Audiobooks and podcasts are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the wake of Covid-19. Instead of simply listening to music, sometimes listening to an educational podcast or audiobook feels more enriching and productive, especially when you’re out on a drive or a run. Analysts forecast that podcasts will continue to be a booming industry for years to come.
Are you new to podcasts? Here are 6 recommended podcasts or audiobooks that are wholesome and will benefit your well-being.
For everyone: Improving your sleep quality
Audiobook: Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai is precisely what we need to get to sleep. Short bedtime stories that help you wind down calmly and effectively so that you can get eight hours of sleep to recharge your tired body. Each 20-minute bedtime tale is narrated by yoga and meditation teacher Kathryn Nicolai, who mixes the stories with brain training techniques you can use to adopt better sleeping habits in the long run.
Wouldn’t it be nice to drift off to dreamland with tips on mindfulness, self-compassion, and calming your senses, told to you in a soothing story-telling voice? Find Nothing Much Happens on Spotify.
For adolescents: Navigating adulthood
Podcast episode How To Be An Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims from the TED Talks Daily series is great for all parents. Singaporean children grow up in a pressure cooker environment in school and sometimes at home. We do it so that they can get far in life, but is it really good for them? This issue gets tackled here in this podcast by speaker Julie Lythcott-Haims.
Passionate and humorous, Julie outlines how parents who use academic results to define their children’s success are not helping them at all. Instead of high expectations and controlling their children’s lives, she suggests that the age-old concept of unconditional love is the key. The podcast is also a good guide for living a more authentic adulthood.
For everyone: Positive vibes!
It’s always a new day filled with new challenges. Clyde Lee Dennis packs a punch in bite-sized seven- to eight-minute podcasts in this series 7 Good Minutes Daily Self-Improvement. Each podcast raises a specific topic of interest, from motivation, to self-care, to developing helpful habits.
There’s always one thing you can pick up and apply right away to enrich the way you live. This particular episode on How to Discipline Your Mind talks about the importance of staying focused on tasks, and tips to be equipped in doing so. One takeaway is to start and end your day by controlling your thinking. The simple act of visualising your goals at the start of the day; and reflecting on your achievements at the end of the day – opens up possibilities within yourself to find new ways to get to your success.
For F.I.R.E working adults: Being financially savvy
Ok, this is a long one, more suitable for listening when you’re on a run or a drive. The Financial Coconut Podcast is a series that is made for Singaporeans, by Singaporeans. Come hear from interviews on life experiences with Singaporeans from all walks of life – and get schooled on all topics related to money. Topics range from how to help a friend who is going through a financial rough patch to how you can ask your boss for a salary raise.
In one of the episodes, What Others Don’t Tell You About Financial Freedom at Chills 81 with Max Koh, 29 year-old millionaire Max Koh shares his insights on his journey toward financial freedom, and clears up many misunderstandings about financial independence others may have. One interesting bit is his advice he gave on the sacrifices he made and obsessions he had on his road to a million. All you F.I.R.E. wannabes come listen up! It runs for around 40 minutes.
For professionals in leadership: Effective communication
Matt Abrahams is a lecturer of Strategic Communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this podcast series Think Fast, Talk Smart, a production of Stanford Graduate School of Business, Matt Abrahams interviews experts from across campus to discuss public speaking anxiety, speaking off the cuff, nailing a Q&A, and more.
This podcast is great for professionals in leaderships who want to know how to communicate effectively. For instance, in the episode Communicating Uncertainty: How To Connect With Your Audience, Even When The Answers Aren’t Clear, Matt interviews fellow lecturer Lloyd Minor. The episode centres around the challenge of communicating ambiguous information to achieve success in work and life. Lloyd Minor also talks about how active listening is such a critical skill all leaders should possess.
For everyone: Staying healthy through your diet
You are what you eat – no doubt about it. With cancer ranked as the leading cause of death worldwide, consuming meat and its link to cancer is discussed in this podcast episode Processed Meat And Cancer by Dr. Greger, author of the bestseller book How Not To Die.
Relatively short at around 13 minutes, Dr. Greger goes into the link between consuming processed meat and cancer. He also explains how changing public opinion is challenging. Take a listen. Would you look at your hot dog the same way again?
In his series Nutrition Facts with Dr. Greger, the doctor shares his opinions on an array of health topics that revolve around our food intake, such as the crucial role of our gut health, controlling arthritis, fasting and blood pressure, and even preventing hair loss!
Use a 5G connection to stream your favourite podcasts
May these six recommended podcasts enhance your life by helping you build healthy habits or gain new skills. All the above recommendations are available on Spotify.
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