5 podcasts that will improve your life

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Two years ago, podcast phenomenon Serial took over our headphones (and our lives) and quickly had the world abuzz. Liberating the humble form from its ‘boring’ stereotype, it made podcasting cool again and didn’t just leave us hooked, but also wondering why we hadn’t paid too much attention to this medium before. In fact, podcasts have been around for a good 10 years now, and far from the once foreign concept they started out to be, now hold a firm place in our everyday lives.

Don’t think podcasts are for you? Well, what if we told you that the average person spends 50 to 70 minutes commuting every day? Now think of all the times throughout the day that you’re doing activities that don’t require your mind to be truly engaged: doing your make-up, your hair, eating breakfast, nipping to the shops, taking a bath, doing the dishes – you get the idea. For all of that time your mind is quite simply idle; doing nothing; just chugging along. But rather than filling this time trawling through Facebook or daydreaming about what to have for dinner tonight, how about opting for something a little more substantial?

Getting your teeth into a good podcast will not only fill the time, depending on what you opt for, it can enlighten, inform and entertain. Listening is such an easy yet fulfilling thing to do and there are hundreds of thousands of way to do it with the wonder that is the podcast. But aside from the Serial-esque documentaries and dramas, stories, literature and niche factual programmes, there lies a little pocket of podcasts that will actually improve your life. Here are our top 5 podcasts that will improve your life.

Stuff Mom Never Told You

Co-hosts Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin feel like your two best friends – each episode we imagine they’re sat on the sofa drinking a rather large glass of vino in their pjs having a girlie chat. Whether discussing adult acne, gender discrimination in the workplace or powerful female figures, this light-hearted yet highly informative series tackles all (and we mean all) the trials and tribulations of being a woman. They’ll take you from laughing out loud to nodding your head in agreement in minutes in a witty and refreshing manner that is sure to make that commute to work that little bit more bearable.

The Tim Ferriss Show

Any podcast downloaded over 50,000,000 times is worth listening to, even if just to find out what all the hype is about. But let us enlighten you. Every week, master of life hacking Tim Ferriss talks to an eclectic mix of world-class performers from all sectors of working life (investing, sports, business, arts, etc) to pick apart the tactics, tricks and tools they – and in turn you – can use. Prior guests have included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Foxx, Ed Catmull (President of Pixar), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer) and Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) to name but a few (note the refreshing lack of mainstream magazine-headline celebs). The format is laid-back, entertaining and thoroughly insightful and trust us, you will keep going back for more.

Sleep With Me: Help Falling Asleep

Insomniacs reunite! It’s not often that we relish in a podcast that, we quote: ‘bores you to sleep’, but when they do it on purpose to help you drift off to dreamland, we’re in. Each hour-long episode features extreme rambling, incomprehensible nonsense and a heck of a lot of strange in the form of a wildly imaginative, adult bedtime story. Read by a man with a strangely hypnotic voice called Dearest Scooter he aims to be ‘more interesting and engaging than whatever part of you that is jockeying for your attention but not interesting enough to keep you up at night’. Half of the time you haven’t got an idea what is going on, other times you’re plain confused – it’s strange, humorous and downright silly but it does the trick. Like us, nearly every listener proclaims to have nodded off before the end, and while this usually would be a slightly worrying sign, it proves it’s a pretty good alternative to counting sheep.

The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous

One of iTunes’ most highly-ranked health and fitness podcasts since its debut in 2008, if you can get past the ridiculously long-winded title and slightly annoying ads, this podcast is certainly one to have on your downloads. In a world where we are constantly force-fed conflicting information when it comes to food and our health, certified nutritionist, chef and author Monica Reinagel makes it simple for us. Edited into short episodes (perfect for those among us who can’t spare a whole hour), she covers a variety of topics in an understandable and relatable manner. She doesn’t guilt trip you or focus on restrictive dieting (far from – she’s a great believer in everything in moderation), nor does she portray a one-sided view when it comes to various diets and trends. Realistic, encouraging and greatly knowledgable, she’s certainly a fave in our books.

Dear Sugar

In essence, this is your weekly agony aunt. Each episode, co-hosts Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond (aka The Sugars) address approximately two fans’ questions – no matter how weird and wonderful, dark and deep. Covering ‘The One’, infidelity, friendships and relationships, sexuality and everything in between, the pair discuss each one carefully, often referencing their own unique and lively backgrounds and chatting to guest speakers and experts. The beauty of it is that nearly every topic manages to strike a chord within your own life and listening to these issues is extremely reassuring and life-affirming.