Why You Should Try An Anxiety Podcast (With 15 Great Recommendations)

While occasional feelings of anxiety may be a normal part of everyday life, those who experience prolonged feelings of anxiety that don’t seem to go away may be living with an anxiety disorder. With anxiety affecting more than 40 million American adults every year, it has become the most common mental health condition in the country. While anxiety is highly treatable, studies show only 43.2% of those living with anxiety seek treatment. When left untreated, anxiety symptoms may worsen over time and interfere with daily responsibilities and functioning. This is why it can be so important to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and find healthy coping mechanisms to manage them.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is, on the surface, a feeling of uneasiness, worry, or fear which is your body’s natural response to stress, and it can be mild or severe. Some individuals may occasionally experience anxiety during certain situations such as a job interview, the first day of school, or before making a major life decision. Others may experience intense, persistent anxiety about everyday situations. These feelings can interfere with everyday life, at which point one may be diagnosable with an anxiety disorder. While there are various types of anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common, and symptoms may include:

• Restlessness

• Being easily fatigued

• A fast or irregular heartbeat 

• Difficulty concentrating 

• Irritability or feeling on “edge."

• Muscle tension

• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry

• A sense of dread 

• Disrupted sleep, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

Other anxiety disorders an individual may experience include panic disorder and a variety of phobia-related disorders, such as specific phobias, social anxiety, separation anxiety, or agoraphobia.

How An Anxiety Podcast Can Help 

Everyone’s journey with anxiety may be different, and some may find certain techniques and coping mechanisms help manage their symptoms, while others work better for others. While a podcast should never be a substitute for professional treatment or therapy, an anxiety podcast may help individuals find relief, support, and cope with their symptoms of anxiety or other mental health concerns. Some anxiety podcasts may help you understand your feelings. Some may give tips and advice to manage certain situations. Others may help lift your mood when you’re beginning to experience anxious thoughts or other anxiety symptoms. 

Whether you experience occasional anxiety, live with an anxiety disorder, or have a loved one with anxiety, there may be a podcast that can help. With health and fitness being the 5th most popular genre of podcasts, many podcasts are centered on mental health, giving a plethora of choices to pick from. If you don’t know where to begin, here are some top-rated anxiety podcasts.

The Anxiety Guy

In this podcast, the host explores various strategies and tips that may help you overcome anxiety, whether it’s an occasional feeling for you or a more persistent disorder. 

The Calmer You

Expert hypnotherapist, coach, and author of The Anxiety Solution, Chloe Brotheridge, gives advice and inspiration to become a calmer, happier, and more confident version of yourself in this podcast. 

Meditation Minis

Hosted by Chel Hamilton, Meditation Minis is an award-winning podcast focusing on short, guided meditations. Meditation has numerous mental and physical health benefits and is an effective tool for managing anxiety and overcoming negative thought patterns. However, many individuals may not know where to start when it comes to meditation. This podcast offers 10 to 20-minute guided meditations you can listen to wherever and whenever you need to help quiet the mind and ease your anxiety symptoms. 

Your Anxiety Toolkit

In this podcast, the host explores science-backed strategies and tips to help individuals manage various mental health concerns with a compassionate undertone. 

Get Sleepy

Those who experience difficulty falling asleep may benefit from the Get Sleepy podcast, rated as the number one sleep podcast. These sleep stories are intended to calm the mind and relax the body, which may be helpful for those who experience anxious or intrusive thoughts that can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest.

Anxiety Slayer 

Anxiety Slayer, hosted by Shann Vander Leek & Ananga Sivyer, may be an effective resource for those living with anxiety, high levels of stress, PTSD, or panic attacks. 

Not Another Anxiety Show

Hosted by Kelli Walker, a certified health and wellness coach and registered nurse who previously lived with agoraphobia, Not Another Anxiety Show is a valuable resource to learn more about stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Walker talks with experts, digging into what anxiety is and providing practical advice and strategies that may help you overcome anxiety. 

