In our age of anxiety, depression and the pressure of being the very best all the time, many people feel down and out about themselves.

I know I’ve felt that many times in the past year, where I don’t know what I’m doing with my life or I’m not sure what I should do next.

During those darker moments, I turned to listening to podcasts.

I know, I know. That seems lame. “You’re listening to someone give advice about how to stop crying all the time? Something is definitely wrong with you.” I’ve had that same fear before; the fear that others will judge me for what I’m doing, that I will be laughed at and called “emotionally unstable.”

But that’s truly not the case. Since listening to uplifting, positive things, I have learned ways to control my anxiety attacks, to become more positive and more productive in my school work. I have learned how to cope with being okay with myself and where I’m at in my life.

Here are some of the best podcasts that I’ve come across that have helped me realize who I am, and then to learn from these insights.

RISE Podcast by Rachel Hollis

This podcast allows readers to have real-life takeaways. Rachel Hollis interviews various different life coaches, entrepreneurs, experts in their fields and those who have experienced hardships and overcame them. She allows for her listeners to experience a real one-on-one conversation and learn some of the best advice to better themselves. This podcast is a little lengthy at roughly an hour per podcast, but it’s definitely worth the time. It can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Love Letters by The Boston Globe

Hosted by The Boston Globe’s columnist Meredith Goldstein, this podcast exposes the ins and outs of relationships and love within each of its episodes. Goldstein answers viewers’ burning questions through interviews and talks about ways to embrace a break up to become a better person. Each episode is only roughly a half hour long, the perfect amount of time for a car ride or walk to class. It can be found on both Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Small Doses by Amanda Seales

Amanda Seales is the perfect upbeat comedian that dives into the side effects of work, relationships and life itself. Through her hour long podcast, Seales discusses the best and worst side effects of life with her fellow interviewees. This podcast can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Stuff You Should Know by Charles Bryant and Josh Clark

Bryant and Clark are co-hosts on this podcast where they educate the public on random aspects of daily life that you should know or may be interested in learning about. Throughout the podcast, both of these co-hosts talk about different things, such as how foot binding works and what dark matter is. The hosts are knowledgeable and the content proves interesting, making for a perfect combination. Roughly an hour long per show, it is the perfect educational show for car trips, studying at the library or eating lunch at the cafe. It can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

This podcast gives its audience an insight into ways to benefit your inner self. Through interviews with experts and in-depth research, Howes’ varying shows cover everything from inspiration, health, business and relationships. He also allows for his audience to get a 5-minute Friday episode where he gives short advice on large topics such as “the power of progress” and “believing in yourself.” It can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Stress and anxiety can be all consuming, controlling everything that you are and that you do, which is why taking a little bit of time out of your day to listen to some truly inspirational and informative podcasts can make your day so much better.

Give it a try.

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