If, like me, you trend towards anxiousness and gloom, then the shows on this list may offer some relief. I've been living with low moods most of my life, and recently I've been supplementing with doses of burnout, just to keep things interesting. So, as an anxious audiophile, I felt well positioned to make some recommendations.
While occupying my ears with audio is one of the best ways to keep the scary thoughts at bay, distraction is not the aim of the game. Rather, I'm looking for podcasts that remind me of one of two things: 1. my smallness; 2. my resemblance to others. We are, after all, never alone in our troubles (even if it feels that way).
However, using the "most intimate medium" as an antidote to sadness isn't as simple as picking the first podcast in my queue and pressing play. Many shows, especially ones that focus on the news cycle or (shudders) self-optimization, actually set my nerves on edge more than the frenetic noise of a crowd. So, if not those sorts of self-help shows, then what? Well, this is subjective. Rain noises, storytelling, and comedy podcasts all have a role to play. A bit of Sherlock Holmes Short Stories never did me any harm. History podcasts are wonderful for their constant reminders of our shared humanity. (Oh, you think you've got it bad? Try living with the threat of bubonic plague.) Podcasts about literature and poetry also do the trick, so long as you didn't have a punitive teacher in your English class. The Slowdown is my pick from that selection.
The three shows on this list were chosen as a broad but highly concentrated listening program, one that encompasses quiet reflection, storytelling, and hopefulness.
Mental Illness Happy Hour
There have been over eight hundred episodes of Mental Illness Happy Hour. Very few shows reach that milestone. The show was recommended to me, in part, through the stories I'd heard about people who listen to the show. It sounds trite, but listeners had reported finding the podcast over a decade ago and being inspired to make genuine changes in their lives. In short, the show gave them hope. As someone very interested in recovery, I listened to several episodes and very quickly understood what inspired all those people to turn their lives around.
While Mental Illness Happy Hour is a traditional interview show, it also features “all listener” episodes. Longtime host Paul Gilmartin reads emails from the audience, which have all been filled out within a 24 hour period before the episode, to ground the discussion in the community's daily experiences.
Gilmartin is invested in the wellbeing of his audience, and that shines in every conversation. The mental health topics covered are broad but specific. So, rather than an discussion about depression, Gilmartin and his guests will talk about "bipolar psychosis" or "foster care" or "couples issues." Needless to say, the openness about such difficult but common problems is welcome.
I mentioned in the opening to this list that self-help content will often re-trigger my anxiety. At best, it provides a temporary salve that actually promotes an unhelpful narcissism in the long term. Mental Illness Happy Hour is not like those podcasts. It cultivates an almost AA-style practice of listening and relating to other people's stories. The best solution to loneliness is friendship, but this podcast will go a long way to helping with isolation for those who need it.
Famous & Gravy
My friend Michael Osborne has been making his podcast Famous & Gravy for many years, and it has a rich archive as a result. The show is, simply put, a celebrity biography podcast. But it is also much more than that. In each episode, Michael and a guest host discuss the life of a famous dead person and ask a simple question: would you want this life?
While full of light-hearted segments and even an opening quiz, Famous & Gravy still manages to find something moving, even soulful, in every life story. I have guested on a few episodes, including one about the writer Joan Didion, as well as a recent episode on Anthony Bourdain. Both discussions felt cathartic to record in ways which have been echoed by listeners.
These people may have been celebrities, but they were also flawed people, and they meant something to a percentage of the population. Reflecting on their lives is also an opportunity to examine our own in a gentle, non-threatening way. I highly recommend it to curious listeners.
Beautiful/Anonymous
Beautiful/Anonymous was recently named one of TIME's '100 Best Podcasts of All Time.' This long-running but unassuming podcast is hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show, Broad City, This American Life). The name is short for 'Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People,' which may give you a small hint about what the show is about. Each weekly episode features a call with an unknown person, who shares a tale from their life, and Gethard can't hang up the phone until the caller clicks off. It's a funny premise. As you might expect, the hotline often becomes a way for people to offload some trauma, but it can also be a means of self-promotion. And, true to his word, Gethard must stay on the call for all of it.
While it can sometimes go a bit wayward, Beautiful/Anonymous is more often moving than chaotic. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or myopic, other people's stories often provide much needed perspective. I recommend it for lonely roadtrips and commutes.
