It’s the thing that promises to connect us more than anything; the wonderful majestical phone! But it’s not all good news. Jan Fran learns about a tiny but insidious phone habit that can destroy relationships, and meets an influencer whose enormous online following left her feeling empty. So, is there a way to have a good relationship with our phones? Yes. And it doesn’t involve a detox.
Who are the people in your neighbourhood? A staggering amount of Australians don’t know. But turns out, sticking your head over the fence is hugely beneficial. Jan Fran tracks down social psychologist Hugh Mackay for a lesson in how to be a good neighbour, and we meet people whose connection with their street was life-changing. And after three years of ignoring her neighbours, Jan is convinced to channel her inner Ned Flanders and reach out to the people closest (in proximity) to her.
If you are going to futureproof yourself against some shitty things, there's one thing you need to invest in. It's not money, or the share market, or burying a stash of canned goods and three-ply. It's much, much closer to home. Jan uncovers a key finding from the world's largest study on happiness, and a relationship counsellor gives advice on how to handle tension at home.
Remember the time you thought "yay!" when someone cancelled on you? When we all joked about being too busy and wanting to stay indoors and do nothing? Now, we're socially isolating, distancing ourselves, and longing to connect. If deep human connection is critical to our survival, what do we do now? Join Jan Fran — from her bedroom — for this special series on how to find community and connection amidst coronavirus.
It's the last episode and yeah, we reckon we've gotten pretty good at planning for this whole death malarkey. But, as Jan realises when she tries to talk to her sister about her own wishes, the people who love you can get a bit funny when you ambush them to talk about your inevitable death. We'll learn what it's like having those tricky conversations when the 'hypothetical' side of it all is removed and you're really looking at an imminent death; and Dr Ursula Sanson-Daly gives us a masterclass ...
How do you balance the death of someone close to you with going into work? Can you show emotion? What if a colleague loses someone? Is it okay to talk about it? And what are your leave rights? Butcher Leanne tells the story about a customer literally dying to make a point about lamb chops. Indigenous comedian and actor Steven Oliver talks about taking time off work for funerals. TED Talker Michelle Knox discusses how her own dad's death led to a more supportive culture in her office. Plus — what...
You might have died, but your fb profile hasn't. Our online selves live on after we’ve died, so what are the big decisions we need to make about social media before we face death? Tech journalist Claire Reilly talks us through the digital breadcrumbs of Tinder, Twitter, Tumbler, Bumble, Hinge, Facebook, Grindr and Insty that form the digital sandwich of your afterlife — and how to handle it now so your family won’t get a huge shock when they peer into your DM’s post-mortem. Wait, can they do tha...
Your sick or ageing loved one is lying in a hospital bed. The doctors are asking for a decision: "What would they want?". What about the advance care directive? Wait, what is that? And how do I make a decision about someone that's not me? Get your wishes in order, and make sure the people around you have theirs in order too. Jacinta talks about being asked in the ICU whether to keep her 97-year-old great uncle alive or not. And Dr Peter Saul talks us through what he calls an 'authentic death' in...
So, who gets your kids if you die? And have they actually agreed to take them? SPOILER ALERT: A will written on the back of a coaster isn't necessarily legit. Here's an easy guide to making a will and keeping it updated. We'll cover all the basics, from the assets you can't forget about, to nominating an executor — or outsourcing to a lawyer. Lawyer Andrew Simpson shows Jan and her husband how to write a will (really CAN you just download one off the internet?); and Jan contemplates telling her ...
When someone dies, it's up to the people left behind to piece their lives together using only the clues left behind. What if the person who died was the one who paid the bills? Or, what if you haven't spoken to them in a really long time? Jan Fran meets Kate, who's in her forties and at a complete loss about how to piece together her estranged father's deceased estate. Enter financial advisor Donna Lee Powell, who came out of retirement to help other people navigate their financial woes when her...
Chances are, you'll have to arrange a funeral at least once. When a loved one dies, and suddenly it falls to you to organise things, where do you even start? It's time to learn all the things most funeral directors don't want you to know. Like: is it gauche to ask how much something costs at a funeral parlour? Jan Fran visits family funeral director Carly to learn about cardboard coffins and meaningful DIY funerals, and is like, totally, completely cool when she sees a real-life deceased person ...
Here's what you need to know immediately after someone has died, because a tsunami of decisions is about to hit. How the heck do you get a death certificate? Will there be an autopsy? Um, literally, who are you supposed to call first? That's the quandary Emma Gray found herself in, when she woke one day to discover her husband had died and her entire world had changed. We'll also meet Jodie Leditschke, who talks us through what happens when a deceased person reaches the Victorian Coroner's Offic...
If you died tomorrow, would the people around you know what to do? Nah, of course they wouldn't! We get it. It's heaps easier to keep the dinner table convo flowing re: your latest TV binge than having an in-depth discussion about which sister inherits your RAV4 after you die. It might be hard, but it's important. That's why The Pineapple Project is tackling death. Because literally everybody is doing it. Get it? Join us as we learn the simple steps to master the logistics of death. Because when...
It's the heart of the home. It's where you eat, cook, plan holidays, store things, stick things on the fridge. And everyone in the house uses it slightly differently. Like Claire Hooper, the kitchen might be your clutter pain point. But yippee ki-yay mutha clutters, that changes today. Claire and her husband Wade are at the mercy of organiser Kelly Bainbridge (so you don't have to be). Put on the cleaning gloves, it's time to learn the power of the 'magic triangle', why grouping food will save y...
