Lifestyle Post

The Wonderful World of Podcasts

I may be quite late to the game – but I have recently discovered podcasts, and I really cannot get enough of them. Lots of friends and family have made some wonderful recommendations and I have tuned into (and binged!) quite a few podcasts over the last month or so. I include at least one podcast into my daily routine now, and I really look forward to them. I usually listen to a podcast whilst doing something around the house, cleaning, colouring, puzzling, exercising, or when I am out on a walk, so it is a multi-taskers dream!

I wanted to share with you my top three podcasts and encourage you to give them a listen. If you are new to podcasts like me, or a veteran- I urge you to try these three – they are so insightful, comforting, interesting, challenging and just a wonderful break from the real world.


Delicious Ways to Feel Better

About This Podcast:

Confused about health and wellness? Each week we interview an expert to bring a little inspiration to your life – from gut health to mental health and anxiety, how to make sustainable changes, finding happiness, what happens to our brains when we exercise, skincare 101, dealing with stress, veganism and the environment and so much more. Hosted by Ella Mills, the founder of Deliciously Ella, this podcast brings you open, honest conversation around mental and physical health.

My Favourite Episode:

‘Five Pillars of Health’

“We take a look at the simple, everyday practices that can transform our mental and physical health from what we eat to how we sleep, the role of exercise, water and moments of calm. We’re answering all the key questions on why your five-a-day matters, why gut health has such a big impact on wellbeing, what mindfulness means and whether we really need eight hours of sleep”

My Take-Away:

We all know how important it is to take the time to look after our mind and body, but it can still end up on the bottom of our enormous to do lists. Over the last 12-16 months I have been on a real journey of self-discovery and care and I have made some really positive changes in my life. This podcast reminded me, that we don’t have to wait for a crisis moment to incorporate these ideas into our lives. But, rather we should all strive to find ways to strengthen these ‘five pillars of health’ every single day as part of our most basic daily routines.

The Five Pillar’s of Health by Deliciously Ella

  1. Plant Based
  2. Exercise
  3. Water
  4. Mindfulness
  5. Sleep

I challenge you to think of one way you could incorporate/strengthen/achieve a better balance to your everyday for each one of the five pillars.

For example:

Plant Based

The plant-based pillar could be making sure you eat more wholefoods, fruit and vegetables during the week. Or eating a plant-based meal once or twice a week.

Exercise

For exercise you could start small and add in a daily stretch to the beginning of your day. Or commit to a daily walk or step count goal, or a more structured workout routine.

Water

We all know how vital water is, so why not set a goal to consume a certain amount of water every day (6-8 glasses of water a day is a good place to start). Or drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning before anything else.

Mindfulness

Perhaps for mindfulness, you could do a 2-minute meditation, or set some time to be creative, journal, start a gratitude diary, or find something that makes you feel calm and at peace.

Sleep

And, for the last pillar- sleep – you could try to increase the amount of time you are resting your body- even by 10 minutes. Or create more routine going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.

Whatever you come up with – write it down and try to incorporate it into your everyday- there’s no way this won’t end up making your body and mind feel better!


Happy Place

About This Podcast:

Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them.

My Favourite Episode:

‘Rhonda Byrne’

“Do you believe the thoughts in your head without question? Rhonda Byrne explores why you shouldn’t believe any of your negative thoughts, because none of them are true. IN this chat with Fearne, the iconic author of The Secret explains why embracing your inner child might just be the key to ever-lasting happiness.

My Take-Away:

One of my favourite phrases is ‘just because you think it, doesn’t make it true’ and Rhonda Byrne taps right into this idea in this podcast. We can’t always trust our thoughts to be true or kind, and in those moments, it is our responsibility to challenge those thoughts. I often think it is easier to imagine you are talking to a friend and what advice you would give them. Next time you are feeling quite down, sad, frustrated or being too hard on yourself- try writing down how you feel and then imagine one of your best friends or family members is coming to you with these thoughts and feelings. Then write down how you would soothe them, comfort them, encourage them to challenge the thoughts and generally give them some love and understanding. Now read it back, to yourself. It is true that we should always be kind, but that also means being kind to ourselves.


iweigh with Jameela Jamil

About This Podcast:

What started with a social media post has become a movement, and now a podcast. On I Weigh, Jameela Jamil challenges society’s definition of worth through weight by asking different thought-leaders, performers, activists, influencers, and friends about how they are working through their past shames to find where their value truly lies. With hilarious and vulnerable conversations, I Weigh will amplify and empower diverse voices in an accessible way to celebrate progress, not perfection.

My Favourite Episode:

‘Debra Messing’

Actor and Activist Debra Messing talks about her struggles with anxiety and depression, the body – shaming she experienced making A Walk In The Clouds, how therapy and medication has helped her, and finding her voice in the spotlight.

My Take-Away:

‘Will and Grace’ was one of my favourite TV Shows as a teenager and young adult. I would save up my pocket money to buy each season as it got released on VHS and watch each episode over and over again. It made me laugh and cry, but most importantly- it taught me (far more than I realised at the time) about love and acceptance. I found this podcast so insightful, as my teenage hero Debra Messing opened up about the struggles she experienced whilst filming this show- the same show that provided so much joy to so many.

Debra Messing also explained how she manages her anxiety. For her, the key was taking the time to acknowledge and understand her own boundaries. To learn what made her feel safe and happy, and then what triggered her more anxious thoughts and episodes. This really resonated with me as I start to understand just how important setting your own boundaries really is. The podcast further compounded the idea, that you never know what anyone else is going through, so we should all practice moving with more kindness, and far less judgement.


I do hope you decide to give one or all of these podcasts a try- I have so enjoyed discovering them the last month, and now I can’t imagine my day without them! If you have any recommendations, please do let me know!

Happy listening everyone.


love Em-Gem xxx

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