Are you a fitness junkie? A burnt-out mother? Love science? History nerd? True crime fan? Foodie?
I could go on and on.
And yep. There’s a podcast for that. And for everything.
To give you an idea of the sheer expanse of podcasts, there are over two million podcasts available right now. You could literally choose a new podcast every day for the rest of your life and still not be able to come close to listening to them all.
So many to choose from, so little time.
I personally started listening to podcasts after my second son was born, and it honestly was life-changing.
While being a stay-at-home mom of two, motherhood got monotonous for me. The same routine, different day kind of monotony. I didn’t feel like I was using my brain for anything except remembering which breast I had just fed from or how many different animal noises I had sung in “Old MacDonald.”
I needed a break from that mindless routine. I would find time during the day to plug in my headphones and listen to podcasts that would take me out of reality and into my head.
Almost five years later and I still reach for my podcasts when I need a pick me up. I will listen when my hands are busy but my mind is not.
Primo listening times for me are when I’m cleaning the house (my all-time favorite way to listen), while taking my bubble baths, driving across town, or going on a walk.
I’ll also sneak in just one earpod sometimes, and have the other ear available to hear if the boys need me. This works so well while they are playing independently or while I am patiently (sometimes) waiting on them to fall asleep.
Multitasking at its best.
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE listening to music and jamming out in my car with the windows down and sunnies on. But I could happily drive to California and back if I downloaded enough podcasts.
But which podcast is right for me?
There are literally podcasts for just about anything you can think of. So dig deep into that brain of yours, think about what makes you happy or something you are totally interested in, and search it.
Topics are endless. Motherhood, meditation, movies. science, psychology, economics.
Formats come in all varieties, from monologues to co-hosted interviews, and even non-fictional storytelling podcast series.
And just because someone recommends a podcast and you don’t enjoy it, doesn’t mean that podcasts, in general, aren’t for you.
For example, my husband’s list of favorites is drastically different from mine, including topics like money, sports, and true crime (which, man, there are a TON of true crime if that’s your thing).
Where do I even find podcasts?
If you don’t know where to begin with podcasts, start by downloading a podcast app on your phone. A few of the best ones are Apple Podcasts, The Podcast App, Spotify, and Audible. From there, you can browse the vast world of podcasts!
Here’s a quick list of my favorites. I find myself gravitating towards the parenthood, relationship, history, and science podcasts. Throwing in a good docuseries never hurt, either!
Favorite podcasts for motherhood:
Favorite podcasts for curious kids:
Favorite podcast for making my brain think:
Now it’s your turn! Pick up your phone, do some searching and downloading, and start listening! You’ll be amazed at how many well-made podcasts are out there just waiting to be listened to.
