Do you listen to podcasts? Or like me until not so long ago are you not sure what they are?
I think I was a little late to the party, somewhere in early 2019 I think? My sister was among those who talked about them YEARS before I realised what they really where..but she’s always one step ahead when it comes to these things, I should have listened!
I was alway in the ‘Why listen to people droning on when I can listen to my favourite songs instead?’ Camp..but when commuting to and from work, and yoga – adding up to around 10 hours a week most weeks I got SO BORED of my ‘favourite’ songs. My playlists would irritate me, songs I’d loved for years would piss me off and I’d find myself flicking playlist, skipping radio stations and no word of a lie, often driving in silence.
Now this can be therapeutic in its own right, being with your thoughts and all but it’s also a little lonely, and if you’ve had a long day it isn’t always pleasant. So I thought I’d give the podcasts a god.
I started with Ella..lovely Deliciously Ella, she features many times in my blogs because she’s so similar to myself and we’re all about so many of the same things.
Back then it was their first series and I got through them not so surprisingly quickly, and so moved on to Happy Place by Fearne Cotton and it’s really no surprise that these two remain my firm favourites. Some I’ve even listened to again when in the car with Dan. They’re so educational!!
The Ella ones I love because she talks about a variety of important subjects from health, nutrition and global concerns..but all covered in a really non-offensive educational way (you know the way sometimes if things are too fact full it can just a big blergh?) they’re really easy to listen to and it’s thanks to these I discovered Period Power by Maisie Hill which I’ve previously written about here, and that book changed my life!
My other top favourite is Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place, she has 100s of them now too all covering a variety of subjects with some incredibly fascinating people. So many people you’ll know, with life stories and troubles you’d never have known about, they’re very humbling and again educating in a really brilliant way.
I’ve found getting lost in a podcast when I’m driving, walking the dog or cooking to be the most therapeutic thing. It forces me to switch my brain off from its overdrive of thoughts and pay attention, and it works for me like yoga does to clear the mind, on top of that it educates me and has taught me some fabulous life lessons.
Along with these two there’s another few I’d really recommend, some less well known than others so I thought I’d recommend my top pick podcasts;
Deliciously Ella
Fearne Cotton – Happy Place
Megan Lane Rose – Word
Jay Shetty – I’m newer to these ones, but the few I’ve listened to are GREAT
Sacred Stories by Neat Yoga .. a small scale, very local and close to my heart series, these originated as instagram lives but have recently been loaded into Spotify, Annie interviews amazing local ladies on their story.. you’ll even find myself featuring on one of the early episodes!
Naked Truth – Another local podcast with Nat Shilton AKA That Nakery Girl / owner of the of the epic vegan bakery ‘The Nakery’ – a host of really special people local to our city join Nat
If you’ve never tried a podcast a little like myself until fairly recently then I’d really recommend it, find a subject you love be it food, education or sports and there will be a podcast for you…if this is you and you’re not sure HOW to listen to podcasts (oh yep, that was me too) you don’t have to use the specific app on your phone, you don’t even HAVE to download them, they’re available on Spotify and Apple Music, sometimes on YouTube too with a visual.. just note that if you’re listening to them out and about streaming them off Spotify for example will drain your data, so unless you’ve got a hefty data package then think about downloading them on your WiFi before you leave the house.
If you try any of my recommendations let me know what you think, DM me on social media or pop your comments below.. I'm always looking for recommendations too!