Whether you’re travelling to work, cleaning the house or out on a walk, podcasts can be a welcome companion that facilitate entertainment, learning and a sense of community. If you’re interested in self-improvement, there are many podcasts out there dedicated to sharing evidence-based research into mental health and providing helpful tools and tips in an accessible way.
Here are 5 of our top podcasts for improving your mental health.
Therapy in a Nutshell
In Therapy in a Nutshell, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Emma McAdam takes helpful mental health resources and condenses them down into short, accessible podcasts. Emma utilises ideas from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology and the biopsychosocial approach to help you understand and tackle common mental health difficulties including overthinking, grief, panic attacks, intrusive thoughts and much more.
The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos
Dr Laurie Santos teaches a psychology course at Yale, the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history! In the Happiness Lab, she shares the latest scientific research into happiness and what makes for a happier life. Most of us might think that happiness lies in making more money, getting a better job, or taking instagram-worthy vacations. However, The Happiness Lab helps to challenge these expectations, focusing on topics such as intuitive eating, parenting, making friends and burnout.
Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson
Clinical psychologist Dr Rick Hanson and his son Forrest Hanson explore the practical science of wellbeing in this podcast. The father and son duo are joined by a world-class group of experts for conversations on key insights from psychology and science to help listeners build resilience and inner strengths, overcome their challenges and live their most fulfilling lives. Topics include attachment issues, managing stress and developing great relationships.
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
Although it’s not positioned as a mental health podcast, How to Fail with Elizabeth Day brings attention to and helps normalise one of the most common human experiences: failure. Elizabeth is joined by a range of high-profile guests, including Greta Thunberg, Tom Daley, Roman Kemp and more, to explore moments in their life where things haven't gone quite right and what these failures have taught them.
Radio Headspace
From the mindfulness and meditation experts at Headspace, these sub-10-minute bitesize podcast episodes are perfect to help you step into a moment of calm. From guided meditations to sharing insightful learnings, Radio Headspace listeners to reflect on the human condition, with topics such as rejection, setting boundaries, change, creativity and more.
Please remember that the information provided by the above podcasts is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.