My Top 10 Favorite Podcasts

After working at my long-commute, big girl job for a year, I finally, finally got into podcasts. I can't tell you how many people had suggested them to me during that year. "You have how long of a commute? Are you into podcasts yet?"

To me, podcasts signified a big commitment. If I subscribed, I could be sure that I would have a notification on my phone every week that a new episode would be there. And I would feel like I had a listen to it, even if the content didn't seem that intriguing. How silly of me.

Now, I have a bunch in my library, either subscribed, or with a couple of episodes downloaded to test the waters, and the days that I feel like feeding my brain, I plug them in.

I originally sought out episodes that would address some emotional issues I was working through, and have since subscribed to those podcasts for their supportive and helpful content. I've broken this list down into three sections: my top five subscribed, my top five that I'm not quite committed to yet, and then an honorable mentions that I haven't listened to yet but that are in my queue. The descriptions I'm using come directly off of iTunes because they can sum it up better than I can :)

I realized, through asking friends, that podcasts are very personal choices. They can get so specific about any interest you have. I felt like I got to know my friends better based on their suggestions, even if I didn't keep up with them. For instance, I got a few people who suggested political podcasts, which, to be honest, I mentally cannot handle them right now. So I've kept them in the back of my mind for when I feel I can better engage with them.

Top Five Subscribed

1. Ladies Who Lunch

Ladies Who Lunch lets you sit at the table and explore topics often left out of polite conversation with YouTubers Ingrid Nilsen and Cat Valdes. Write in to join their dialogue about sex, relationships, social phobias, and more as they approach life's dilemmas with compassion and a sense of humor.

2. Millennial

A podcast series about maneuvering your 20s, captured in real time.

* Fun fact: I started listening to this podcast about two weeks before she released her last episode EVER. But I'm still enjoying what I haven't listened to.

3. Dear Sugars

The universe has good news for the lost, lonely, and heartsick. The Sugars as here, speaking straight into your ears. Hosted by the original Sugars, Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond, the podcast fields all your questions - no matter how deep or dark - and offers radical empathy in return.

4. The RobCast with Rob Bell

A weekly podcast by Rob Bell. (My description: It's like his videos, Nooma, but without the visuals. Great if you need a little pick-me-up, or would just like a new way of seeing simple objects in your life.)

5. Houston We Have a Podcast

The official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, the home of human spaceflight, stationed in Houston, Texas. We bring space right to you!

Top Five Not Subscribed

(In other words: I can't handle the commitment yet)

6. The Heart of It with Estee Lalonde

In this series, lifestyle blogger and author, Estee Lalonde explores subjects close to her heart through the unique experiences and perspectives of her guests. This season, it's all about women. From makeup to identity, tattoos to strength, Estee talks to fascinating individuals from different walks of life as they share their personal stories in a celebration of all things female.

7. The DO Lectures

The idea is a simple one. That people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do things too. So each year, we invite a set of people to come and tell us what they Do. For more, visit www.dolectures.com.

8. Stuff You Missed in History Class

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed in History Class in this podcast by HowStuffWorks.com.

9. Guys We F**ked

Welcome to Guys We F****d: the anti slut-shaming podcast. They spread their legs, now they're spreading the word that women should be able to have sex with whoever they want whenever they want and not be ashamed or called sluts or whores. Welcome to a new revolution. Each week, Corinne Fisher & Krystyna Hutchinson (together known as the comedy duo Sorry About Last Night) interview a gentleman they slept with. Some they made love to, some they had sex with a few times and some they f****d in a hotel bathroom...er, what? Corinne and Krystyna want to make the world a more sex-positive place...one candid story of intercourse at a time.

10. Hidden Brain

The Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world - and themselves. Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain's host Shankar Vedantam reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, the biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that direct the course of our relationships.

On My List

(I haven't listened to them yet)

Reconstruct

John Raines and Dan Koch explore philsophical and theological topics to help deconstructing Christians begin reconstructing their faith. We've created this podcast for people who have critically examined their faith and are ready to positively build a theology and understanding of Christian thought and life.

Women of the Hour with Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham hosts this podcast miniseries about friendship, love, work, bodies and more.

Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations

Awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you with SuperSoul. 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.

The Lively Show

The Lively Show is a weekly podcast designed to uplift, inspire, & add a little extra intention to your everyday. Episodes touch on various aspects of our lives including possessions, personal habits, relationships, and career. Entrepreneurship and online business also appear from time to time.

The Simple Show

Say YES to things that matter most to us and NO to the rest. It's a great philosophy ...but what does this look like in real life? Making time for our favorites - travel, creative work, loving our people, and good self-care - means saying no to the good and YES! to the great. Tsh Oxenreider chats with co-hosts Kendra Adachi, Stephanie Langford, Erin Loechner, and Haley Stewart about how to make this work in the day-to-day.

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If you have any ride-or-die, listen-to-every-week-without-fail podcasts, tell me! I'm always open to at least one episode. Who knows - it could be my new fave!