Since losing his 21-year-old son during a routine operation in 2014, the Egyptian entrepreneur Mo Gawdat has learned a thing or two about life’s obstacles. The advice Logan draws on from experts – sleep specialists, hormone consultants, sex therapists – is also there to help listeners get the best out of this time of life.

What does it mean to reach the halfway point in life? The likes of DJ Jo Wiley and comedian Matt Lucas join broadcaster and former international gymnast Gabby Logan to talk honestly about midlife and the highs and lows that come with it. The show is packed full of wisdom from an array of insightful people, exploring topics from the key to long-lasting relationships to how to transform a negative mindset, achieving work-life balance to simple practices to reduce stress. Jay Shetty is a monk turned life coach and bestselling author, and his podcast, On Purpose, is consistently at the top of the charts for a very good reason. Millions now drift off to Sleep With Me, with anyone who suffers from a racing mind at night finding it particularly useful. Having struggled with insomnia since childhood, Ackerman launched this very good podcast series in which he tells very boring stories, in order to help listeners fall asleep. When Drew Ackerman realised he had a knack for boring people – the clue was in how often those he chatted to at parties excused themselves mid-conversation – he came up with an idea that could put his talent to good use. Listening to Power Hour is like getting a loving kick up the backside, spurring you on towards your goals. This is a show all about the power of carving out time for ourselves and our passions – even if it means setting the alarm a little earlier – in order to create a life you love. MOTIVATION Power HourĪuthor, speaker and wellbeing expert Adrienne Herbert examines the daily routines of some of our most esteemed thinkers and doers. Don’t miss the episodes with Monty Don, Philippa Perry and Reverend Richard Coles. For this long-running and multiple award-winning weekly show, Lloyd talks to fellow “members” about the loss that has shaped their lives – and does so in a way that doesn’t feel bleak, leaving anyone who has lost a loved one feel less alone. In grieving, she discovered she had become part of “a club no one wanted to join”. When comedian Cariad Lloyd was 15, her dad passed away from pancreatic cancer. Though you never know what topic might come next – episodes thus far have covered subjects as far-reaching as the psychology of regret, the ethics of true crime and the way to escape soaring energy bills – it won’t be long until your outlook on something has changed.

The affiliated podcast, TED Talks Daily, brings mind-expanding ideas to short weekday episodes. Since the first TED Talk in 1984, some of the world’s best thinkers and speakers have taken to stages under its aegis around the globe. Here, he interviews similarly successful people about their own remarkable stories, giving us a glimpse into the lives of people like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, TV presenter Davina McCall and epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector, and covering topics as wide-ranging as self-doubt, stress and salaries. Within a few years, Steven Bartlett went from being a broke, university dropout to a multimillionaire tech founder and Dragons’ Den investor. Through interviews with guests and chats with her co-host (who happens to be her younger sister), Happier is filled with genuinely helpful ideas and strategies to make our day-to-day a little bit easier and filled with a lot more joy. Since graduating from Yale, Gretchen Rubin has gone on to become one of the US’s foremost speakers on happiness and human nature, and her award-winning podcast distils her decades’ worth of research into a lovely listen. The diverse mix of guests include celebrities ( Michael Sheen, Mel C), writers (Caitlin Moran, Zadie Smith), and even everyday people (including a fascinating conversation with a woman who won the Lottery) – reminding us of that old adage, “change is the only constant”. In asking her interviewees about the biggest changes they have experienced in their lives, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ explores what happens when we are forced to pivot, overcome and transform. TRANSFORMATION Changes with Annie Macmanus What is so brilliant about Feel Better, Live More is that Dr Chatterjee’s interviewing skills (and own expertise) mean that rather than getting lost in jargon or wishy-washy advice, you come away from each episode with practical tips to implement into your day – incrementally improving your life with each listen. Nutritionists and neuroscientists, therapists and inspirational thinkers appear as guests, covering topics including happiness, longevity, diet, relationships and movement. The world of health advice is a noisy place, but GP Dr Rangan Chatterjee makes it feel remarkably simple and straightforward in this engaging show.

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