If you’re not listening to podcasts yet, you’re missing out on such an easy way to brighten your day! Listening to a good podcast is educational but it can also help bring a healthier, happier perspective to your life. With all the stresses of life, listening to a podcast can feel like a refreshing breeze in this chaos of constant new health trends. Plus, they are easily accessible 24/7! You can add podcasts to your morning routine, enjoy them while commuting, or let them keep you company on a road trip.
If you’re unsure where to start, I’ve covered you with a list of my favorite feel-good podcasts. From health and self-help to therapy, spirituality, and meaningful interviews, there’s something here for everyone! Whether you have 20 minutes or two hours, you can listen at your own pace, whenever it suits you. Read on and find one that’s perfect for you!
1. The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos
Dr Laurie Santos is a professor of psychology at Yale University, known for teaching one of the university’s most popular classes, which is available for free on Coursera as The Science of Well-Being. The course gained widespread popularity and was featured in various media outlets.
The success of the course led to the launch of The Happiness Labpodcast, where Dr Santos delves into the science behind happiness and explains how common thoughts, behaviors, and societal beliefs may hinder our ability to lead a happier life. Each episode lasts between 30 to 60 minutes. Through expert interviews, real-life stories, personal experiences, and scientific research, Dr Santos helps guide us toward becoming happier. Since its launch in 2019, the podcast has gained millions of listeners and featured among the best wellness podcasts.
Apple Podcasts: 4.7 Stars (14K reviews)
2. Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Dr Rangan Chatterjee brings insightful conversations with health experts and others, all aimed at simplifying wellness. His mantra is clear: when we are healthier, we are happier—because when we feel better, we live more fully.
Best known as the host of the BBC documentary series Doctor in the House, Dr Chatterjee is a general practitioner who has authored several books on improving well-being.
His podcast series features long-form episodes, typically two hours, and short-form episodes, lasting 15 to 20 minutes. The podcast has frequently topped the charts as one of the most popular shows in the health and wellness category and is currently ranked at number 25.
Apple Podcasts: 4.7 stars (8.3K reviews)
Podcasts are easily accessible 24/7! You can listen to them during your morning routine, while commuting, or on a road trip.
3. Oprah’s Super Soul
This list would be incomplete without mentioning one of my personal favorites, Oprah’s Super Soul. As one of the early trailblazers in the realm of wellness and self-improvement, Oprah Winfrey has been sharing thought-provoking conversations for over three decades.
In 2017, she launched her podcast Super Soul Conversations, which has since been rebranded as Oprah’s Super Soul.
Oprah’s interviews are vulnerable and authentic, going in-depth in a healing way. Her interviewees have included a long list of thought leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, and health and wellness experts. It also includes interviews from Oprah’s Emmy Award-winning Daytime Talk Show, Super Soul Sunday.
If you’re looking for a podcast that will inspire and uplift you, this is my top recommendation.
Apple Podcasts: 4.6 stars (31K reviews)
4. Chasing Life with Dr Sanjay Gupta
Chasing Life is a podcast that explores the science behind health, happiness, and fulfillment. The podcast came about after the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how to rebuild life with intention and optimize both the mind and body to live our best lives.
In each 30-minute episode, Dr Gupta sits down with a guest to discuss ongoing health-related conversations in the country – covering topics such as the effectiveness of sunscreen, the mental health crisis, ultra-processed foods, and understanding happiness. The show has been featured among top health and wellness podcasts and won the 2024 People’s Voice Winner Webby Award in the Health, Wellness, and Lifestyle category.
Dr Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, has several prestigious reporting awards, including multiple Emmys and a Peabody Award. What sets him apart, though, is his ability to break down complex health topics and make them easy to understand. Whether it’s a major medical breakthrough or a common health topic, Dr Gupta explains it in a relatable way. If you like learning about health topics through science and storytelling, his podcast is worth a listen.
Apple Podcasts: 4.5 stars (7.6K reviews)
5. The Mel Robbins Podcast
Known for her ‘5-Second Rule’, Mel Robbins is a motivational speaker, author, and personal development coach. It’s no surprise that when she decided to launch her podcast in 2022, it quickly became one of the most followed podcasts within a year.
In hour-long episodes, Robbins offers advice on all aspects of personal growth and mental well-being, often drawing from her own experiences. Whether it’s developing a growth mindset, building healthy relationships, finding motivation and life purpose, or reinventing one’s life, she covers it all. The popularity of her podcast can be attributed not only to the practical advice she offers but also to her relatable, energetic, authentic, and engaging communication style.
Apple Podcasts: 4.8 stars (9.4K reviews)
Looking for more recommendations? Check out these podcasts:
– Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
