All In The Mind

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 Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineer: Isabella Tropiano
To 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 Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineer: Roi Huberman
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.

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 Qadar
Senior producer: James Bullen
Producer: Rose Kerr
Sound engineer: Roi Huberman
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.

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 Qadar
Producer: Rose Kerr
Senior producer: James Bullen
Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite
To 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.