THE JOURNAL
Illustration by Jalcalara, Colagene, Creative Clinic
Opening up about mental health has led to a boom in podcasts that uplift us, inspire us and make us think differently. Ongoing research from the University of Cork provides evidence of the positive effects of listening to mental health-related podcasts. But if you’ve ever taken a deep breath, pressed play and spent your lunch hour freshening up with one of your favourite hosts, you don’t need scientific research to tell you that a podcast can make you feel less alone and leave you feeling just that little bit lighter. From a walk in the rain to 10-minute meditations, here are some of the best.
01. The Blindboy Podcast
You might not expect a man with a plastic bag on his head to give you an audio hug with his soft voice, but that’s one of the many contradictions of Blindboy Boatclub. The prolific podcaster (he drops one a week) has the ability to stop you in your tracks and leave you in a better place, whether he’s talking about the “fun challenge” of cycling in a storm, exploring his shame around crying or straying into Greek mythology. He also nails the feeling of scrolling your phone in bed, comparing it to the feeling of exhaustion during a childhood sleepover. If you want to join Blindboy’s million monthly listeners, there are more than 300 episodes to choose from, but a good place to start is the first episode of 2024, with a mental health plan for the new year. It’s guaranteed to calm you down and make you sit up straight.
02. On Purpose With Jay Shetty
Mr Jay Shetty trained as a monk and now he’s the man behind the world’s number one mental health podcast. Each week, Shetty brings his holistic approach to fulfilment, with goals, work ethics and relationships all up for discussion. Whether he’s having a heart-warming conversation about childhood with Lil Nas X or hearing Ms Michelle Obama’s tips for making your marriage last, Shetty’s dispatches never fail to leave you feeling that little bit wiser.
03. Self Help
When you’re really in the fog and don’t feel like you want to look after yourself and get some fresh air, it’s annoying to be told that’s the remedy for all ills. And about as effective as the words: “Cheer up”. Cabaret artist, activist and purveyor of yoga for all bodies Scottee knows this all too well as he’s spent lots of time and money on trying to stay sane over the years. Walking and talking through the five episodes, he’ll gently share his thoughts about looking after yourself and why it’s important to sometimes embrace those sad feelings and avoid what Scottee terms “toxic positivity”.
04. Meditation Minis
Who has time to meditate? Just 10 minutes a day can make so much difference to how you feel, but if you’re not the person who’ll sit down and do it under your own steam, this little podcast can help you to focus. By the time host Ms Chel Hamilton has encouraged you to take three breaths you’ll be calmed and hooked – she even reads the adverts like they’re a meditation. If you’re on a packed train, try the White Noise Meditation and feel refreshed and ready for your day as you elbow your way out of the carriage.
05. Ten Percent Happier
When a podcast can serve up a guestlist as diverse as the Dalai Lama, Weezer’s Mr Rivers Cuomo and Mr Rick Rubin you know you’re in safe hands. Those are the hands of Mr Dan Harris, the ex-ABC anchorman who battled on-air panic attacks until he discovered the power of meditation. Science, enlightenment and the incremental progress you can make if you train your brain to be happy are all here, wrapped up in some very interesting conversations.
06. How Do You Cope? With Elis And John
Perhaps Messrs Elis James and John Robins have made a great contribution to the conversation around men’s everyday mental health, and they encourage guests to open up, too. Not only do the affable duo check in with each other at the beginning, but Robins shares his own journey with alcohol in a way that many will relate to. Messrs Iain Lee, James Cracknell and Jordan Gray are among their guests.
07. The Happiness Lab
Psychology professor Dr Laurie Santos has the kind of perky voice that instantly makes the sun come out – and more than 150 inspiring episodes on different facets of happiness. From the importance of a bar where everybody knows your name to exploring the neuroscience of awe and psychedelics, stepping into Santos’ Lab is a great way to switch your brain into gear. And if you really want to take it back to basics, she even enlists Big Bird from Sesame Street to talk about overwhelming feelings.
08. Stompcast With Dr Alex George
Every week Dr Alex George goes for a stomp with a guest and he’s hoping it’ll encourage you to get out for a walk, too. Each episode is split into digestible three half-hour segments. The BOSH! boys (plant-based chefs Mr Henry Firth and Mr Ian Theasby) tell him how cooking can improve your mental health, Mr Jimmy Doherty talks about climate anxiety and Mr David Gandy discusses fatherhood and body image.
09. Feel Better, Live More With Dr Rangan Chatterjee
The power of incremental changes to your physical and mental health is strong and Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s podcast has plenty of small ways to improve your brain and body. He’s a get-up-at-5.00am kind of guy and a big believer in journalling, gratitude and reflecting on the day’s decisions before you go to sleep. There are so many valuable pieces of advice in the podcast, but it’s the episode with Ms Bronnie Ware, author of Top Five Regrets Of The Dying, that will give you real food for thought.
