Whatever fantasies you have of a blissfully relaxed summer, the
reality often fails to measure up. Many workers cannot (or will not) take
enough time off; parents need to find ways to keep their children occupied once
school’s out, and summer travel sometimes comes with enough stressors to cancel
out any chill factor. But even if you find yourself in less-than-zen
circumstances, you can still choose to slow down and give yourself a mental
break this summer.
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These six podcasts all offer that emotional escape through very
different types of audio content, including soothing natural soundscapes, detailed
explainers of mysterious cultural moments, and strangely compelling stories
about petty interpersonal drama.
‘Desert Island Discs’
This long-running British radio staple has escapism in its DNA.
Originally conceived during World War II as part of a BBC push to produce
morale-boosting programming, the show remains a balm in troubled times 80 years
later. The central concept has never changed. Celebrity guests (or castaways,
in “Desert Island Discs” parlance) each share the eight pieces of music that they’d
choose to bring with them if stranded on an island.
This seemingly simple dinner-party question invariably leads to
rich, revealing interviews, as the guests reflect on their lives through the
lens of their musical choices, with gentle prompting from the show’s host
(currently Kirsty Young). Guests run the gamut from actors to writers to
politicians; and while recent interviewees have included Steven Spielberg, Cate
Blanchett, and John Legend, it is also well worth delving into the extensive
archive of back episodes to hear interviews with the likes of Maya Angelou,
Princess Margaret and Desmond Tutu.
Starter episode: “Adele”
‘Petty Crimes’
Becoming overly invested in other people’s low-stakes yet
intricate interpersonal drama is a surefire way to forget your own troubles,
and this delightful series exists for that sole purpose. The name is a
deliberate misnomer; there are no actual crimes on “Petty Crimes,” just the
kinds of trivial mini-battles that inevitably arise when strangers coexist. The
hosts — Ceara O’Sullivan, a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” and Griff
Stark-Ennis, an actor — take turns telling each other a petty crime story, and
then deliver a verdict on who was in the wrong.
Highlights from the first year of episodes include a custody battle
over a houseplant named Cassie and a passive-aggressive windshield note at a
Barry’s Bootcamp parking lot. Each episode ends with a rapid-fire round in
which the hosts debate whether hypothetical etiquette scenarios (such as not
tipping for a cold brew coffee, or riding shotgun in an Uber, or starting to
eat before everybody is served at a restaurant), are “criminal or minimal.”
It’s all much more compelling than the subject matter has any right to be.
Starter episode: “Signed, Karma”
‘Dear Headspace’
In a saturated marketplace of meditation apps, Headspace is a
long-running mainstay. For the last few years, the company has been releasing
podcasts to supplement its popular library of audio meditations, and this
Q&A show is one of the latest offerings. Hosted by Robin Hopkins, an
actress and writer, “Dear Headspace” centers on listener-submitted questions
about mental health, relationships, life transitions, and more. In each
episode, Hopkins answers questions alongside a rotating cast of Headspace meditation
teachers, whose voices will be familiar to users of the app. The emphasis on
mindful self-awareness, and specifically how our thought patterns can influence
our perceptions and behavior, sets this apart from other advice column style
shows.
Starter episode: “How to Live in the Present, with Kessonga”
‘Decoder Ring’
A grab bag of deep dives into quirky cultural questions,
“Decoder Ring” is educational easy listening. Hosted by Slate’s Willa Paskin,
the show delivers thoughtful, thoroughly researched investigations into
mysteries that you may have idly wondered about before, like: “Why is there so
much parking in America, and yet I can never find a spot?” Or, “How did clowns
get so creepy?”
While the series has no overarching theme, many of the most
memorable episodes focus on the back stories behind internet phenomena — some
relatively well known, such as the viral optical illusion of #TheDress, and
some more niche.
Starter episode: “The Sideways Effect”
‘Slow Radio’
If you are feeling burned out and overstimulated, even the most
lighthearted spoken word content can feel oppressive. This BBC radio program is
tailor-made for those moments — immersive soundscapes from around the world,
interspersed with snippets of gentle narration. “Slow Radio” transports the
listener to places as varied as the Brazilian rainforest, an Arctic glacier,
and the rugged coast of a British island where marine life thrives in the
absence of human residents.
Some episodes play like an immersive nature documentary, notably
the Christmas Eve edition that followed a reindeer mother’s journey across the
Nordic wilderness with her young. Others encourage you to find calm by focusing
on specific sounds in a setting such as downtown Nashville. It is impossible
not to feel more centered after finishing an episode.
Starter episode: “The Glacier in Retreat”
‘Why Won’t You Date Me? With Nicole Byer’Modern dating is often a hellscape, survivable only with
resilience, self-compassion and a sympathetic single friend. In this
entertaining and cathartic show from Team Coco, comedian Nicole Byer offers all
of the above, reflecting on her own long-term singledom with a mix of
self-deprecating humor and irrepressible optimism.
Over almost six years of
episodes, Byer has welcomed guests including fellow comedians (like Conan
O’Brien), lifelong friends and even the odd former flame, who help chronicle
her romantic travails and connect them to a bigger picture of why modern dating
is so broken. Whether you are single, coupled, or otherwise, this podcast is
consistently hilarious and validating, and follows through on its promise that
“nothing is off limits.”
Starter episode: “Main Character Energy (w/ Willow Pill)”
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