The Anxiety Coaches

Hosted by Gina Ryan, an anxiety coach and nutritionist who lived with anxiety disorders for many years, The Anxiety Coaches can offer many useful resources to those who may benefit from them.

A Mindful Moment

Hosted by Teresa McKee, a transformation coach, certified mindfulness meditation facilitator, and an EFT practitioner, A Mindful Moment focuses on all things regarding mindfulness. Studies show that practicing mindfulness can reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress and have many other benefits. 

Getting Better: Stories of Mental Health

This podcast, created by BetterHelp, is hosted by licensed therapists Micheline Maalouf and Nadia Addesi. The duo is joined by incredible guests like Ian Somerhalder, Chris Bosh, Meghan Trainor, and more, as they explore the intersection between their own mental health and stigmas around open conversations with others. This podcast explores the topic of anxiety, as well as other mental health challenges we all face. 

Anxious In Austin 

Hosted by Austin-based psychologists Dr. Marianne Stout and Dr. Thomas Smithyman, Anxious in Austin discusses effective treatment options available for those living with anxiety and OCD. They also provide useful, scientific information that may help those experiencing an anxiety disorder better understand it and practical advice to help listeners overcome anxiety and anxiety disorders.

The One You Feed

Created by Eric Zimmer and Chris Forbes, The One You Feed podcast has an enormous catalog of over 200 inspiring podcast episodes discussing various mental health topics such as anxiety, depression, substance misuse, habits, mindfulness, and meditation. With such a massive inventory, there will likely be a podcast that provides helpful information for those living with anxiety and other mental health concerns. 

Social Anxiety Solutions

This podcast is hosted by Sebastiaan van der Schrier, a social confidence coach who formerly lived with social anxiety. Social Anxiety Solutions may be a valuable resource for those living with social anxiety to find effective strategies and tips to overcome their anxiety in social situations and gain confidence. 

The Panic Pod

Joshua Fletcher, a licensed psychotherapist and author of several best-selling anxiety books who previously lived with anxiety, hosts The Panic Pod. In this podcast, Fletcher offers expert advice and practical tools to those living with stress-related anxiety, panic disorders, and social anxiety. He talks with other experts discussing the psychology behind anxiety, which may allow listeners to understand it better and cope with it more effectively. 

Ten Percent Happier

Dan Harris is a journalist and an author who experienced a panic attack on live television. He hosts ten Percent Happier, which focuses on a wide range of mental health topics from enlightenment and meditation to other science-based techniques for overcoming issues with anxiety, productivity, and relationships. 

When To See A Therapist

While a podcast may be an effective resource of support and relief for those living with anxiety, it is not a replacement for therapy. When left untreated, anxiety can worsen and interfere with personal relationships, daily responsibilities, and employment and even lead to more serious mental health concerns. If you believe you may be living with an anxiety disorder, it’s important to seek a diagnosis from a licensed professional to receive proper treatment.

To learn effective ways to manage your symptoms and overcome anxiety, a licensed therapist may be able to help. BetterHelp is an affordable online therapy platform that can match you with a professional therapist who best suits your needs. They can provide tools and guidance that may help you overcome your anxiety symptoms and live a happier and more fulfilled life, all from the comfort of your own home or wherever you have an internet connection. Reach out today to talk to someone and begin your journey to a better you.   

Takeaway

Chronic anxiety can be very frustrating, but, in part because it is so widespread, there are plenty of tools and resources out there to help one cope. Podcasts are one of the many useful resources in the fight against anxiety symptoms, and you have many to choose from. 

And if the podcasts just aren’t enough, it may be time to consider online therapy. Online therapy is not only more convenient, affordable, and accessible than traditional therapy models, but it is also very effective. Multiple studies have shown that online therapy works in reducing the symptoms of anxiety. 

The important takeaway here is this: if you have anxiety, there are options out there. It’s not something you have to live with forever.