Our brains are easily distracted or overwhelmed. And that can make getting stuff done harder than it needs to be. This week, we look at methods and strategies for avoiding unnecessary stress by managing your priorities, your focus, and your energy with organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber.

Imagine getting a diagnosis in adulthood that suddenly made so much of your life make sense. It explains why you’ve always had trouble being on time, starting things you don’t finish, avoiding difficult projects. Producer Jennifer Leake explores the impact of an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood.

Michael Slepian researches the psychology of secrets. But what he didn't know — until about a decade ago — was that his family had a major secret they were keeping from him. One they planned never to reveal. Until …

Guilt and shame are often used interchangeably, but researchers in emotion and psychology say they are distinct – and often motivate people into very different paths of behaviour. For the feeling of guilt, at least, that might even push you into making unexpected positive changes.

In the uncertain times we live in, how exactly are we meant to make up our minds? How do we weigh up pros, cons and risk factors, and how do stress and fear bear on our capacity for critical thinking? And how often are we even aware of the decisions we’re making? On All in the Mind this week, a special panel discussion recorded at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Music is central to the human experience. We celebrate with it, commiserate through it - often some of our strongest memories are tied to it. On All in the Mind this week, how music affects us from the womb through the rest of our lives - and what new research tells us about its measurable impact on our mental health. Plus, the 'plink' test - how our musical memories can identify a track from just a sliver of song, and the power of music to shape our emotions.

On All in the Mind this week, the early history of autism. With historian of science Professor Marga Vicedo we learn about the blame that was cast on mothers, the fight to get adequate help and support for families, and the movement that one mother, Clara Park, helped spark.

Have you ever wanted to change your personality? Many people do - studies find we're keen to become more extroverted, more agreeable and more conscientious. But what does the evidence say about whether people do change? And can you tweak your personality deliberately?

Two disasters, two years apart - the ongoing mental health impact on survivors and what the research can tell us about the different ways people respond to these life-changing events.

The quirks of psychology that influence when we give to charity … and when we don't.

Dolls can tell us a lot about how kids see the world – especially when it comes to race. One American researcher spent months watching pre-schoolers play with dolls and what she observed shocked her. Plus, did you know the very first study of children and their thoughts about dolls actually changed the course of American history? First broadcast 4 April 2021.

Anxiety and alcohol misuse are a common pairing. How do the two egg each other on and what can be done to halt the cycle? Plus, the personality traits that shape our likelihood of harmful alcohol use.

Grief is deeply painful but it's something the majority of us …eventually … find ways to live with. But research is starting to emerge on how the pandemic may have changed the way we grieve - making the experience more intense, more debilitating.  As places like Australia and the US move on from the harshest restrictions of the last two years… is how we grieve returning to baseline? Or is it still too early to know? On All in the Mind this week, how the COVID pandemic has changed the nature of grief.

About one in five Australians experience a mental illness in any given year. But what about when mental health issues occur ... together? On All in the Mind this week, we look at a massive Scandinavian epidemiological study series which considers why having one mental illness puts you at greater risk of developing subsequent ones, and explore what that might mean for the treatment and prevention of mental health issues.

What are the constructive things our minds do when they wander? And when does mindwandering cross over … into not-so-constructive territory?

If you’re lucky enough to have fallen in love at some point in your life, you’ve  probably also had your heart broken. The experience can be excruciating, protracted, disorienting … but can it cause you lasting psychological – even physical – harm?

Chris Hadnagy’s job involves breaking into banks. But he’s not after money, gold or jewels. He’s searching for weaknesses – in systems, in security, and in people.  And he doesn’t use weapons or threats of violence to get past guards and into vaults. He uses a smile - and a few tricks from his toolbox of psychology and social engineering techniques. Chris is the founder and CEO of Social Engineer LLC and lectures about social engineering around the globe. On All in the Mind this week, the psychology of influence and what makes some people more vulnerable to being ‘hacked’ than others. [This episode originally aired on 01 August 2021]

Why do we laugh, and what makes something funny? A psychologist, a neuroscientist and satirist Mark Humphries weigh in on humour and the brain.

We'd love to share with you an excerpt from a new ABC podcast called What the Duck?! Each week the ABC's resident nature nerd Ann Jones explores the most unusual elements of our natural world — the ones that make you go What the Duck?! Like, why do quolls have spots? Who farts (and who doesn't)? And how do snakes climb trees? Join Ann alongside experts and ordinary Aussies alike to solve mysteries, smash myths and uncover the bizarre truth about nature down under. Listen for free on your mobile device on the ABC listen app, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.

Spicy food, scary movies, BDSM … why do humans sometimes chase painful experiences and how are they linked to pleasure?