In the same way that a sad song can be therapeutic when you're feeling the blues, a good podcast episode that speaks to your struggles can be great chicken soup for the soul.
The only problem is, we've been spoiled with choice when it comes to podcasts in the past few years, so finding one that resonates with you can take a lot of patience (and cell phone data).
To help you narrow down your choices, we've rounded up a few soothing podcasts that will help you de-stress, or even learn more about yourself and your emotions. While they're not meant to be a substitute for therapy, they'll hopefully help you feel a little less alone.
Joy Harden Bradford, PhD, an Atlanta-based therapist, started this weekly podcast to further the conversation around Black women and mental health. As Dr. Bradford tells us, mental health is about so much more than managing issues like depression or manic episodes.
"We have to expand that conversation so that we’re looking at all different things that contribute to our mental health," she says. And that's exactly what her podcast aims to do.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Comedian Paul Gilmartin's weekly podcast features interviews with artists, friends, and doctors, all about depression, addiction, and other mental health issues and how they affect people working in creative fields.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.
The Struggle Bus, hosted by best friends Katharine Heller and Sally Tamarkin, is an advice podcast that tackles listener questions, and it features discussions on everything from how to deal when you're overwhelmed with your life to how to let go of toxic friendships. Oh, and there are a lot of Riverdale references sprinkled throughout, if that's your thing.
Available on Apple Podcasts.
Hannah Hart has been a hugely successful YouTuber and internet personality for years — and now, along with best friend Hannah Gelb, she's launched a self-help podcast, in which she and Gelb try out a new self-help fad every week and report back to listeners on their experiences.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.
The Dark Place is a shame-free space for everyday people to get to, well, their dark places when it comes to mental illness. But host Joel Kutz meets every topic, from depression to abuse, with compassion, and by the end of each episode, you'll end up feeling a little less alone.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.
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