but you probably can’t afford it

If eternal youth is something you're planning on, you might want to check your bank balance.
FEEL that? It’s your body, slowly degrading. Ageing affects us all, and it leads to diseases that eventually kill most of us. No wonder so much research is going into creating an antidote. If we come up with a way to slow, halt or even rev...
Disease prevention

Physical health ignored in people with mental illness

The physical health of people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is often overshadowed by their mental health issues.
Australians with serious mental illness are living on average for 10-32 years less than the rest of the population, mainly due to preventable and treatable diseases like diabetes. No wonder, these early, preventable deaths have been descri...
hurried health care

Are our busy doctors and nurses losing empathy for patients?

An increased reliance on technology and a push for increased efficiency means empathy can often take a backseat.
Every day, doctors, nurses and other health professionals are presented with situations that demand empathy and compassion. Whether telling a 40-year-old man with cancer he doesn’t have long to live, or comforting an elderly woman who is f...