This post is for those of us who are lucky enough to work and stay at home in these chaotic times. If you are anything like me, you are using books, TV shows, podcasts, and movies to both distract & nourish yourself nowadays.
I thought I would share some podcasts I have been dipping into. The following list includes podcasts that talk about creativity, affirmations, synchronicity, books, setting boundaries and more. I will also point out specific episodes when it’s appropriate that might help you learn, connect, and self-soothe during these Coronavirus times.
So, here’s presenting a smorgasbord of choices. I hope you find some of these helpful.
By the Book: This is a really fun, entertaining podcast if you are looking for some moments of joy and lightness. “Join comedian Jolenta Greenberg and culture critic Kristen Meinzer as they live by the rules of a different self-help book each episode to figure out which ones actually might be life-changing.” Many of the episodes are laugh-out-loud funny such as the one on Phyllis Diller’s book Housekeeping Hints. They are also really insightful! Some of the books that they have written about include The Gifts of Imperfection, How to Hold a Grudge, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, The Five Love Languages, and Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics.
The Baggage Reclaim Sessions with Natalie Lue: If you are feeling guilty about setting boundaries or holding up boundaries you have previously set during this uncertain time, I would highly recommend Natalie Lue’s work. I used to read her blog more than a decade ago, and she is still one of the best people out there talking about “how to live and love with more self-esteem by unpacking, decluttering and tidying up our excess emotional baggage.” I really like Episode 158: It’s not that you’re not good enough — You’re over-responsible. I highly recommend her work!
Happier with Gretchen Rubin: This podcast co-hosted by New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin and her sister Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer, is about exactly what it says it is! It’s about how to become happier. From writing a letter of congratulations to your future self to limiting yourself to one option to keeping a stress diary to a happy way to think about exerting our will power, this insightful and happy podcast is focused on finding happiness in small and big things and on the basis of our own true nature.
WorkLife with Adam Grant: “Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life.” Adam Grant is known for his popular books like Give and Take and Originals. I would say this is a podcast not just about work life, but about knowing yourself better. One episode that I really liked was “When Strength becomes weakness.” I have written before about how our strengths and weaknesses are intertwined. If you connect with my work, empathy is probably both your biggest strength & also that thing that trips you up in relationships. So, I really enjoyed this episode about how we need to both focus and build on our strengths and also watch out for our blind spots.
The Human Experience Podcast with Xavier Katana: This one covers a vast range of topics — meditation, yoga, consciousness, technology, business, entrepreneurship — and more. Xavier interviews people in various fields and disciplines to make sense of what it means to be human. From talking about the biology of belief to how to defeat depression with diet and nutrition, this one covers a fascinating range of topics. I found Episode 162 with Nir Eyal in which Nir and Xavier talked about how to become indistractable in today’s highly overstimulating world really interesting and actionable.
Connecting with Coincidence with Dr. Bernard Beitman: As someone who is fascinated with meaningful coincidences or what Jung called synchronicity — I LOVE this podcast. It is so, so rich! Dr. Bernard Beitman is the first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to systematize the study of coincidences. Earlier this year, it was also my absolute pleasure to be a guest on this podcast. Dr. Beitman and I talked about the story behind The Empath’s Journey, how I found spirals everywhere when I was writing the book, and how we need to be careful about thinking that everything around us is a “sign.” I heard two of the latest episodes recently and both talked about finding meaningful coincidences in nature. The one with Dr. Matthew Zylstra was about how several dragonflies landed on him during a very sad period in his life, and the other one was with natural history filmmaker Pippa Ehrlich about her encounters with sharks! In The Empath’s Journey, I talk about a hummingbird who used to come and visit me, and I really loved these episodes. Dr. Beitman is definitely a kindred spirit, and I highly recommend this podcast!
Creative Pep Talk with Andy J. Pizza: This one is for creatives of all stripes! Hosted by Andy J. Pizza, an illustrator for the likes of The New York Times, The Washington Post and Google, this podcast will help you build a thriving creative practice. Some of the topics that have been covered include “How to know where to focus your energy,” “How to know what to make today to attract the right people,” and “10 Business Books that Saved Me & their 10 Secrets.” Andy also has interviews with creative powerhouses like Joseph Gordon-Hewitt and Abbi Jacobson. This is a rich, insightful podcast from a creative person who knows what they are talking about. I would recommend this to all artists. Whether you are a painter or a writer or a dancer, you will find a rich nugget of wisdom in this podcast.
Affirmation Pod with Josie Ong: I am definitely a “words of appreciation” kind of person. And one of the best ways to give those words of appreciation to yourself is by doing affirmations. But if you are like me, it’s also important that those affirmations sound right. In the past, whenever I have tried affirmations that didn’t ring true for me, I have always ended up giving them up. This podcast is really lovely. Josie has very thoughtful episodes and also creates episodes based on reader requests. She is taking requests for quarantine-related topics right now. Recent topics include “Guided Affirmations to Structure Your Day,” “What You Can Say to Your Inner Child” and “Carrying and Releasing Emotional Weight.” If you are a person to whom words matter, this is a very nourishing podcast. Highly recommended!
These are some choices for now. I will do another list soon. Check back for that. And for now, I hope you found something of interest! Happy listening.
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