Are you looking for some awesome podcasts to help you grow and learn how to be better at life? I’ve got you covered.
Here are 10 of my absolute favorite best self-help podcasts that I listen to on the regular. These are podcasts that I’ve gained so much from personally by listening to multiple episodes on my commute when I was commuting in The Before Times and when I’m cleaning. I love to listen to podcasts when I’m cleaning because it makes the process of cleaning more fun plus there’s the added benefit of learning something new that will help you at the same time.
So without further ado, here they are! All of the links to the podcasts I’ll share will be to Spotify so you can easily click and listen. The podcasts range from tried and true voices like Oprah all the way to some young emerging voices in the self-help arena. I love that so many young brilliant women are taking on the podcast world by storm and making it happen.
Table of Contents
Super Soul
“Awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you with Super Soul. Hear Oprah’s personal selection of her interviews with thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts. All designed to light you up, guide you through life’s big questions and help bring you one step closer to your best self.”
Personally, some of the very first episodes and series are some of my favorites with Brené Brown, Paulo Coehlo, and Deepak Chopra. Brené Brown’s two-part interview is all about how being more vulnerable can make our lives more meaningful (Part 1) and how to move past shame (Part 2).
The second episode is one of Oprah’s famous “aha-a moments.” Paulo Coehlo’s was power. If you’re wrestling with the meaning of life, check these two episodes out. I mean, everything Coehlo writes hits me in the soul spot. They talk about why you’re here (on earth in this life experience), what’s your personal purpose here, how to keep the faith on your journey… It’s just so sweet. Here’s Part 1 and Part 2 in Spotify.
Unlocking Us
“We are hardwired for connection, and connecting requires courage, vulnerability, and conversation. I want this to be a podcast that’s real, unpolished, honest, and reflects both the magic and the messiness of what it means to be human. Episodes will include conversations with the people who are teaching me, challenging me, confusing me, or maybe even ticking me off a little.”
And of course Brené Brown has her own podcast, Unlocking Us. I loved the episode with Dolly Parton. I’ve heard a few different interviews with Dolly Parton and they are always super interesting. She’s such a profound songwriter and her attitude towards life’s challenges always blows me away.
I love the bit especially about the power of truth-telling.
Limitless Life
“Chances are, you’ve been sold a version of success that isn’t actually yours. It often sounds like: follow the accepted path, get approval from other people, and evidently, abandon the truth of who you are. Hard pass. With a lovable blend of wisdom and humor, Limitless Life™ is here to realign you to your inner guidance, self love, and infinite possibility.”
If you’re in the blogging world, you’ve probably come across Melyssa Griffin’s work. She’s a freaking ray of positivity that everyone needs in their lives. Think of her as your life cheerleader to be the best you there is and who will cheer you on to do what you were made to.
I follow her on Instagram too and her stories and posts are always so full of good vibes and real honest experience and authenticity. I’m not even sure where to start here, but some good episodes to dip your toe in include the one with Ashley Stahl on creating a career you love, accepting yourself through compassionate awareness with Alyssa Nobriga, and choosing wholeness instead of self-abandonment.
Whew, yes, please.
Highest Self
“Author Sahara Rose @IAmSaharaRose is the fresh young voice for the modern spiritual movement, called “a leading voice in the millennial generation into the new paradigm shift” by Deepak Chopra. She shares how you can tune into your unique gifts, find your purpose, fulfill your mission, live in your Dharma and blossom into your highest self.”
Sahara Rose’s podcast has been on my radar to check out for a while and I’m just now getting into it. What’s nice is that she’s got some shorter episodes that are like 15-30 minutes and then some meatier ones that go to an hour and more. So you can get a taste of her style and see if it resonates with you. I tend to like starting from the beginning because I’m just linear like that with organizing. So a good place to start is her first episode from 2017 where she gives a nice intro into the podcast and what she’s going to talk about.
Self-Helpless
“As featured on Conan and The Tonight Show, Self-Helpless dives into all things self-improvement with Type A comedians Delanie Fischer, Kelsey Cook, and Taylor Tomlinson.”
Who doesn’t need a little self-help comedy in our lives?
There’s a tendency in the self-help arena to be very serious and I find myself doing it in my writing sometimes. There are times when the last thing you want is to continuously read about the self-help positivity tropes and just want some real shit. While these ladies are funny AF, there is real substance in these episodes.
