*Originally published 9 May 2018
Podcasts have become one of the top ways I learn new information and get inspired. As a mom with youngish kids, I don’t always have the time to sit down and read a book. But I still crave input and inspiration to keep me moving in the right direction.
Queue podcasts.
I don’t think I’d even heard of a ‘podcast’ before about 2016 (although I must have been living under a rock because they’ve been around longer than 3 years!), but now I cannot imagine my life without them!
Most days I catch an episode or two. Here are the top two ways I currently fit my listening in;
- While I’m running or walking the dog. This is my favorite time to listen in as putting one foot in front of the other doesn’t require too much targetted attention. I only listen when I’m pounding the pavement though. I don’t have earbuds in when I’m in the forest because a) I need to be wary of mountain bikers, and b) I like running naked :p Which basically means without devices, so I can be truly present for the forest experience.
- Housework! I don’t normally advocate for multi-tasking, but I will absolutely hang or fold washing while listening to my fav show. I don’t know about you but washing seems to be the mother-load of household chores in my house and takes the most amount of time. My disdain for this chore decreases dramatically when I have some of my fav hosts in my ears.
So, let’s get down to business. Here are, in my humble opinion, ten of the best podcasts available in 2019.
The Slow Home Podcast
Brooke McAlary and her husband Ben cohost this award-winning podcast (award) and it’s been around for over 4 years now. I’ve listened to every episode, some twice, and it’s literally been a game changer for me. They offer practical advice on how to slow down busy lives and interview some super cool people, like Leo Babauta, Courtney Carver, and Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist. Episodes range from 10 to 50 minutes. Brooke has also authored two books (Slow & Destination Simple) which I would highly recommend to anyone considering a slower pace of life.
My favorite episode: #93 Combining Simple Living and Kids with Rachel Jonet
SuperSoul Sunday
This is a longstanding favorite of mine. I cannot recommend this podcast enough. What I love about it, is it’s inclusive approach to spirituality. Oprah grew up in a Southern Baptist church but is also a student of Eckart Tolle, Maya Angelou, and Deepak Chopra. She is spearheading a movement of acceptance and enlightenment that engages listeners to their full capacity.
My Favourite episode: Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight
The Portfolio Life
I can’t remember exactly how I got to know Jeff Goins (and yes, I do feel like I know him personally!), possibly just through googling ‘how to write a book’. Jeff teaches everything writing and publishing, but most importantly, he teaches and helps creative people (like me) how to thrive in creative endeavors. His episodes are ALWAYS jam-packed with great actionable information and he’s very relatable and genuine. His book – Real Artists Don’t Starve – is also excellent for anyone wanting to monetize their creativity.
Favorite episode:#46 Learning to Savor: An Interview with Shauna Niequist
OnBeing
Again, this show has been around for a while and has been in my podcast feed since forever. It’s a Peabody, award-winning radio show/podcast that is a deep delve into the big meaningful questions of life. Episodes are long – 50 minutes and jam-packed with beauty and revelations. Krista Tippet is an excellent interviewer and her voice is divine to listen to!
Favorite episode: Ellen Langer – Science of Mindlessness
Invisabilia
Invisabilia is an offshoot, NPR radio show. For me, this show is pure entertainment. Loads of quirky interesting topics and nothing too deep and philosophical. I love this show because it looks at human behavior (hence the invisible) and how it shapes our experiences. My absolute favorite episode includes a story of a group of people at a dinner party who managed to talk a would-be criminal out of an armed robbery by offering him a glass of wine and some cheese. Sounds like something I’d do.
Favorite episode: Flip the script.
Simple Families
Denaye Barahona, founder of Simple Families and author of the incredible book – Simple Happy Parenting – is also a podcast host. Her episodes run anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes and she covers a wide range of topics that aim to help parents navigate raising kids with a simpler, more minimalist approach. Many of her episodes offer very practical tips on the day-to-day running of the house and have been personally helpful for me. I loved episode 101: How I Feed My Family. Denaye has a Ph.D. in Child Development with a focus in Family Wellness so is incredibly well equipped to be teaching in this space.
Criminal
This falls into the ‘pure entertainment’ category for me. But it’s pure brilliance. It’s been around for 5 years and earned accolades from Time, The Rolling Stone, and The New York Times. My undergraduate degree was in Psychology and Criminology and I’ll always have a fascination with all things criminal so this show fills that space for me. I love what Vulture said about it…
“A true crime podcast that understands crime as something sociological, historical, even anthropological — that crime is a function of people, time, and place. With incredible sound design, marvelous writing, and a boldness in the way it makes its choices, there are few shows that feel more alive.”
Rise Podcast
This podcast is brought to you by Rachel Hollis, author of the bestselling book “Girl, Go Wash Your Face”. Rise started out as primarily a business podcast, but its covered all aspects of life. Rachel has been called the ‘Tony Robbin’s’ for women and is a sought after motivational speaker. I really enjoy her episodes as they dig into the mindset changes we need before making any practical changes in our lives. This year Rachel has brought her husband Dave on as a co-host and they are focussing the show on relationships.
Goal Digger
The Goal Digger podcast is brought to you by Jenna Kutcher. Jenna is a wedding photographer – turned online entrepreneur and is an Instagram guru. I started following and listening to her early last year when I realized I needed to pull up my big girl socks and play on Instagram (I need a whole other blog post to talk through my Instagram issues!). So her podcast is definitely for those of us who are aspiring entrepreneurs or business owners. I love her honesty and her carefree spirit that is evident in all her content. Jenna is also an advocate for all things positive body image and often addresses this on the show.
Minimalist Moms Podcast
This is a new one for me but has been around for a little while. Hosted by Diane Boden, The Minimalist Mom’s Podcast has quickly become a favorite for me this year. Diane puts out two episodes per week, one short (5 minute) episode with a discussion and mantra around a particular topic (e.g. Episode 69: Attitude of Gratitude), and one longer form episode where she interviews of a variety of guests on all things minimalism. I was thrilled when they interviewed one of my favorite authors – Gretchen Rubin – an episode worth tuning in for!
Phew! That’s it for 2019. I’m ALWAYS up for more suggestions of great podcasts. Please leave a comment below and let me know what I’ve missed off the list or what you think I should check out!
You can get more podcast, book and website recommendations over here! And I’m always talking about my favorite books or podcast episodes on Instagram stories.
Image credit Eric Nopanen
