Real talk: are podcasts the new wave of self-help? 

From talk therapy to advice on overcoming trauma, podcasts have become an integral part of the wellness space, says Eoghan O'Sullivan 

President Higgins meets Blindboy Boatclub in his study in Áras an Uachtaráin for the Blindboy Podcast. Pic: Maxwells

You can probably tell, just from talking to your friends group, how ever more popular podcasts are becoming. Everybody’s going to suggest a different show you must listen to. There are reportedly over 400m monthly podcast listeners worldwide, while in Ireland, 46% of us listened to a podcast on a monthly basis in 2022, according to the Reuters Digital News Report. The wellness sector is one of the biggest podcast genres and covers a range of subjects; just look at our guest editors, The Two Norries, and their varied guests and live audience makeup to see how much cross-appeal they possess.

Whether it’s this type of gentle learning disguised as banter, advice shows, or empowering and invigorating hosts, there are so many podcasts to investigate. Here’s a list of some of the best and most popular wellness shows to hopefully brighten up your cloudy day.