6 podcasts for reflection and restoration

Pocast I Said No Gifts! is one of few to help you refill your emotional cup before the New Year. PHOTO: EXACTLYRIGHTMEDIA.COM

NEW YORK (NYTIMES) - As 2021 comes to a close, there are a lot of reasons to feel overwhelmed. Although the world has reopened to a large extent, life has become a series of risk assessments as people try to navigate which events to attend, which travel plans to cancel and what level of normality is worth the potential price of a Covid-19 exposure. And although the holidays should be a time to relax and regroup, the emergence of the Omicron variant has thrown many plans into yet more chaos.

Here are six podcasts that can help you to take a breath, refill your emotional cup and get some rest before the New Year.

1. I Said No Gifts!

Holiday gift-giving can be one of the most draining aspects of the festive season, even if you are the kind of person who gets real joy out of the process.

Bridger Winegar, a writer and actor whose credits include Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003 to present) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015 to 2019), knows that pain so deeply that he dedicated an entire (tongue-in-cheek) podcast to it.

As the title suggests, his one rule for his guests (mostly fellow comedians and performers) is that no gifts are allowed. But they all disobey him, which means every conversation builds towards unveiling and discussing a gift of the week.

His dry but sweet-natured sense of humour, and an array of guests including talk-show host Kimmel and actress Emma Thompson, make this a delightful show.

Starter episode: Emma Thompson Disobeys Bridger

2. 99% Invisible

When the world feels stressful, meditation suggests that people focus on their immediate surroundings: that building, those trees, the ground beneath their feet.

Although this long-running podcast is not designed to be meditative, its sound-rich explorations of the physical world make it perfect listening material for fraught times.

For more than a decade, the show has delved into the unseen designs, patterns and decisions that shape people's lives.

Although it is primarily about design and architecture, many episodes go beyond that - one instalment last year delved into the bizarre origin story of the Baha Men song Who Let The Dogs Out. There is a back catalogue of more than 400 episodes to choose from and, no matter which one you start with, you will come away with your view of the world slightly changed.

Starter episode: Mojave Phone Booth

3. Dear Therapists

As open discussions of mental health have inched their way into the mainstream, there has been a wave of podcasts inviting listeners into real-life therapy sessions.

These podcasts offer a slightly different spin, as therapists Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch provide on-air counselling to people who submit their problems.

The format plays like an in-depth aural version of an advice column. Each episode begins with listeners sharing their situation, then the duo delve into their history, patterns and coping mechanisms, and offer insights. There is plenty of advice and also plenty of compelling human drama.

Starter episode: Melissa's Stifled Emotions

4. Optimal Living Daily

Think of this podcast as an audio blog or a series of bite-size audiobooks, rather than a traditional show.

In each episode, host Justin Malik reads an article or blog entry on subjects ranging from productivity to psychology to personal finance. Running less than 10 minutes apiece, they are well-suited to busy schedules and Malik's calm, almost monotonous delivery makes for a soothing listening experience.

Starter episode: Why Are We Always Looking For Certainty In Our Lives

5. The Empty Bowl

The McElroy brothers - best known for their advice show, My Brother, My Brother And Me - knew exactly what they were doing when they started this podcast.

A mix of cereal news and charmingly meandering conversation, co-hosted by Justin McElroy and cereal blogger Dan Goubert, this quirky show is guaranteed to chill you out.

Starter episode: One

6. You're Wrong About

Nobody likes to be told that he or she is wrong, yet journalists Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes have created a successful podcast by doing exactly that.

But the show's title refers to public perception more than anything else. In each episode, they explore the story of a person, event or situation that has been widely misunderstood, reveal the misconceptions and talk about why they took hold.

The subjects are fascinating - recent episodes have focused on the fallout from the anti-Iraq War stance taken by the Dixie Chicks (now known as the Chicks) in the 2000s, the infamous McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit and the debate over so-called cancel culture - and even when the subject matter is dark, the hosts' empathy and playfulness make listening a joy.

After three years, Hobbes recently left the show, but Marshall is still releasing new episodes featuring guest hosts, most recently a conversation about the Reconstruction era with Jamelle Bouie, an Opinion writer for The New York Times.

Starter episode: Princess Diana Part 1: The Courtship

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