Finding Fearne Cotton’s podcast Happy Place had us feeling like we were the last people to the party when that party consists of people chatting lively about their mental health. Accessible, open, super relatable, Fearne’s interviews with all the people we want to hear from (Dolly Alderton, Reggie Yates, err Gary Barlow) had us walking extra blocks or taking extra long baths just to finish more and more episodes. Also see Cotton’s books, including Happy: Finding joy in every day and letting go of perfect, and her real-life wellness gathering, Happy Place Festival.

“Finding other methods to deal with what I feared in life, and how I perceived my own story, was now my new mission. First, I looked around at my life and worked out what needed to go. I had built up beliefs about myself, about others around me and about how the world worked that weren’t conducive to a healthy mental state long-term. This needed to change.” — Fearne Cotton

Overwhelmed by all the advice about how to be happy, but still interested in its pursuit? In this series, Arthur Brooks, social scientist and The Atlantic’s Chief Happiness correspondent, reduces all the noise around living happier lives (and some of the judgment) and gets to the core of how to actually do this. Brooks uncovers the research, talks to the experts, and offers practical tools for subjects that range from how to be self-aware to the secret of finding meaningful work. Also check out the interactive exercises, which move you from reflecting on to living that happier life.

Hosted by Shankar Vedantam, this popular NPR-produced podcast is where we go to seek out more understanding about how we, and others, work. Though it’s centered on science and brings in the voice of experts, this podcast isn’t afraid to reveal the humans behind the learnings and the vulnerabilities that we all share. Vedantam is a thoughtful, compassionate host who leads conversations that ‘reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.’

“Good people are not those who lack flaws, the brave are not those who feel no fear, and the generous are not those who never feel selfish. Extraordinary people are not extraordinary because they are invulnerable to unconscious biases. They are extraordinary because they choose to do something about it.” ― Shankar Vedantam

Ever wondered how to get to a state of better mental health? It certainly feels like we are all considering this right now. If you’re looking for some practical wisdom on how to improve your mental wellbeing, listen to this weekly podcast from Jeremy Godwin which in each episode covers one aspect of our emotional, psychological, social, and physical well-being. This could be jealousy, friendship, calm or perfectionism, anything that impacts how we function in the world. Over the series, Godwin identifies and explores all the different aspects that can feed into our mental health, so we can better understand ourselves, and more importantly, perhaps, work to change.

Hosted by the founder of Therapy for Black Girls (and Oprah Magazine resident psychologist) Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, the podcast of the same name holds space for the mental health of Black women and girls. It offers ‘a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.’ Recent talks include sex-positivity, connection (or disconnection) from nature, and processing collective grief. There’s a huge roster of subjects and with over 150 episodes find the one that resonates and dive in. Though often weighty and informative, Dr. Joy creates a safe setting, that has the intimate feel of talking to a close friend.

“Therapy helps you better understand how you show up in the world. There's this idea we have about who we are, and sometimes it's right, but sometimes we don't necessarily have the correct insight to really understand how other people are perceiving us or how we manage ourselves in certain relationships. Therapy can act as a mirror to help you see yourself truly.” — Dr. Joy Harden Bradford

Listening to this podcast always reminds us that we’re not alone and that we all have fears, some of which we share. In each episode, a guest shares the ‘10 Things That Scare Me’ which recently included a kid scared of the laundry because of the pipes, a comedy-producer afraid of how screens are sucking in her days, and a middle-aged engineer fearful of how COVID might impact his life and those around him in the long-term. There are the tiny, seeming inconsequential concerns that stymie people, and the monumental, overarching themes of our lives that cause someone to catch their breath. Across it all are the layers in which we operate within our own lives as well as some indication of how we can get by in spite of whatever it is that we might believe ourselves beholden to.

“10 Things That Scare Me is a tiny podcast about our biggest fears. In each episode, one person talks. Alone in a room. It could be anyone. It could be you. It's someone driven by fears that keep them up at night, that define their lives, and inform their choices. This is a podcast about them, about you, about us, and the world we inhabit together.” — WNYC Studios

We’ve mentioned our love of Bryony Gordon’s writing elsewhere (and written about her initiative Mental Health Mates here), so let’s complete the triumvirate and include her podcast Mad World. It’s like sneaking a peak at an intimate conversation between friends who are sharing the real things. This is a podcast to turn to when you want to know that not being ok is ok and actually a universal feeling. Even for Prince Harry. Also, because it’s Bryony, one of the funniest and fiercest mental health advocates, check out her book You Got This and her other podcast If I Can Do It. In fact, check out all the things. You will find a warm person who makes it ‘normal to feel weird.’

“Everyone has degrees of madness in them, everyone has a story to tell.” — Bryony Gordon