Even during COVID, my days are hectic, which is no surprise with 4 young kids! Between school runs (mine are in-person), work, errands, and trying to get a run in… some days I feel scattered and stretched thin. But I’m always looking to spend my time wisely, efficiently, and enjoyably.

Rather than “sit quietly with my thoughts” – which usually devolves into running through endless to-do lists or repeating the same lines from whatever earworm song my kids have me hooked on that week over and over and over – I have started listening to podcasts to relax, maximize my time, and give myself quick little resets throughout the day.

Ologies
My aunt Samantha turned me on to this one. From Zymology (the study of beer) and Melittology (the study of bees) to Gelotology (the study of laughter) and Performance Psychology (specifically, anxiety and confidence), each episode promises “a pocketful of science knowledge and some insane stories about what fuels these professional ologists’ obsessions.” You likely won’t know how you’ll find what you learn to be useful, but it will be. At the very least, you’ll be the most interesting person at your next cocktail party.

Hidden Brain
My aunt Samantha turned me on to this one. From Zymology (the study of beer) and Melittology (the study of bees) to Gelotology (the study of laughter) and Performance Psychology (specifically, anxiety and confidence), each episode promises “a pocketful of science knowledge and some insane stories about what fuels these professional ologists’ obsessions.” You likely won’t know how you’ll find what you learn to be useful, but it will be. At the very least, you’ll be the most interesting person at your next cocktail party.

How I Built This
This one has been around forever, but it just gets better and better. Each episode is an interview with some the founder or entrepreneur behind so many businesses you know and love – and likely rely on every day. I am endlessly inspired whenever I finish one, not just because of their eventual success but because of how candid the stories they tell are about the various struggles and failures they had along the way – and how they got past them.