One of the good things lockdown brought to me was finally doing all I had wanted to try but never found the time to. I associated the podcasts with long, boring audios my dad used to play in the car, but I decided to give them a try back in April because, sadly, there is a limit to how much time baking banana bread can keep you happy. And I loved them; I could listen to them in the car or while baking. I couldn’t resist going back to it. I was learning, feeling productive, and discovering many amazing people and ways of thinking. These are some of my favourite podcasts so far and what I love about them: 

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations:

Throughout her career, Oprah Winfrey has interviewed an array of different people. And now you have the opportunity to listen to (so far) 292 episodes of deep conversations between the TV host/actress/producer and very famous people – because if Oprah calls you, you don’t say no – to get a dose of daily inspiration. You could hear Jane Fonda talk about how she found and raised her adopted African American daughter Mary Williams, or get a glimpse of why Michelle Obama doesn’t really miss the White House. I obviously haven’t listened to all of them, but there is not a single one that doesn’t sound interesting, from mainstream celebrities to wellness leaders and authors. Just be ready to get in touch with your “SuperSoul.” 

 iWeigh by Jameela Jamil:

In summary, I love this woman. British actress (you might know her as Tahani from The Good Place), TV host, and activist Jameela Jamil invites all kinds of (well known) inspiring individuals to have deep conversations. The podcast comes as an extension of the iWeigh Instagram platform, in which Jameela empowers women and men to fight against stereotypes, diet culture, and general injustice. Its focus is on mental health and shame while discussing important current topics such as race, gender, sexuality, and intersectional feminism. You can expect to hear sensitive topics as well as a good dose of laughs with the several comedians she has invited. At the end of each episode, Jameela asks invitees what they weigh, but not in the traditional way; this “weight” is defined as their qualities, achievements, and what they are grateful for. Guests include best-selling author Roxanne Gay, trans rights activist Munroe Bergdorf, Reese Witherspoon and Demi Lovato, among many others. 

Free Food for Thought

This American student-run podcast features interviews with worldwide experts and academics from different fields of study as a way of providing what you would get in a live speaker series, but for free – and from the comfort of your own home, while you are on the bus or wherever you listen to podcasts. In each episode, two university students chat with the guest about their career and inspiring advice for our generation; at the end of every interview, all speakers are asked the same question: what their definition of success is and how they would help students define success for themselves. Whatever your field of interest, I’m sure you will find at least one episode which gives you “food for thought” be it hearing about monkeys by Stanford University neurologist Robert Sapolsky, human rights by UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (did you know he also gave a talk at St Andrews in 2018?), or how former CIA director John Brennan got to the top of national security.