Garages, sheds, junk rooms, this is the space of the house that stores everything ELSE. Don't just shut the door and hope one day it spontaneously combusts; even this place can be a haven for order! Join Claire Hooper and organiser Anita Birges as they help Carly quickly sort through years of stuff (and multiple cake platters). Have you moved or downsized and put all your crap in the garage? We got you! Yes, it can be a wilderness. But with your new 'zoning' method and declutter genie Peter Wals...
Bills, fines, statements, invitations, newsletters and report cards. Each one comes with a new list of decisions for you to make. Blerrgh! If you're drowning in life admin, Claire Hooper's meeting with decluttering goddess Carol Martyn will help you breathe again. You'll learn what to do with every bit of paper that enters your orbit at the home of Kariyn as she wades through the paperwork spilling out of her office, down the hall and into every crevice in her house. These are the simple systems...
Everyone needs clean bodies and clean clothes, but without a game plan in place, bathrooms and laundries can quickly become the grossest rooms in your home. Say goodbye to wet towels, mould and never being able to find an ear bud when you need one! Organiser Susanne Thiebe prefers practical over pretty. She helps stay at home Dad Will Owyong win back some space and peace of mind in his verrrrry crammed rental apartment through smart storage systems and the 'four bucket challenge'. The declutter ...
Walk in. Have a look around. Now take a seat on the couch. Does it feel like your stuff is closing in on you? Books, dishes, bags, shoes, argh! The living room is for living, so here's how to make it worth living in. Claire Hooper takes professional organiser Helen Stanley to the home of Deb, Karl, their three children and one giant cat, to make an overwhelming situation manageable. Don't know what to do with sentimental items? We got you. Is there a golden rule for collecting books? There is! A...
It should be your sanctuary. The place you go to recharge. So why are we dumping all our stuff in our bedrooms? If you have a floor-drobe (or a chair-drobe) if you're sleeping next to white goods, or you can't remember the last time you made your bed, welcome to your new happy place. Claire Hooper meets organiser Lissanne Oliver who shares a rapid-fire method for getting bedrooms under control at the home of Karen and Gary (they have two sets of twins and weirdly their bedroom isn't the tranquil...
"Do I feel like have control of the stuff in my life? Why is letting go of things so darn hard? And is clutter basically a dark wizard exercising secret control over my moods and mind?" If you answered no, I don't know, and yes to the above — then welcome aboard! It turns out (surprise) that most of your mess actually starts in your head. And then spreads to your bed! And the rest of the house. WARNING: this episode will make you re-evaluate your relationship with the things you own. Join Claire...
See ya later, clutter! If the stuff around you is giving you a stress migraine, or if you're just completely out of places to put things, we got you. Come along with Claire Hooper and a team of no-nonsense experts to rummage through people's cupboards and learn the secrets of the super organised. Save yourself time and money, declutter your brain, recycle the gimmicky life hacks and inform your belongings they do not own you, thank you kindly. It's time to take back control of every room in your...
You’re leaning in with your growth mindset, you’re managing your workday like a pro, and you’ve said a HARD NOPE to impostor syndrome and your toxic colleagues. You’re feeling about as motivated as you can be in the job you’re doing... but what if that’s not enough? When you know, deep down, it’s time to change direction, how do you even begin? It’s time to solve the greatest puzzle of all — finding and landing a new job that’s right for you. Claire Hooper is putting it all on the line to find s...
“Have a baby,” they said. “It’ll be great!” they said. Ummm... except they forgot to mention how it can really put the skids on your career! Hold on to your teething rusks as Claire Hooper wrangles parents and experts like Annabel Crabb for tips on how to tell your boss you’re growing a human, manage your leave and re-enter the workplace #likeaboss even with a spew-stained shirt.
There’s a point when a cruddy boss or colleague can cross the line into #metoo territory. So if you find yourself in that situation, what can you do? Claire Hooper chats with Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins about the million ways sexual harassment can play out in the workplace — and where you can turn if it happens to you.
You never forget your first bad boss. You know the one — they take the credit, play the blame game, micromanage, criticise and undermine. Claire Hooper asks what makes a horrible boss, how to cope if you’ve got one, and what we can learn from the best ones.
There’s a certain amount of workplace stress that’s normal. Then there’s burnout. So what’s the difference? No really — Claire Hooper wants to know. If you’re feeling exhausted and cynical, or if you just can’t see the point of the work you’re doing — you could be burnt out. Recognise the warning signs and get a plan in place to vanquish the ‘noonday demon’ with Australia’s leading burnout expert, Professor Gordon Parker....
Tina Fey has it. TV journalist Leigh Sales too. That creeping feeling you’re not quite good enough at your job, and that EVERYONE is about to find out. Impostor syndrome. What a prick(ly situation). It doesn't matter how competent or how experienced you are, that nasty little voice can strike at any time. Claire Hooper’s determined to find out how to deal with it.
Bad breath. Bagging your old boss. Straight up lying. The list of what NOT to do in a job interview is long and cringeworthy. Claire Hooper finds out how to turn a bunch of stone-cold strangers into a room full of your biggest fans, clamouring to give you the job. And hear other people's worst interview fails ... to make you feel better about your own.
Networking. Yuck. If the thought of doing it triggers your gag reflex, you’re not alone. But, done right, networking is actually less 'vomit in your mouth' and more 'hello golden job opportunities'. Claire Hooper tracks down the world’s most persistent and successful networkers to find out what they know that we don’t. And it turns out you don’t need a briefcase, heels, or even business cards to do it — some of the best networking can be done without leaving your couch groove....
Meetings are LYFE right? Nah let’s get real — they can be the worst. Unless, maybe, you’ve just been doing them wrong? Claire Hooper hits up a meetings master to learn how to tame the unruly ones and eliminate the pointless ones — without sounding totally pass-agg. If you’re sick of wasting time in meetings, follow these rules for a total reboot.
