Posted on March 29, 2020 by The Curious Creative
Focusing on the little things to get me through these 12 weeks! Sunshine and ice-creams help!
Hi everyone, how are you all doing?
We are heading into week 2 of ‘stay home stay safe’ in the UK and I vary from being completely fine with it (being one of the ones who have to stay home for 12 weeks) during the day but then at night my brain goes into total overdrive and I just want to run away to the seaside!
So, I have to keep having words with myself and I have a very specific deadline to just get to and get through – the 1st of May, which fingers crossed, will be my last treatment day!
Anyway, as many of you will have a lot of time to fill, this week I thought I’d write about podcasts, which for anyone new to listening to these, can be a game changer in terms of entertainment, knowledge and so much more.
For those uninitiated, a podcast is simply a digital audio file that you can listen to from your phone or computer and is typically a series of episodes. Think of it as someone hosting their very own radio interviews or talk-show on a subject that is of interest to them.
I think I first started listening to them a few years ago when I came across Gabrielle Treanor on Instagram and she’d started doing one called ‘Pressing Pause’ all about helping over-thinkers (i.e me) and I found her fairly short but interesting podcasts both manageable and thought-provoking.
I asked her recently a question for this Blog; What is your favourite thing about doing the Podcast and what have you learned about yourself from doing it?
This was Gabrielle’s response:
‘My favourite thing about doing my podcast is its intimate nature. When I record it, I imagine I’m talking to one person sat on my couch with me. I feel a connection when I listen to podcasts because it’s a lone voice talking to me and I hope that those who listen to my podcast feel the same.
What I’ve learned about myself is that I have a calming voice! I had no idea until I launched the podcast and the feedback that keeps coming back to me is that the sound of my voice, as well as what I actually say, helps listeners to feel calmer. Which surprises me but I’m very grateful for it!’
This is spot on regarding her voice, definitely one of the most calming ones out there in podcast land! I also like what she says about the personal nature of podcasts, especially when it is just one host. The more skilled the host, I find it really feels like a conversation between just you and them.
Having being hooked on to Gabrielle’s podcast, I soon started searching for more, and before I knew it I had a whole playlist on my phone that I’d subscribed to and could listen to at any time, for free – shock!.
I am someone who hates the monotony of house work and even more so at this point, I mean really, all the family home constantly accessing the fridge and cupboards and leaving a trail of crumbs that any rat would think was a 3-course feast? What is even the point of wiping surfaces down 10 times a day?
Now don’t get me wrong, I still don’t love it, but at least if I can listen to a podcast episode at the same time, I at least feel like I’m learning something or having a chuckle at some of the interviews. These menial tasks then don’t feel like such a waste of time and totally appeal to my multi-tasking, multi-hyphen brain.
Similarly, I actually enjoy driving, but when you do as many trips as we do in a week with the kids activities in ‘normal’ life, then again it becomes dead time that is a large chunk of your day, so now I listen to podcasts instead on my drives, to make the best use of the time.
I’m now known as a bit of a podcast addict, and it’s why I list my favourites over on The Curious Cave resource section of my website, but more on that later.
And it’s not just me, the podcast industry has doubled over the last five years, with a staggering over 800,000 podcasts now available in 100 languages and over 30 million episodes available to listen to according to @podbible. It is literally one giant library of entertainment.
According to thepodcasthost.com, 11% of the UK listen to an average of up to 7 podcasts per week and this is set to continue to grow.
Also, there is a slightly higher split between men, 56% and women listeners – 44% and unsurprisingly, younger people listen a lot more, perhaps being more comfortable with the technology (not that it is at all difficult). I think it will be interesting to see the take up during this unprecedented time when people are looking for new things to do.
I’m normally not that great at introducing new habits into my daily routine, but podcasts seem to be quenching my thirst for knowledge and have slotted into my life perfectly.
So, for those wanting to have a listen, what are the benefits?
They are now so popular, magazines have started creating their own recommendation pages of what to listen to and new launches, just like they do for books. Psychologies Magazine produce their own podcasts and have also started a feature page this month and Good Housekeeping do too, so look out for ones they recommend if you are unsure where to begin.
As you can imagine I’ve amassed several favourites by now, so below are my Top 5 (I’ve deliberately made it a mixture of subjects) and then some more I’m really enjoying in no particular order!
My Top Podcasts to listen to
Please bear in mind the ones below are mainly linked to creativity, business, psychology and well-being as these are my main interests in relation to what I do;
So, if these subjects float your boat, this should give you a good starting point and I’d love to know your thoughts on these and any others you would recommend to add to my ever-growing list!
I find the world of podcasting really interesting and so I’m going to do a few Blogs about podcasts.
Next week, I’ll be looking at what it’s like to launch your own podcast with insights from Michelle and Jayne on how they’ve found it and what they love about creating episodes for their Two Northern Lasses podcast.
Also, next week, on April the 3rd is the launch of my friend Lesley’s brand-new podcast – The Midlife Manifesto which I was interviewed for a few week’s back. Lesley has interviewed a lot of her friends about a whole host of topics but mainly it’s about sharing interesting life stories and I know it’s going to be great, so do add this to your list too when it launches!
Lesley has such an interesting take on life that I also interviewed her for the Blog and that will come in a few weeks’ time too.
To me, podcasting is another great creative outlet, essentially creating your very own radio show and it’s something myself and Clair (my partner in WOW Wednesdays) have thought about doing, if we can fit it in amongst all the other creative things we do! But for now, we’ll just keep enjoying listening and hope you do too!
Until next time…stay home, stay safe and entertain yourself with podcasts!
Juliet, The Curious Creative x
P.s Whilst we are all staying safe at home, don’t forget to join in on my Instagram challenge, #seekingsparklesofjoy so we can all keep focusing on the little things that light us up!
PP.s If you enjoy my Blog posts please do leave a comment, I’d really appreciate it at this moment in time whilst on full lockdown! Thank you xx
Category: corona, Covid 19, happy, keeping happy, keeping safe at home, listen, listening, mental health, mental wellbeing, my top podcasts, podcast, podcasts, recommendations, Uncategorized, understanding mental health, wellbeingTags: advice, blogging, comedy, entertainment, isolation, keeping calm, mental health, mental well-being, podcast recommendations, podcast yourself happy, podcasts, recommendatiosn, stay home, stay safe, staying sane, tips, Top Tips, wordpress
Thanks for some new great podcast recommendations Juliet. Now I have even more choice to listen to while I tackle the monotony of household jobs….. Myself, I could add in Freakonomics which I have listened to for years and also a history podcast from the BBC called ‘You’re dead to me’ hosted by one of the horrible histories guys where they take a famous person from history and discuss the persons life with invited guests including a history expert and a comedian. Funny and informative. Great company as I tackle the decluttering projects and an escape from the current situation we find ourselves in…. Continued good thoughts and wishes to you and some hugs as well from afar…… xx 😘
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