Personal motivation is the most affected by the pandemic. Many of us yearn for more after a year of drastically changing our work, personal, and home lives. The idea of leaving my routine of working at home in my pajamas and rotating between bed and couch is just too daunting.We recommend that you ease into Doing Things if you are also astonished at the idea of doing things. These podcasts will help you to get started on your personal goals, whether that's advancing your career or providing happiness tips for your home.Grab your headphones and relax on your couch while you listen to the latest life-guru podcast.SEE ALSO: 25 Best Educational Podcasts to Learn What You Missed in SchoolCareer MotivationThese podcasters can provide invaluable insight into both large and small industries, whether you are a recent college graduate or looking to improve your career.Too smart for thisToo Smart for This is hosted by Alexis Barber (Gen Z Black woman who navigates post-grad life and love), and offers a bit of everything. Barber is a Google marketing director and micro influencer. Her podcast gives her honest thoughts about how to succeed in both fields, and how Black women and women with disabilities can be treated in each. Barber's podcast features self-hosted episodes as well as interviews with career-chasers and activists. She also discusses diet culture, dating and setting goals.Guy Raz: How I Built ThisEveryone knows that NPR is the audio journalism royalty. How I Built This is no exception. Guy Raz shares compelling career stories with each of his inspirational guests. Every episode features stars from multiple industries like Jimmy Wales, the co-founder Wikipedia, Whitney Wolfe, CEO at Bumble, Jonah Peretti CEO at Buzzfeed, Sarah Blakely founder of Spanx, and many more.The definition of AmbitionThis podcast is produced by The Women's Network. It connects college women to professional contacts that can help them find jobs. Interviews with women in leadership positions across many impressive companies include Meredith Gertler, Kathryn Ordower, Glossier, Suzie Reider, Waze, Farah Mohammed, and others. The podcast features interviews with women who share their experiences and career paths to encourage other women to be successful in the workplace.Motivation for happiness and mental healthTalk about difficult. The most difficult hurdle to overcome is our own mental health. But these podcasts aim to make it less daunting, easier and more enjoyable.Ten percent Happier with Dan HarrisTen Percent Happier can be described as both a podcast, and a meditation app. The app offers guided meditations by experts such as Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein. Dan Harris, an ABC journalist, hosts the podcast and interviews meditation teachers and researchers to help you live a happier lifestyle. Harris discusses topics such as creativity, productivity, social anxiety, and productivity. He maintains that happiness can be learned. It can also be taught, just like any other skill.Therapy for Black GirlsJoy Harden Bradford is truly an enlightening listener. She is a licensed psychologist from Atlanta, Georgia. She discusses personal development and mental health from a nuanced perspective, focusing on Black voices and those of color, as well as topics such ADHD, gender identity and transracial adoptions. You can choose from episodes that last six minutes up to over an hour, depending on your time and energy.Happier with Gretchen RubinGretchen Rubin (author of The Happiness Project) and Elizabeth Craft (TV series producer and writer), are sisters who host the show. They pride themselves in giving practical and entertaining tips for living a happier lifestyle. They discuss everyday problems like decluttering and giving better gifts. However, they also explore philosophical topics like parenting during the pandemic or how to have difficult conversations. Each episode is only two- to three minutes in length and is dubbed "Little Happier". These minis provide a quick bit advice like how to reframe the situation or general serotonin. I find that the podcast episodes are shorter and more satisfying.The Happiness LabFor science-lovers, Dr. Laurie Santos will boil happiness down to its scientific roots. This podcast is based upon the popular Yale psychology course that she teaches. She discusses the latest research with fellow scientists and shares her insights on distraction, laughter, money and other factors that can contribute to happiness.Motivation for Financial WellnessWhy does it seem like I need a lot of money to solve all my problems, even though money doesn't buy happiness? These podcasts are intended to inspire and inform you to make money for yourself and maybe even solve all your problems.Financial FeministTori Dunlap's passion for finance can sometimes make me feel intimidated, I must admit. Her podcast and her business, which empowers women to manage their finances, are so appealing because of that. Dunlap is the founder of Her First $100K, which is a money and career platform. She is passionate about helping millennial women understand the complex and sometimes privileged worlds of finance. While the podcast is still young (with just three episodes currently, more are on the way), Dunlap has established her expertise on TikTok where she has over 1.6 million followers. This podcast is the best for financial education.Planet MoneyPlanet Money is a great way to learn about the world of economics. NPR's superheroes tackle the economic beast by profiling people and companies. The best part is that episodes last between 18-25 minutes so my brain doesn’t feel like it’s about to explode at the end.Motivation for Physical HealthWith the current pandemic/limiting whom we see situation, most of us don’t have a buddy or an accountability partner. These podcasts can be your coach or help you think about your future.Christy Harrison hosts Food Psych PodcastIt can be difficult to get motivated to take