I’m an adult child of divorce (parents split when I was 2 and there were multiple marriages and divorces after that), so I resonated so hard with this episode on adult children of divorce with Nishima Gupta. I appreciate the fact that they play off each other and don’t shy away from talking about hard topics like sexual abuse and sobriety.
Almost 30
“We dive deep into topics like modern spirituality to health and wellness, aliens to entrepreneurship, social justice, and self development. With every episode, our mission is to empower you, expand what you think is possible and, make you laugh – a lot. We are honest, open, and above all, human. We are committed to learning right alongside you in real time so we can all find growth in every moment together.”
Just having cracked my 40’s last year, it’s refreshing to listen to Almost 30 because Krista and Lindsey are so fun to listen to and they’ve achieved so much at a young age. Listening to them makes me feel like embracing my youngness at heart. They are so frank, funny, and it feels like you’re chatting with your girlfriends, the ones who you really love in your inner circle.
I just got done listening to their episode about leaving LA because I live in LA and have been lusting over the greener grass of the country and having a yard again. It’s interesting to listen to their explorations of spirituality and perspectives on life changes.
Optimal Living Daily
“I read you the best content on personal development, minimalism, productivity, and more, with author permission. Think of Optimal Living Daily as an audioblog or blogcast where the best blogs are narrated for you for free.”
ODP is great for a quick few minute listen (episodes range from 7-10 minutes) for daily lessons and reminders about things like setting healthy boundaries, creating a self-help routine, how to meditate anywhere at anytime.
Justin Malik basically just reads other people’s blogs on personal development and related topics. It’s a little bit dry at times because of that. It also doesn’t have a conversational and more engaging vibe like a lot of the others, but it’s got some great quick tips. I also like that the material comes from a host of different authors.
The Self Love Fix
“The self love fix podcast is a podcast all about helping WOC delve deeper into self love, self worth, personal development, self esteem and self care. Here on the self love fix we get relatable, we laugh, we cry, we heal, but most of all we learn about the truth of who we are and what we deserve.”
Beatrice Kamau is the host of the Self Love Fix podcast and is an inner child healing coach. It’s great to see a woman of color supporting other women of color to cultivate self-love, self-worth, and self-esteem. I really got a lot out of this episode on abandonment, re-parenting, and relationships.
The traumas we experience in our families of origin are some of the most impactful factors that influence our journey through life. I love her focus on the inner child and delving into healing and peeling back the layers to look into ourselves.
Mindful in Minutes
“Short, weekly guided meditations to help you find mindfulness in simply minutes. Join Kelly Smith, founder of Yoga For You, for simple and grounded meditations that help you with real life issues like anxiety, insomnia, self-esteem and manifestation. All meditations are 20 minutes or less bringing you what you need to find mindfulness in just minutes.”
Mindful in Minutes has some great short episodes, including some great meditations. But I really love some of the longer episodes, like this one called self-love freeform. Kelly is the host and she shares her self-love journey and gives fair warning about triggers and for me, is super relatable.
Sometimes when I was listening to her it was like hearing myself talk. I resonated with how she just laid her soul out there and shared her personal experience. It’s interesting because she talks about how alone she felt as a kid, which Nishima Gupta talks about in the Self-Helpless podcast linked above.
Emotional Badass
“Emotional Badasses are survivors, thrivers, seekers, and healers! Expand and awaken to your higher purpose, be more present and authentic, find strength in spirituality, quiet the monkey mind of modern society with meditation, and connect deeply with yourself and safe others.”
I’m writing this post a few days before Mother’s Day and it’s perfect timing with Nikki Eisenhauer’s latest episode on Mother’s Day and family trauma. It’s especially poignant for people with painful or challenging relationships with their mother or father for that matter. Her content is so thoughtful and cuts right to the real real of fucked up family dynamics. I am going to text this episode right now to all of my friends and family who need to hear it. 👨❤️👨 On a related note, if you’ve made it to the end, you may be interested in my post on 10 powerful emotional self-care practices to get stronger.
If you listen to any of the best of the best self-help podcasts for the first time and find a new resource or connection, let me know in the comments. Also, if you’re looking for some good self-help reads, check out my posts on some of my favorite self-help books here and here. 📚