Podcasts are excellent for both entertainment and education. They are for the most part free, accessible, and more in demand than ever. Podcasts have proven to inspire more brain stimulation than television and can be multitasked while doing other activities. Next time you find yourself deep cleaning your cat’s litter box, cooking dinner, or walking to class, consider stimulating your brain with one of my favorite podcasts below.
Pod Therapy
This show is absolutely adorable. The two main hosts are educated therapists named Nick and Jim whose goal is to destigmatize mental health. They answer real listener questions with no filter and complete honesty. These listener questions are relatable, and the advice is spectacular. The banter between Nick and Jim is incredibly funny and it makes this podcast feel like you are in the room with a group of friends. This mental health podcast has a side of comedy that has helped lift me into better moods.
The Jordan Harbinger Show
The Jordan Harbinger Show you guessed it… is hosted by a man named Jordan Harbinger!!! But all jokes aside, this podcast is educationally rewarding while being incredibly entertaining. He hosts in-depth conversations twice a week with people who are experts in their field. This includes a wide range of people such as psychologists, authors, arms traffickers, spies, etc. He even interviewed my previous professor, David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist. He turns guest knowledge into tangible advice to improve your work, life, and relationships. He also has special Friday episodes where he gives advice to listener questions. The letters he chooses to read are always very entertaining, wild, and are sure to keep your attention.
Ologies with alie ward
The host, Alie Ward, interviews specialists in various realms of science such as slug sex, beer science, beauty standards, mars missions, etc. She makes the information both digestible and incredibly entertaining for the listeners. She somehow made an episode over quantum physics that I could both understand and was deeply entertained by. She describes her interviews as “Ask[ing] smart people stupid questions,” which makes this a very fun, educational listen.
The Always Sunny Podcast
Okay, I’m not going to lie; this one is not mentally stimulating and is completely for comedic relief. If you have ever seen the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia” the podcast is exactly like the show. The real actors from the show Glenn, Charlie, and Rob reflect on the past fourteen seasons it has been on air. They share challenges of first creating the show, memories of how they first met, and most of all they go on tangents and are immensely funny and sound a little too close to their psychopathic TV show characters. If you need a laugh or are down in the dumps, this podcast will yank you right back up.