control of your body. Some people turn to diet culture which encourages restrictive behavior that can quickly become toxic. Christy Harrison is a registered dietician, author, and a certified nutritionist. She will gently steer you away from over-policing your food and health. Her own experience with disordered eating and dieting as well as food journalism gives her the opportunity to speak honestly. Each episode is at least an hour long. Harrison discusses topics such as intuitive eating and anti-dieting pregnancy. Harrison also discusses how different communities might relate to food differently. For example, Harrison talks about how Latinx beauty standards affect Latinx health.TED HealthTED Talks provide motivational content that is unparalleled. TED Health has taken the renowned speaker format and made it a podcast. Every episode features a different speaker who addresses a variety of health topics like smoking addiction, panic attacks and menopause. Although the episodes aren't intended to give specific advice on each condition, they can be a great starting point for motivating yourself to take control of your health. Don't worry, podcast episodes last about the same length as a TED talk of around 10 to 30 minutes.Dating and RelationshipsWe don't know if the pandemic has affected dating. These podcasts will inspire you to go on a date if you haven’t done so since last year.Acme: We metIt's a horrible thing to be in a relationship. It can be a bit more bearable if you make it funny. We Met at Acme offers dating advice and funny anecdotes. Lindsey Metselaar is the CEO of Lindsey's Lunchbox. She invites experts to talk about the most pressing questions regarding sex, marriage and first dates.Looking at Other PeopleJonah Feingold (a social media manager) and Ilana Dunn, host, are apparently in a relationship. They had a podcast together and broke up. Then they started a new podcast called Seeing Other People. With refreshing honesty, the pod examines their complicated relationship and dissects all of the dating pitfalls that millennials are currently facing, such as double-texting, dating apps and bumpy calls. They also discuss more serious topics such as abortion, dating with chronic illnesses, and coming out. If the podcast's future depends on them staying together, I wish them everlasting happiness.It's Time to Turn On[From our top sex, erotica and relationship podcasts roundup] "When you are part of a marginalized community, conversations about your sexuality can get politicized. This often leads to less personal conversations around individual experiences. The Turn On counters that. Erica and Kenrya host raunchy but approachable conversations about what it takes to be Black women. Some episodes feature more in-depth interviews with experts on topics such as sex education and kinks. The Turn On's unique structure, in which the two read a piece of erotica and then discuss what they think about it, is its bread and butter, is what makes it stand out. This podcast is designed to stimulate the sexual curiosity of Black listeners looking for satisfaction that's not restricted by white male gaze. Jess Joho.ProductivityBleh. My normal productivity has been ruined by more than a year of working exclusively from home. These podcasts are a great way to get help with productivity, and to encourage you to think beyond your work life.Beyond the To-Do ListIt is a terrible habit to think about productivity in terms of "How many things do I have to accomplish today?" Erik Fisher, a social-media director, has a lot on his daily to-do lists. He reminds us to look at productivity holistically and to consider creativity, mentorship and identity when trying to make the most of our productive days. Each episode is approximately an hour long and features a guest expert on the topic of productivity at hand. They discuss everything from project management to managing depression while getting things done.ProdPod is a podcast about productivityHere's the deal. Listening to podcasts where people tell me how to be productive in a significant time frame will make me less productive. Two-minute episodes are the best part of ProdPod, and I'm grateful for them. There are over 100 episodes on topics ranging from managing people and overcoming burnout. You can stack several episodes together if you wish to have a longer listening experience. This podcast is a great way to get a quick jolt and to put into practice what I'm currently doing.Family and HomeYou may need to change the way you manage your home and family if they are exhausting. There are many podcasts that will help you manage your family and house.A Slob Gets CleanA perfect person can inspire you to become a better hoarder if you're a compulsive hoarder. They don't understand it. Dana White, blogger, motivational speaker and author, is a good example of how it can be done. Because she is also a slob and has made it her mission share tips and habits that can be easily implemented by everyone. Her episodes on decluttering in specific situations like moving are my favorite, but her general advice about building better habits for your family is very useful.We are not being saved by anyoneLemonada Media's podcast No One is Coming To Save Us is a newbie. It only has four episodes. The first two episodes are hosted by Gloria Riviera, an ABC News correspondent, and Kristen Bell, an actress and mom host who really pull you in with their warm and realistic views on parenting. The podcast's name is a reference to the fact that they don't sugarcoat the difficulty of parenting. However, they do question the American systems that make it so difficult. Their passionate commentary ignited a passion in me to fight for better parenting systems, even though I don't have a child.Remember that no one expects you to be motivated in all of these areas. These picks made us feel something. If you want to spark a passion inside yourself, chances are one of these pods can help.
