So, you’ve been in lockdown forever (forever ever?).
After a few too many zoom calls and online gatherings, you need a bit of respite from the people that you usually love and adore. Otherwise, without catching a break, you’re unintentionally replicating those strange Arizona biosphere experiments in the ’90s (which all ended rather badly – and I’m not talking about the straight-to-DVD Pauly Shore film which involved none other than Queen K Minogue).
If you’re wondering why you might feel extra-ropeable (that is, your mental health is a little unfit), it’s probably because your day used to involve emotional regulation as a matter of course.
Talking with people at work or the local bar? That’s connecting with another human, something that makes our brain fire off all kinds of feel-good signals and lifts our mood.
Walking to and from the station or bus stop? That would be exercise, something that releases hormones that help you shift emotional states more easily.
Predictable start and finish times to your day? A big step towards regular sleep patterns which are about the most powerful thing you can do to keep mentally fit.
Now while we’re in lockdown, the sleep and the exercise are things that you probably can reign in and control a bit more, but the feeling of connection? That’s going to be kinda hard when it’s not a scheduled thing with every other person you know trying to juggle the Work From Home / Home School circus act.
The secret I’ve found that is pretty effective? PODCASTS.
In go the earbuds, off goes your household and just like that you’re transported away from the doom-scrolling and conversations you already know word-for-word even though you haven’t even had them yet.
Here are my top four podcasts to give your brain a break and get your thinker firing in different directions.
1. The Blindboy Podcast
Irish musician-turned-author Blindboy is an intellectual tour de force. Don’t let the plastic bag on his head fool you. His anonymity allows him to dive deep into heavy philosophical conversations that someone with a public identity simply couldn’t get near – consent, abortion legislation, immigration policy, and the eccentric world of Japanese City Pop.
His show is probably the best example of democratising knowledge around psychology and mental health – entire episodes about CBT and Transactional Analysis (TA) which sound like the best explainer video you’ve ever heard rather than a boring psychologist waving a pamphlet at you.
He’s also really into his art and music and breaks up the mental health education with some excellent takes on everyone from Caravaggio to Giorgio Moroder.
I’ve listened to every single episode of his show, and without fail Blindboy delivers what he calls “The Podcast Hug”. A feeling of intimacy and connection that replicates a conversation with a close friend.
Particular episodes of note include ‘DeVito’s Teapot’ which explores the San Francisco LGBT rights movement and its influence on Disco – drawing straight lines between music production on soundtracks to early gay porn films and the bangers you hear on your playlists today; and ‘Creaking Ditch Pigeon’, which is the most accessible breakdown of the psychology modality known as Transactional Analysis that you’ll ever hear.
2. TOFOP (Thirty Odd Foot of Pod)
Fair’s fair. I know both Wil and Charlie. They both came to my wedding. But they’re busy people and I don’t get a chance to talk with them all the time (even when I am doing DadPod with Charlie), so when I listen it kind of feels like one of them has butt-dialled me from a session on the schooners, and I’m just listening in as two mates connect with each other.
I also love their pretty balanced takes on politics, football and ongoing problems with Charlie’s wheelie bins. It’s also strangely like a never-ending suburban soap opera (Charlie’s Home & Away lineage showing up there), as these two bring not only excellent stories from their lives but really interesting perspectives on modern Australia.
Because they’re incredibly close friends, I get the feeling that I’m just a silent partner to their conversations. It’s also really great to hear two men redefine masculinity and compassion when it comes to some of the more tricky issues facing our community today.
There are simply too many episodes to highlight but recent gems include ‘A Little Rock in my Shoe’, ‘Tubular Balls’, and ‘Shark Repuncher’.
3. Mid-Flight Brawl
At first glance, this podcast where comedians Nick Cody and Luke Heggie take a look each week at an air-rage incident somewhere in the world seems to be a pretty simple premise.
However, this show is about so much more than that. It’s two blokes who’ve known each other for a really long time reflecting on what it means to be a man, an Australian, and a part of society, and they do this by looking at what happens when people who are having a very bad day make very poor choices while on planes.
Highlight episodes include ‘Planehub’, ‘Your mate Harrison Ford’ and ‘What an absolute Banker’.
Extra points for an episode that has the trifecta – sleeping pills, zip ties and air marshals. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you’ll feel like a winner.
4. You Are Not So Smart
I’m nearly 50, and over my life, I’ve seen more and more American ideas permeate into Australian culture. Since the advent of Facebook, one of those ideas that show up here from time to time is a version of modern American libertarianism – which I saw first-hand when I lived in the USA, but to see it out of context in my home country? To be honest, I’m confronted by it.
In an effort to understand it more (and feel less helpless) I dive into David McRaney’s excellently researched and brilliantly presented breakdown of why people (mostly American people) do and think the things they do (mostly American things).
I’ve felt enormous relief as he helps explain things like vaccine hesitancy, the Trump insurrection, and what kind of precursors can determine which people are drawn to conspiracy narratives. It doesn’t solve any of those problems, but I feel a lot less helpless understanding these concepts from a very academic standpoint – one that stands firm in rational acceptance of science and critical thinking.
As you can see, I’ve gone for shows which are mostly conversational rather than overly produced. I like replicating the feeling of a long and very interesting chat with a friend who’s telling me something I don’t know yet but I’m fascinated with.
There’s plenty of other pods in my feed with music, stingers, audio grabs and interviews – but these three are the ones that have been making up for a lack of socialisation with people outside of my family in the most wonderful way.
Osher Günsberg’s podcast Better Than Yesterday is part of the Acast Creator Network. You can subscribe and listen on the Acast app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
