Nine awesome mental health podcasts
I love mental health podcasts to help with anxiety, stress, productivity, health or to learn about my brain and all of its never ending, slightly annoying thoughts.
If, like most people, you’ve experienced a night of restless sleep or a stomach filled with knots, these podcasts might help you. Having loads of resources at my fingertips helps me feel less anxious. If I can prepare for the anxiety when it pops up, it won’t be so bad, right? RIGHT?!
Even if you don’t have any mental health stuff going on, these podcasts will help you learn more about yourself, your body and your brain, making your life a wee bit better.
These are my top nine mental health podcasts helping me and hopefully, they’ll help you too. I’ve included three of my favourite episodes from each one, linking directly to Spotify because who uses Apple Podcasts these days? If you do, please get with the times and maybe your mental health will improve.
If you need some extra anxiety help, check out a blog I wrote about how to address anxiety with nine useful tools to help you (shameless plug).
1. The Blindboy Podcast
The Blindboy Podcast is a hosted by an Irish guy no one knows the real name of. The host has had a range of serious mental health problems and these podcasts genuinely changed my life. Blindboy has such a soothing accent and calming way of explaining things with vulnerability and honesty. I love how open minded and funny he is, interviewing trauma specialists and doctors running psilocybin trials for the treatment of PTSD. The podcast is predominately a fiction and comedy podcast and I don’t particularly enjoy the episodes that aren’t about mental health, but boy oh Blindboy do I love those.
Fave episodes:
Okay I’ve listed five here but they’re all incredibly helpful, so please listen to them!
1. Speaking about anxiety with a psychology professor
2. A post lockdown mental health plan – I loved this episode. Blindboy discusses feeling on edge and having ruminating thoughts post-pandemic.
3. An intro to cognitive psychology pt. 1
2. The Imperfects Podcast
This podcast is hosted by three Australian men, one of which is known for his work with The Resilience Project (if you haven’t heard of that, make sure you Google it). On the podcast, the hosts interview a range of people, from celebrities to sports stars, getting vulnerable and discussing the things making us imperfect as humans. I love how the men open up, sharing their struggles in a funny and light hearted way to help listeners.
Fave episodes:
1. The Academy of Imperfection with Ben Crowe – Ben Crowe is Ash Barty’s tennis coach and this ep is from 2021 but it’s still one of their most listened to episodes.
2. Johann Hari – Why we do what we do
3. Take care of yourself with Lael Stone
3. The Huberman Podcast
This is a popular science podcast hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University. Huberman covers a wide range of topics related to neuroscience, psychology and physiology and how you can use tools backed by science to change things in your life and feel better. He has a fantastic way of breaking down technical topics for us non science folk.
Fave episodes:
1. Dr Chris Palmer: Diet and nutrition for mental health
2. Science-based tools for increasing happiness
3. What alcohol does to your body, brain and health
4. ON PURPOSE with Jay Shetty
Jay is a British author and monk sharing his wisdom about how to change the way you live for a better and more fulfilling life. He interviews people from all over the world, from Paris Hilton to Macklemore to famous neuroscientists, putting his podcasts at the top of the charts in the self help and health category on Spotify!
1. Paris Hilton on how to stop shame from controlling your life and turning pain into purpose
2. Sam Harris on how to break your social media habits and ways to master your anxious thoughts
3. Macklemore on how to not let the past define you
5. Dear Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
The Dear Chelsea podcast is hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler. I love Chelsea as I find her hilarious and her approach to life is inspiring. On the podcast, she offers advice to people who write in with problems and shares personal experiences about relationships, politics and mental health. She invites guests (like Matthew McConaughey!) to join her in candid and authentic conversations too, making for a helpful, relatable and funny podcast.
Fave episodes:
1. The art of living with Matthew McConaughey
2. Love, loss and lasering your lady parts
3. Canaries in coal mines with therapist Lori Gottlieb
6. We can do hard things by Glennon Doyle
This podcast is hosted by bestselling author and activist Glennon Doyle. You might remember her from the book ‘Untamed’. In each episode, she shares personal stories and insights on a variety of topics related to mental health, relationships and personal growth. The podcast is gaining popularity as she’s so raw, inspiring and honest and interviews some amazing guests including Brené Brown and Chelsea Handler. I find some of her podcasts can get a bit ‘American rom-com lame’, but most are good!
Fave episodes:
1. Anxiety, is it just love holding its breath? (Lame ass title, great episode)
2. It’s OK to want what you want with Cheryl Strayed
3. Chelsea Handler on breaking up and being unbreakable (I cried like a little bitch in this episode)
7. Do You F*cking Mind by Alexis Fernandez
Alexis is a cool as hell neuroscientist who created a podcast to help people live a better life, backed by science. She discusses all things like dating, your brain on a break up, how to form habits and how to increase serotonin in the brain. I like her authentic and scientific approach to mental health and find her super relatable. Like Huberman, she does a great job of breaking down technical topics.
Fave episodes:
1. Stress and its effects on the brain
2. How to stop catastrophising and calm your anxious mind
3. Science deep dive – Serotonin, tryptophan and ways you can treat depression
8. Dear Therapists with Guy Winch and Lori Gottlieb
This podcast is hosted by psychotherapists Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch. They’re both advice columnists, TED speakers and therapists in clinical practice. They share their amazing knowledge with listeners who send in sticky situations or things they’re struggling with in their personal life. The podcast offers a unique perspective on therapy and I love that you’re getting advice from actual therapists, not randoms on the internet (yes, I know I fit into that category but look much I’m helping you!!!).
Fave episodes:
1. How to avoid being an avoidant
2. Two therapists and a monk with Jay Shetty
9. The Guys We F*cked Podcast
This podcast is one of my all time favourite podcasts. It’s not specifically about mental health but I’m including it because I’ve been listening since I was 24 and the gals help me so much! The pod is hosted by two New York comedians and is primarily a sex and relationship podcast (obviously) but I love how funny and honest the women are about their lives, men, sex, dating and their views on the world. They talk vulnerably about their own trauma, relationship and dating struggles and I find them hilarious. Sometimes you don’t need therapy or science style help. Sometimes you just need some boss ass women to make you laugh.
Fave episodes:
1. The 500th episode ft Alissa Bennett
2. Is heartbreak the same every time?
3. How much more do I gotta love myself?
I hope these mental health podcasts help you! An extra podcast tip I got from my therapist; If you’re having a particularly shitty time and have ruminating thoughts, pop in a podcast as soon as you wake up. This way you can focus on the podcast before your brain has the chance to start thinking too much. Genius.
Yours in less anxiety and more podcasts,
Helena