Navigating your early 20’s as a woman is difficult. You rarely find yourself swimming through life, but drowning. In work, relationships and future problems. In the words of the great Taylor Swift, How can a person know everything at eighteen. But nothing at twenty-two. Sometimes you need a helping hand to guide you through the chaos. And I’ve found one of the most effective ways to do this is by listening to podcasts.
There’s nothing more humbling, comforting and inspiring than listening to women attempting to figure it out. I have compiled a list of podcasts that will help any woman in their early 20’s. If you can’t afford therapy, they’re the next best thing.
How To Fail with Elizabeth Day
There are two types of people in this world. The ones that listen to podcasts and the ones that don’t. Before I stumbled upon this beautiful podcast, I was the former. Elizabeth Day created this masterpiece as a way to embrace failure. And, as she states in her introduction, to celebrate the things that haven’t gone right, as a way to succeed better. Each week a new interviewee discusses their three greatest ‘failures’. This podcast is comforting, kind and necessary for anyone overly hard on themselves.
The Receipts Podcast
This podcast is the perfect mood-lift. Three women consider sex, relationships and life with absolutely no filter. They talk about anything and everything. It’s an honest and relatable podcast and definitely worth a listen if you’re feeling lonely. These girls will swiftly transport you into a happy place — aka the third mimosa at a bottomless brunch.
The Guilty Feminist
The guilty feminist is a podcast for the 21st century woman. Deborah Francis White and her guests hilariously discuss the insecurities and uncertainty of being a modern-day feminist. It will resonate with any woman who feels like they should be ‘better at feminism’.
The High Low
Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton are my favourite podcast duo. The pair discuss weekly highbrow and lowbrow celebrity culture. It’s witty, relevant and provides insightful opinions. It’s certain to make you laugh! Unfortunately the podcast has recently ended, but there’s plenty of episodes to go through.
Best Friend Therapy
Coming full circle, I’ll end this article with another Elizabeth Day podcast. On this podcast, Elizabeth is joined by her best friend and psychotherapist Emma Reed. Although the podcast is in its infancy, the two have already covered so much. From imposter syndrome, to people pleasing. Failed relationships to game playing. A lot of women will be able to relate and hopefully find direction within their thoughtful chats.
Read next: Is listening to music while revising a help or a hindrance?