My favorite podcasts in 2017
I’ve always been someone who listens to music on my way to places. Singing to loud music in the car is one life’s simple pleasures. But ever since moving to Australia, I no longer spend much time in cars. I mostly walk everywhere and use public transport. Which means I have a lot of time to spare and, while listening to music is fun, sometimes I can’t be bothered choosing what kind of music i’m in the mood for. I walk for long periods of time and feel the need to be as productive as I can during the day.
Which is where podcasts come in. In case you don’t know what a podcast is, it’s basically a digital audio file that you can download or stream, and it usually comes as a series to which you can subscribe.
It’s been almost two years since I discovered podcasts, but it wasn’t til I began living in Australia that I became OBSESSED. During the time where I was doing my farm work, I was working driving a tractor, so I’d put some podcasts on while working. Which meant i’d be listening to 7-8 hours of podcasts a day. I learned SO MUCH and also had some great laughs. The people I worked with would always look at me like.. why are you laughing? They’ll never know the weird shit I was listening to haha
Anyway. When I first started listening to podcasts I didn’t really know where to begin looking for them. But through recommendations and some searching, I’ve found a good list of podcasts that I listen to. So whether you’re looking for something funny, informative, good conversations or just plain weird shit – these are my favorite podcasts as of today.
You can listen to podcasts on Spotify, the Podcasts app on iPhones, or download Overcast (my personal favorite podcast app). There’s SO many podcasts apps, you just gotta find one you like.
Inspirational/Self Help Podcasts:
From The Heart, Conversations with Yoga Girl
I’ve raved about this Podcast quite a lot, because it truly is my FAVORITE. Rachel (aka Yoga Girl) speaks about all sorts of things, such a love, balance, pain, grief, vulnerability, overcoming adversity, yoga and well-being. Rachel is one of my biggest inspirations, has great insight and also some great guests. Her podcast has truly changed my life, since a month ago after listening to her interview with James Aspey, I decided to go vegan. I’ve learned so much from her and this podcast should definitely be on the top of your list!!
Good Life Project
This podcast is so damn inspirational. Host Jonathan Fields interviews iconic world-shakers like Elizabeth Gilbert, Brené Brown, Gretchen Rubin, Mark Manson, Sir Ken Robinson and more. They have intimate and unfiltered conversations about living a fully-engaged, fiercely-connected and meaning-drenched life.
At the end of each episode, Jonathan asks his guest what it means to live a good life. One of my favorite responses to that question was Mark Monson’s. He says “Living a good life means.. you have good problems. You have problems that invigorate you, excite you, and bring meaning to your life”. LOVE THAT.
Being Boss
Whenever i’m feeling sorry for myself or stuck in my professional Girl Boss life – I listen to this podcast. Emily and Kathleen’s podcast is all about owning who you are and making things happen. They give tips on how to build a business you love, make money, and be 100% unapologetically you. They talk branding and small online business coaching, and give lots of tactics, strategies, habits and mindsets that will empower you to be BOSS. They also interview some bomb women!
Storytelling:
Modern Love
“Stories of Love, Loss and Redemption”. This podcast features the popular New York Times column, and all essays are read by notable personalities (mostly actors) and includes updates by the authors of the essays. It shows the listener all the different facets of love and I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve cried listening to this podcast. The episodes are all fairly short (about 30 min) and the stories told on it are SO moving.
Radiolab
One of the best storytelling podcasts out there. It’s incredibly educational, informative and captivating. If you’re new to this podcast, start from the older episodes.. they’re gold. The newer episodes have been more opinions than facts, but I reaaaally like the old ones.
Check out these episodes: Colors, In The Dust of This Planet, Animal Minds, Galapagos
BONUS: They featured an episode from LOVE+RADIO that I looove. First podcast I ever listened to: The Living Room. I keep coming back to it because the story is so riveting!
Invisibilia
Aw man I LOVE THIS PODCAST SO MUCH. Invisibilia (Latin for invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior – ideas, beliefs, assumptions and emotions. The storytelling combined with scientific research is so captivating. I’ve also cried in public way too many times while listening to this podcast (no shame). This podcast is truly lifechanging. Start from the first episode (of the first season)!
Health Oriented:
That’s So Retrograde
This wellness podcast is both funny and informative. Stephanie Simbari & Elizabeth Kott are two LA ladies who talk all things juicing, crystals, beauty, astrology, etc. The show gets kind of “basic” at times haha but it’s really entertaining and they have some great guests (think Sophia Bush!).
Vegetarian Zen
Wanna know why there aren’t more Vegetarian and Vegan men? Or how to Save Money on a Plant Based Diet? Interested in knowing more about transitioning to a Vegan or Vegetarian diet, what kind of supplements or nutrients you need, and learn new things about nutrition? Then this podcast is perfect for you. At Vegetarian Zen they applaud, encourage and celebrate vegetarianism in any form, fashion or degree. Even if you’re not a veggo, you’ll find lots of fun and helpful information about living a healthy lifestyle.
Other:
Dear Hank and John
“A comedy podcast about death”
Oh man oh man oh mannnn I LOVE THE GREEN BROTHERS. I’ve loved John Green since way back cuz of all his amazing novels that so accurately portray teenagers (If you haven’t read The Fault In Our Stars then please do yourself a favor and DOWIT – I finished it in a day and was sobbing uncontrollably by the end of it haha). John and Hank have one of the most popular vlogs out there (vlogbrothers) and have built an amazing community of nerdfighters worldwide. Anyway, I’ve been a long time fan of John’s, but after listening to this podcast I’ve truly grown to love Hank as well. His fascination with space is definitely contagious.
So what’s the podcast about? They have hour long convos in which they answer listener questions. Though some questions are random and silly, they also talk about science and life and death and everything in between. How they manage to make death so comedic truly beats me. If you’re looking for a “comic” podcast with a touch of intelligent humor and what’s-the-meaning-of-life ponderings, this is the podcast for you.
Waking Up With Sam Harris
Waking Up is definitely on the heavier side than most of these other podcasts. But I feel like this podcast has made me a smarter, more empathetic human. Though a lot of people seem to hate Sam Harris, he truly is “one of the most measured, articulate, and earnest truth-seekers” I’ve ever had encountered. He has meaningful conversations and I love his interviewing style. He asks the hard questions and covers a range of subjects, from philosophy, morality, ethics, mindfulness, to politics and science.
Some of my favorite episodes: Through The Eyes of A Cult, Drugs and The Meaning of Life, Leaving the Church, What Is Technology Doing to Us?, Living with Violence, aaaand I could go on forever.
Song Exploder
If you love music (don’t we all??) then you’ll LOVE this podcast. In it, musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. It’s so fun to listen to the behind the scenes of what sounds and ideas went into the writing and recording process of their iconic songs. When they play the song at the end of the episode, I usually get major goosebumps. And I love how much new music this podcast has showed me!!
My favorites: Alt J – In Cold Blood, The Lumineers – Ophelia, Peter, Bjorn and John – Young Folks and lots moreee, just browse through their episodes and find songs you love and get ready to get your mind blown.