Hello hello and Happy New Year.
I always err on the side of caution when it comes to recommending podcasts that proudly exclaim NEW YEAR NEW YOU, just because the nights are currently so long and our finances can be so stretched, adding additional pressure to make sweeping changes to your life isn’t exactly helpful.
So I’m recommending podcasts that are a bit more soft touch, pointing out changes you can make in your life without it being too over the top. Dr Rangan Chatterjee is on The Mid•Point with Gabby Logan this week talking about how to make lasting changes.
“If your alcohol consumption is your way of managing stress you can white knuckle it for two or three weeks,” Chatterjee says. “And sure, you may learn something about yourself in that time, but unless you've done something to manage the stress, either reduce the stress or find an alternative strategy to deal with that stress, you're going to go straight back to alcohol.”
If better sleep is your priority for 2025 (a good idea), you can fall asleep to Sleep Sound recordings from all across the world introduced by Jamie Dornan on Audible. You have to be a subscriber to listen but, you know, Jamie Dornan. Meanwhile on Stompcast, Dr Alex George has an interview with the writer David Larbi about how best to start journaling.
There’s also Just One Thing with the late Michael Mosley, which features lots of small adjustments you can make to your life to make it all the more rewarding. They include volunteering, cooking from scratch, drinking green tea and starting pilates.
And although the podcast is more than ten years old, the podcast NHS Couch to 5k is still cherished by many as a tool to help them get fitter in the Spring. You listen to each episode at the start of each run, gradually building up your distance and stamina.
