Six podcasts that are delighting the absolute crap out of me.

It’s still January, which means I am still bright-eyed and optimistic about bringing good habits into the new year.

This weekend, I tellsya, I’m gonna bounce outta bed*. I’m gonna powerwalk with my fitbit on*. I’m going to tackle my tupperware cupboard*, cook something healthy*, wash my sheets* and pull up weeds*. And you know HOW I’m gonna do all this? 

It’s called “temptation bundling”. And it’s an idea I’m happily stealing from a podcast and sharing with you here:

Freakonomics: When Willpower isn’t enough

Imagine if you could trick your brain into enjoying shitty activities. YOU CAN. It’s called “temptation bundling” and you should know about it.  Freakonomics is a brilliant podcast that takes behavioural economics and makes them so interesting that I always end up wishing I’d studied economics at uni. It’s THAT good.

RN All In The Mind: Everyone is Watching

While we’re on mind games, remember The Truman Show?

Turns out, there’s a psychological disorder called  The Truman Show Delusion where people are convinced that they’re the stars of a reality television show…when they’re not.  This episode  features a man who was absolutely convinced everyone around him were actors, and he was the star of a show about his life. A fascinating look at how culture and social media shapes madness. It’s BRILLIANT.

This American Life: #198: How To Win Friends and Influence People

Oh man. Ira Glass does it again with this narrative episode based on the best-selling self-help book by Dale Carnegie. I’m not going to spoil it for you, but there’s a story about Superman in there that is so unexpected and beautiful that….I can’t say any more. I can’t. LISTEN.

Save The Date 124: New Year, New Wedding Planning

Were you one of my hundred-or-so Facebook friends that got engaged over the new year? Good on ya love.  Take your manicured finger OFF Pinterest, and point it towards this podcast. Aleisha McCormack is the funniest, most honest bride wrangler I’ve ever heard. She dishes out no-bullshit advice on how to get hitched, stay cool, not turn into a dickhead, spend your money in the right places, and just be a general bridechilla. Aleisha, marry me. (Not in Australia, it’s not allowed, and also I’m not that way inclined, I meant it more as an indication of my love for you and your show).

Reply All: The Cathedral

Dial up the emotions on this one. Amy and Ryan Green had a one-year-old son who was diagnosed with cancer. During his agonising treatment, his dad, Ryan, has a strange idea: what if he turned this ordeal into a video game? It’s a bizzare premise for a podcast, but this episode had a lot of the Mamamia staff sobbing into their cornflakes.

The Binge: Making a Murderer

This true-crime phenomenon has consumed half the internet and most of this office.  Everyone wants to talk about it but NO one can for fear of spoilers. So we holed up three ladies who deep dived on it – Rosie Waterland, Sarah Jane Collins and Laura Brodnick – and said “spill your guts.”  They did. The result is a show crammed with facts, conspiracy theories, the fallout from the show, and things that you didn’t get to see in the ten episodes. It’s part of a new show we’re working on here at MM, but we just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

I’ll whack it in here if you want to listen, or get it in itunes:

So there you go: plenty of good listening to temptation bundle with this weekend.

I’m on the hunt for more, too. Podcasts that make you laugh our loud, gasp, cry, or think.

And hey, if you’re not sure about this podcast bizzo yet, here’s the easy way to get them. (They’re free).

So, what are you listening to? Tell me via Twitter or chuck your links on the facebook page!

*probably not gonna happen as I’m watching Making A Murderer.