I know it sounds a little bit lame, but I only really discovered podcasts in 2017. I’m not even sure what made me open the podcast app but I started with a podcast from Headspace. This was also during the throws of postnatal depression. Now that I’d found a podcast to listen to, I found some similar podcasts. And so began my road to devouring self improvement podcasts.
A little note about all the self-improvement podcasts listed here. These are all podcasts that I listen to regularly. I’ve been a long-time fan of each one, and some from the very beginning. If you’ve got a podcast recommendation based on some of the ones listed below, I’d love to hear it.
All of these podcasts give you ideas to improve your everyday life, implement daily routines, and persist with good habits in order to help you be the best version of yourself to live a happier life.
My favourite self-improvement podcasts
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
By the time I discovered it, Happier with Gretchen Rubin had already been producing weekly episodes for over two years. And since I fall into the personality type that likes to start everything from the beginning, that’s what I did. It took me a while to catch up on over 100 roughly 40-minute-long episodes. Each episode includes something the listeners can try at home. From keeping an empty shelf, setting a bedtime alarm and the one-minute rule. And she co-hosts with her sister Elizabeth Craft.
There are many deep dive episodes into topics like loneliness, family traditions, listener ideas and The Four Tendencies.
This podcast has inspired me to start writing my own personal manifesto, a list of guiding principles that I want to live my life by.
It was also the inspiration for picking a word of the year and my 19 in 2019 list.
Gretchen Rubin is also the best-selling author of many books including The Happiness Project, Better Than Before and The Four Tendencies.
This podcast made a huge difference to my mental health when I was a new mum and has really enabled me to make some positive change.
The Intentional Advantage
Formerly Productivity Paradox, The Intentional Advantage tackles actionable strategies and exercises to help you create an amazing life around your priorities. Harnessing your productivity and streamlining everyday tasks with systems helping you discover what works best for you.
Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup
As a blogger, I love Ruth Soukup. I will consume almost anything she produces; content, podcasts, books, and courses. All the things. And I was so excited when she started a podcast. That meant I could get a weekly dose of blogging inspiration. But it’s not just blogging. It’s about doing the scary stuff in life that you really don’t want to do, even though you know you will benefit from it. It’s about putting one foot in front of the other even when we’re not quite sure when the path is going to lead us. The Get Ruthed episodes are great for blogging inspiration. And the shorter quick wins episodes are great for when I’m short on time.
Ruth is also the creator of The Fear Assessment, a personality typing tool that looks at your fears.
Jessie Williams Podcast
The Jessie Williams Podcast is just under a year old but is quickly becoming one of my favourites. Bringing you all things health and wellness, plus money and mindset to help you level up your whole life. With a combination of episodes featuring just Jessie plus special guests from all areas of life. My favourite podcast episodes feature the themes of body image, the law of attraction, abundance, alignment and manifestation.
The Art of Decluttering
Hosted by two professional organisers, The Art of Decluttering breaks down the barriers when it comes to decluttering and organising your spaces. They share tips and tricks as well as stories and anecdotes about their experiences with clients. Although my daughter isn’t in school yet, I gained the most value from their most recent back-to-school episode. With practical advice relating to organising school-related items like clothing, books and bags as well as organising life around getting to school on time, all the extra-curricular activities and other family commitments. And knowing your child and their strengths to put together a morning routine that works for your family. Maybe one child is up and ready at sparrow’s fart, while the other likes a slow start and generally prefers to sleep in.
The Slow Home Podcast
This year I decided to make a shift in my home. I really wanted to live in a place that I love. So I thought getting rid of stuff in my home that I no longer loved was a great place to start. And reading Slow by Brooke McAlary was a great place for me to start. After I finished her book I looked into how I could keep the momentum going. And once again I found a podcast that began years ago, so I started from the start. I am still really behind, but each episode brings something to the forefront of my mind, making me dig a little deeper to create a better life.
TED Talks Daily
The main reason I like the TED Talks Daily podcast is that they are short with most being around 10 minutes long. I don’t listen to all of the podcasts, just pick and choose the ones that I’m interested in. Not all of them fit into the personal development podcast genre, and those are some of my favourites.
There are episodes from New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown, motivational speaker Oprah Winfrey, personal development thought leader Robin Sharma and
Some non-self-improvement ones I’ve listened to are:
- Can we edit memories?
- This is what makes employees happy at work
- Why can’t we talk about periods?
- How humans and AI can work together to create better businesses
- How bees can keep the peace between elephants and humans
What a great way to get an introduction to a topic you might not have ever thought about. Plus it’s a great way to switch gears by learning about something new.
More of the best self-help podcasts
If you need more self-improvement tips or just can’t get enough of inspirational podcasts, the list is virtually endless.
- Good Life Project by Jonathan Fields
- The Tony Robbins Podcast
- Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik
- The Tim Ferriss Show with Tim Ferriss
- Impact Theory by Tom Bilyeu
- School of Greatness by Lewis Howes
- Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
- The Happiness Lab by Dr. Santos
So here’s to self-improvement podcasts, giving us tools and actionable steps to go forth and be better.
