Have you, in these trying times, been making of list of stress-reducing activities to turn to that won’t break the bank and comply with “social distancing”? If so , getting into a podcast is a great option. If you haven’t already explored this medium of information and entertainment, I highly recommend it.
First Things First…
To start you’ll need to select at least one player (podcast player). My Apple iOS comes with it’s own app to download podcasts, so the advantage here is that everything is synced across my Apple devices. Despite my affinity for Apple products, I personally prefer to Pocket Casts. For a small fee, I get an app that to me is personally easier to manager. Regardless of which app you use to manage and download podcasts from, make sure you take time to learn how to manage the settings of the app so that you are at the very least alerted via push notification when you are about to use data. It’s also a good idea to set the app to where content is only downloaded when you are in the presence of Wi-fi.
What to download…
The choice is yours. I suggest start with what energizes you. Please note, I said “what energizes you” versus what interests you. Sometimes what interests us can take us down a rabbit hole of inquiry and contemplation, only to return more stressed, confused, and tired than when we began. Also avoid the train of thought , ” I should be listening to…” and keep it , for the most part uplifting. I have found two particular podcasts that consistently crack me up , and give me giggle-generated endorphins. These are great to listen to on car rides of any length, especially bleak early morning rides to work or rides home from work.
Pace Yourself…
Oftentimes my inner-nerd reacts like a kid in a candy store when a plethora of free content is within my grasp (i.e. podcasts, streaming apps I don’t pay for, public libraries). It’s important that I remind myself (and you ) that there is plenty of time to come back , and enjoy what is available. At one point, I changed the settings of my podcast app to automatically delete episodes of podcasts I had listened to within 7 days of downloading, just to keep it neat and clean and fresh. If I have too many options, it’s hard for me to make a decision.
Know Yourself…
As I mentioned , too much of a good thing is bad for me. I also know, too long of a podcast is pointless. Overall, podcasts are good distractions for me, a good way to get out of my own head when I need to. However, podcasts aren’t for everyone. Some people cannot focus on talking sound ( podcasts, audiobooks, etc.) and that’s fine! Do what works for you, and make note of it, so you can call it a tool for success.
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