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The 8 Best Podcasts To Listen to While You’re Working From Home

Colin Ainsworth
By
Young man sitting on couch at home with headphones and laptop.

At some point in time, working from home began to feel a lot like just working. Coming to this realization is a big-time bummer in many, many different ways, but working in the comfort of your own home does offer some time for personal growth and solitude. Still, oftentimes, WFH can feel like there are so, so many hours in a day, and you have to figure out how to spend the time wisely.

Music is often helpful, and television is certainly too distracting, but sometimes the best thing to help accelerate your workday and focus is listening to a new podcasts. Here are some of our favorite podcasts that cover everything from motivation, to new information, and even sometimes the best kind of distraction. 

More Podcasts

Remotely EffectiveRemotely Effective a show by Thomas Lattimore.

Now, you probably have already found some small ways here and there to become more efficient in your home workspace. However, if you’re still struggling, or you just want to get that much better, you’re not alone. Remotely Effective is a fairly quick show, and one that lays out all of the pros and cons of working outside of an office, and how to make the experience the most efficient. 

Apple

Stuff You Should KnowStuff You Should Know by iHeartRadio.

We’re big fans of Stuff You Should Know at The Manual. With nearly 2,000 episodes already in the can, there are certain to be dozens, maybe even hundreds of episodes you’re already interested in. And that’s where you should start! It’s so fun to take a deep, introductory dive into the stuff you already want to know about, but where SYSK is so special is when it opens up completely new interests for you while you work. Getting through the at-home workday is so much easier with SYSK. 

Apple

Spotify

Still ProcessingStill Processing podcast by Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham.

I would argue that Still Processing is the smartest conversation show in podcasts today. New York Times writers Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris spend an hour every week having the hard conversations worth having. They’re both so bright, and so deeply informed, and yet they remain so optimistic. Their conversations are wonderful and completely non-cynical discussions about all aspects of pop culture that are relevant on a weekly basis. If you’re like me, you hit play and let these run all day while you’re working. 

Apple

Spotify

How Long GoneHow Long Gone with hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart.

Sometimes, a good work-from-home podcast is one with funny people who are also working from home. How Long Gone provides “High Level Cultural Commentary” at least three times per week, which basically just amounts to hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart shooting the shit for an hour or so. They often have interesting guests, too — media types with atypical angles on popular culture. It’s just a cool time. Guys being dudes.

Apple

Spotify

The Dan Le Batard Show with StugotzThe Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.

Dan Le Batard and Stugotz have spent nearly 20 years honing their craft as radio hosts. The show is, at its core, a sports show, but the bulk of their time is spent talking about the funny and inane things surrounding sports. The best part to me, as far as WFH is concerned, is that show days mean 3+ hours of the show to take in. It’s an all-day affair, and it’s a fun-loving group. 

                                                       

Spotify

Happier with Gretchen RubinHappier with Gretchen Rubin.

It’s easier than ever, too, to get burned out while working from home. It’s important to take breaks, get some physical exercise going throughout the day, but it’s also important to take stock at various moments. Happier with Gretchen Rubin provides “practical, manageable” advice on how to keep up good habits and manifest more happiness in your life. 

Apple

Spotify

StartUpStartUp podcast by Gimlet Media.

Perhaps you want to learn more about how to start your own business. Perhaps all this time inside has amplified how much your job feels less and less like you want to spend your time. StartUp takes you all the way through, from start to finish, on what it’s really like to start a business in a really bingeable way. Have an idea for a business you’ve always wanted to start? Now’s the time and here’s the pod for you.

Spotify

Ted Talks DailyTED Talks Daily cover.

Meanwhile, if you want some more daily interest and inspiration to break up the day, TED Talks Daily offers these perfect little pocket podcasts. Short, digestible subjects and discussions every single day, and they’re all deeply considered and researched and sure to make you consider some topics you haven’t thought about yet. 

Apple

Spotify

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
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Undoubtedly, commuting has completely changed. It’s always been hell -- and it still is -- but a whole new layer was seemingly added because of the pandemic. I work entirely from home, and I dread the commute from my bed to my desk every morning. Regardless, a great podcast on a long or short commute can make it worthwhile.  

Some people want a podcast to wake them up. Some want to listen to work-at-home podcasts. Some just need the best fiction podcasts to take them away, not only from the commute but from the oncoming workday. These are some of our favorites that are sure to make your commute more bearable and, dare we say, enjoyable. 

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9 of the Best Food Podcasts To Feast on
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The culinary world of today is a boundless one — full of talking heads, reality programs, online (wine) courses, and more. Starting from celebrity chefs all the way to dramatic winner-take-all cooking shows, the entertainment value is high, and there are countless rabbit holes you can get lost in. This makes food and cooking podcasts all the more attractive. You can choose your theme ahead of time, whether it's Asian American industry leaders or simply cooking from home. Tuning into a new episode of your favorite podcast is a great way to get rid of some of the noise and really focus on a particular topic or style of cooking. And you may even become a better — or at least more informed — cook in hindsight.

There's a new food podcast roughly every day, so we've gone ahead and done the combing for you. Here are the best food podcasts to listen to right now.
Point of Origin
Launched by the ever-passionate Stephen Satterfield of Whetstone Media, Point of Origin is arguably the best food podcast right now. If nothing else, it's the most important. As the name suggests, the series dives eloquently into the genesis stories of all kinds of foods, revealing the amazing terroir aspect attached to many different ingredients. It's also completely evolved, tackling tough topics like racism and inequity in food with outstanding and entertaining context.
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The 10 Best Workout Podcasts to Listen to While Exercising

It’s hard to figure out just what to listen to when you’re at the gym. Some workout playlists are full of duds, some aren’t energetic enough. Some albums are too soft or too complicated to work out to. The truth is that you want to be able to put something on and forget it so you can really sink into the zone. 

Might I recommend, then, that you skip the music altogether and try on one of these podcasts? A good podcast, one that really does its job, is one that captivates you from the jump, and during a workout, you want one that can do a few different things. Sometimes, a good workout podcast is motivating. Sometimes it’s a good conversation about something you’re already interested in. And sometimes, a great workout podcast is one that tells you about something you didn’t already know. 
Art of Charm
When you’re working out, you’re looking for motivation. You’re looking to better yourself and your physical health. Why not better yourself in business at the same time? Art of Charm is by the self-motivated, for the self-motivated, and it can even help you become the self-motivated. 
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