Are We Good?

We know that eating well, getting enough sleep and moving our bodies can help keep us healthy. But where do our relationships fit in? In the first episode of Are We Good? , journalist Marina Pliatsikas explores why connection is essential to our survival, health and wellbeing. Through conversations about evolution, brain chemistry, community and everyday kindness, we discover how caring for one another has helped us survive – and why we still need each other today. Evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin explains the “biological bribery” behind our need to connect, while social psychologist Hugh Mackay reflects on kindness as a survival skill, belonging and the neighbours we didn’t choose. Relationships Australia NSW CEO Elisabeth Shaw explores what it means to feel deeply known and held in mind by another person. Daniel Mancuso shares the story behind Yiayia Next Door, and how meals passed over a fence became a powerful source of comfort after devastating family violence. Aunty Julie Wilson offers a First Nations perspective on community, sharing and our responsibilities to one another. Together, these conversations invite us to think more broadly about the relationships that sustain us – from partners and close friends to family, neighbours and familiar faces. Are We Good? is a six-part podcast series from Relationships Australia NSW. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Our guests With thanks to the guests featured in this episode: Dr Anna Machin – Evolutionary anthropologist specialising in human relationships Hugh Mackay – Social psychologist, author and researcher Elisabeth Shaw – Clinical psychologist and CEO of Relationships Australia NSW Daniel Mancuso – Co-founder of Yiayia Next Door Aunty Julie Wilson – Proud Ngyiampaa and Barkindji woman and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Practice Specialist at Relationships Australia NSW Follow Are We Good? Instagram Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Support and resources If anything in this podcast brings up difficult feelings or concerns about your relationships, support is available. Relationships Australia NSW offers counselling for individuals, couples and families across NSW. Call 1300 364 277 or visit our website to enquire or book. RANSW is not a crisis service. Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 for crisis support, available 24/7 across Australia. Beyond Blue: Call 1300 224 636 or access online counselling for mental health support, available 24/7 across Australia. 13YARN: Call 13 92 76 for free, confidential, culturally safe crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, available 24/7. 1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732 for support with domestic, family or sexual violence, available 24/7 across Australia. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000 . Research and further reading Relationships Australia NSW – Connection Is Protection Our latest Australian research , conducted with YouGov, explores how relationships affect our mental health and wellbeing, the challenges people face staying connected, and why relationship skills matter. Social relationships and longevity A major analysis of 148 studies involving more than 300,000 people found that stronger social relationships were associated with a 50% greater likelihood of survival. Social Relationships and Mortality Risk The Harvard Study of Adult Development – What makes a good life? Running since 1938, this landmark Harvard study has followed participants across decades to understand what contributes to a healthy, fulfilling life. One of its most important findings is that the quality of our close relationships is strongly associated with our happiness, health and wellbeing as we age. Harvard Study of Adult Development World Health Organization – Commission on Social Connection The WHO's landmark report examines the health impacts of loneliness and social isolation, calling for social connection to be treated as a global public health priority. From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies Oxytocin, relationships and wound healing Research published in JAMA Psychiatry explores how oxytocin and affectionate interactions between romantic partners may influence physical wound healing, offering new insights into the relationship between connection and health. Intranasal Oxytocin and Physical Intimacy for Dermatological Wound Healing How caregiving shapes fathers' brains (2014) Research examining brain responses in mothers and fathers, including gay fathers who were primary caregivers, found evidence that caregiving experience can shape the brain's responses to children. Father's Brain Is Sensitive to Childcare Experiences Credits Hosted by Marina Pliatsikas Produced by Emily Dufton

We spend our whole lives in relationships, but why can they feel so hard? From loneliness and friendship to digital life and human connection, we explore what helps us relate to one another and whether our relationships are something we can learn, practise and improve. Welcome to Are We Good? – a six-part podcast series from Relationships Australia NSW . Journalist Marina Pliatsikas speaks with researchers, psychologists, relationship experts and people with lived experience about why connection matters – and what gets in the way. In the trailer, Marina and her guests begin to explore the messy and complicated business of relating to one another. Across the series, we’ll explore how technology is changing our connections, what it means to take accountability when we hurt someone, and how small moments can build friendship and community. Follow Are We Good? wherever you get your podcasts. Featured voices With thanks to the guests featured in this trailer: Dr Anna Machin – Evolutionary anthropologist specialising in human relationships Hugh Mackay – Social psychologist, author and researcher Ros Thomas – Journalist and creator of The Loneliness Project Professor Michelle Lim – Clinical psychologist and CEO and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together Milly Rose Bannister – Youth mental health advocate and founder and CEO of ALLKND Professor Toby Walsh – Chief Scientist at the UNSW AI Institute Ben Vasiliou – CEO of The Man Cave Dr Raquel Peel – Researcher and relationship expert at Central Queensland University Simone Heng – Human connection specialist and author of Let’s Talk About Loneliness Follow Are We Good? Instagram Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Credits Hosted by Marina Pliatsikas Produced by Emily Dufton Support and resources If anything in this podcast brings up difficult feelings or concerns about your relationships, support is available. Relationships Australia NSW offers counselling for individuals, couples and families across NSW. Call 1300 364 277 or visit our website to enquire or book. RANSW is not a crisis service. Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 for crisis support, available 24/7 across Australia. Beyond Blue: Call 1300 224 636 or access online counselling for mental health support, available 24/7 across Australia. 13YARN: Call 13 92 76 for free, confidential, culturally safe crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, available 24/7. 1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732 for support with domestic, family or sexual violence, available 24/7 across Australia. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000 .