Campus Life | Favorite Podcasts

As classes are starting up again for another fall semester, the stress of school and extra activities is slowly approaching us. When I wasn’t in the mood to listen to music this past summer, I began to listen to podcasts while going on a drive or taking a walk. I slowly realized that this was helping my mental health tremendously and started to have a different outlook on certain situations. Over the past few months I was able to come up with a list of my favorite podcast creators and certain episodes that I wanted to share with other people, because they helped me so much.

 One of my favorite podcasts is “On Purpose” with Jay Shetty. I found out about this podcast through my mom when she recommended it to me when I was going through a tough time. Jay Shetty’s main goal is to help people be more self-aware and find their purpose. He also constantly states that one little moment or event can change your whole life. On his website he has multiple topics under Podcast such as love, work, self, and more, so you are able to choose what you want to listen to. He brings on a lot of successful people such as Oprah Winfrey, Kendall Jenner, and Will Smith, to open up about their personal experiences as well.

My favorite podcast from him is “Kendall Jenner opens up about Anxiety, Insecurity, & How to be Truly Happy”. Kendall talks about how it is important to prioritize yourself in certain situations and how it is okay to say no to things if it does not make you happy. Seeing celebrities be vulnerable at times is a comforting feeling because it is a reminder that they too are humans and struggle with mental health and are not just a toy for society to use.I also highly recommend checking out his other podcasts that he does by himself, as he shares great life advice and wisdom.

An interesting podcast I came across a few weeks ago was “What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health” by Huberman Lab. I thought this was fascinating because as a college student there are times when you have the choice to consume alcohol. Even if this is a weekend or occasional thing, alcohol can impact your physical and mental health. I recommend this episode if you are  into health and wellness, and find interest in educational podcasts. Andrew Huberman also talks about the biology of hangovers and how to deal with very severe ones. The overall goal of the episode is to help people make informed decisions, which I think could be very beneficial for college students.

Another fascinating podcast is “The Deck Investigates” , a crime junkie podcast by Ashley Flowers, who shares exclusive details about the murder of Darlene Hulse and follows along with the case. Without spoiling too much, Ashley Flowers, a resident of the same town as the 1984 murder victim Darlene Hulse, connects with Kristine Hulse, her daughter who witnessed the crime at only 11 months old. Together, they team up to investigate the murder, driven by their shared determination to uncover the truth. With evidence they had from the authorities and some they discovered on their own, they traveled to multiple states to find the murderer. This podcast follows along on the journey of these two and is very interesting.

These are just a few of the several podcasts that I have listened to lately. You can choose the one that most intrigues you as they all come in different varieties. I’m hoping that after listening to a couple of these podcasts, they will help you deal with situations the same way they did for me, or offer you an interesting alternative to music!

Shriya writes about a few of her favorite podcasts that she discovered over the past few months. Talk to them at shy76@pitt.edu.