Wellness
18 of the best mental health and well-being podcasts
Mental health is finally starting to get the attention it needs in society and is clearly high on the Government’s agenda.
The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out how the NHS would improve mental health services by 2020/21. It promised an extra £1.6bn to help a million people with mental health problems and that by 2021, no one should be sent out of area to receive the treatment they need.
Last year 250 people were sent 300km or more away from home to get help. We urgently need to see investment in mental health services reaching the front-line, so that people can get the treatment they need, when they need it, close to home.
Here at Fieldworks, mental health and well-being is also a priority. We want to provide you with resources that are easily accessible, covering both mental health and self-care.
In this blog we focus on 18 of the best mental health and well-being podcasts available to download today that talk about self-care, self-love and provide effective strategies for taking care of your well-being.
is a Fieldworks favorite at the moment! Emily Dean is a writer and radio presenter. She is Frank Skinner’s co-host on the award-winning Frank Skinner Show (Absolute Radio). She spent eight years as Deputy Editor of InStyle magazine and has written for titles such as The Times, The Evening Standard and You magazine. In this podcast she takes some of her friends for a walk with their dogs. Interviews guests include Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gevais and many more. They talk about the weird, the wonderful, the funny and the extraordinary.
Back in 2013 they released a series of podcasts with Mind ambassador and Heart FM DJ Matt Wilkinson. They were hugely successful with nearly 900,000 listens. They have now launched it again! Every two weeks you’ll hear directly from people about what it’s really like to live with mental health problems.
has a whole host of podcasts available, including a focus on well-being, exercise, mental health, nutrition, stress and relaxation.
by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus is based around their book and philosophy of bringing more and more of what truly matters into our lives. Through their book Joshua and Ryan have reached over 20 million people and this podcast follows from that. It advocates living a meaningful life by reducing things that do not matter. In doing so we create meaning and purpose and thereby achieve happiness. The minimalist philosophy isn’t directly related to mental health awareness but reducing clutter in our environment and our brains is an effective strategy to increase efficiency, well-being and productivity.
by Bryony Gordon is brought by The Telegraph where she talks to a different guest in each episode about how their mental health has been affected by events in their own lives and find out why feeling weird is the most normal thing in the world. It is a ten-episode podcast and having featured Prince Harry talk about his mental health problems following his mother’s death as a young child has helped raise awareness of mental health.
is brought by the Metro where Yvette Caster and Ellen Scott chat to a mystery guest each week and discuss a range of things that can affect our mental health from money, career change and organising an event. The podcast tackles some hard-hitting issues that we all face in our lives but are often afraid to talk about, such as post-natal depression, social anxiety, grief, loss and panic attacks.
is a weekly advice podcast hosted by Katharine Heller and Sally Tamarkin where they bring their unique conversational style, unbridled enthusiasm and frank opinions. The hosts also answer some of the listener’s questions during each episode. In the 144 episodes so far they have covered an astounding range of topics from abusive bosses, workplace politics and what to do when you are totally stalled in your career.
with John Moe is an irreverent look at depression and anxiety. This is a series of frank, moving and funny conversations with some of the top comedians such as Maria Bamford, Paul F. Tompkins, Andy Richter, and Jen Kirkman to learn how they have dealt with depression. Depression can be a very isolating medical condition and is often stigmatized. This series attempts to break the stigma and create a sense of community through these conversations.
The podcast with Gretchen Rubin and her co-host Elizabeth Craft has had over 42 million downloads so far. Gretchen is well-known for her book “The Happiness Project” and this podcast brings tips and strategies to create our own version of a happy place. The conversations are thought-provoking and lively, and much like her books, Gretchen brings very practical and manageable advice that we can all take to bring more happiness into our lives.
Take better care of your body and mind with Dr Rangan Chatterjee in this eclectic podcast which covers everything from anxiety to gut health. In this podcast, we hear stories from leading health experts who offer practical and straightforward advice. Well worth a listen.
Everyone goes to a darker place at some point, but that can be a difficult thing to acknowledge. The Dark Place podcast, hosted by Joel Kutz, aims to break the silence by talking to ordinary people about times in life when they’ve felt low. Expect stories about depression, anxiety, trauma and mental illness.
Inspirational lady and ban.do founder Jen Gotch started this honest podcast to talk about her fears, pain and triumphs – hoping to help listeners become more self-aware, build their emotional intelligence and, more than anything, feel less alone.
Sometimes when someone asks, “How are you?” the only honest answer is “Terrible, thanks for asking.” In this podcast, hosted by Nora McInerney, we are encouraged to stop brushing off this question with answers like, “Fine”, and instead be honest with ourselves and others about our feelings.
Explore the vast potential of the human mind, as well as its limits, in this BBC Four podcast. The podcast takes quite a scientific approach but also offers a lot of information and advice.
Topics range from the effects of antidepressant withdrawal to dementia, sleep paralysis and more. Their short series on ‘How To Be Less Lonely’, drawing on the results of a massive study into the topic, is particularly useful. Listen here.
Listen to Oprah’s interviews with thought-leaders, authors and spiritual figures from around the world in this relaxing podcast which tackles life’s big questions.
Episodes include Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh talking about how to live with compassion, a mother who lost her children in a house fire talking about how she found the strength to live in the aftermath, and author Tim Storey explains how you can turn a setback into a comeback.
Gregg Clunis says that personal development is all about taking tiny leaps which add up to big change in life. In this podcast, he shares simple strategies we can implement into our lives to start moving the needle towards our biggest goals.
Mental health isn’t at the core of this podcast, but Gregg’s philosophy is all about understanding the factors that cause and affect change across all of life – with his help and inspiration, it becomes much simpler to make small changes and, more importantly, see where they might lead. Have a listen here.
This is a podcast for everyone who suffers from stress and anxiety to any degree. Host Kelli Walker is a registered nurse and each episode includes helpful advice for managing anxiety with practical tips and guidance. You’ll also develop a better understanding of what anxiety is and how it can take hold.
Last but definitely not least…
by Fearne Cotton aims to bring simple happiness to everyday life through candid conversations with people in the limelight on how they have managed their well-being. The conversations are delightful and focus on aspects such as body positivity, depression, motherhood, stress and recovery.
