To ask for your favourite podcasts and audiobooks

[AlexaShutUp]

I have been feeling really low for the last few weeks. Just very fatigued and demotivated. And very, very lazy. I'm still managing to get out for walks most days, and I'm wfh full time, but I'm spending a lot of my evenings and weekends just sitting around doing nothing. I have always had this tendency, but it's definitely worse. I can't be bothered to do anything, even talking to friends on video calls seems like a chore. I know people might ask if I'm depressed, and I think I might be, mildly, but that isn't really what this thread is about.

I don't want to live like this, but I am reluctant to go down the medication route, so I have been trying to find strategies that might help. Exercise is definitely important, and I'm trying to eat as well as I can. I have also bought myself some wireless earpods so that I can listen to music and audio books/podcasts as I go round the house. I already have an audible membership.

I'm looking for some inspiration on what to listen to. Please tell me your favourite audio books and podcasts so that I can distract myself as I try to go about doing stuff around the house, exercise etc.

I have quite varied interests and would be open to all suggestions. In terms of fiction, I tend to enjoy classic "quality" stuff rather than the trashy novel type, but open to ideas. I also like listening to kids stuff and have previously worked my whole Harry Potter series!

In terms of non fiction, I tend to go for self improvement/positive psychology type stuff, but I like learning about all sorts really, and just need some inspiration.

Finally, does anyone know if The Archers is recording new episodes again?

I really need some ideas to help me get off my arse and start doing stuff again. Please help!

Anyone?

My favourite of all time audiobooks have been:

The Time Traveller's Wife
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell
The Rivers of London series and
Jodi Taylor's St Mary's series.

Since you said you liked the Archers, have you come across the Home Front Omnibus? It is long enough that it will keep you going for ages.

Best ever audiobooks: ready player one, the Martian, Armada.

I'm not a gamer at all, but Will Wheaton narrates them and there is real personality in his narration.

Two amazing podcasts at the moment which are really making me laugh out loud are the Louis Theroux Grounded one and the Josh Widdicombe and Rob Beckett one called Lockdown Parenting or something similar.

For a bit of nice inspiration, Happy Place and How to Fail are both great.

Audiobook wise I find it hard to stay interested but really good recordings of the classics such as Emma Thompson reading Jane Austen are always an easy listen.

Thank you so much for the suggestions - lots of ideas here, I will investigate each and every one of them! I just need to find something that encourages me to get moving!

I second how to fail with Elizabeth Day.
If you are interested in communication then How to own the room with Viv Groskop is great
Also Fortunately with Fi and Jane. Very gentle but also very funny.

I had the audiobook of The Dry, by Jane Harper. A well-written thriller set in Australia.

Podcast-wise, if you're interested in motivating yourself and changing your whole approach to your health and fitness, then try the Feel Better Live More podcasts by Dr Rangan Chatterjee. He interviews guests on topics such as why sleep is so important, getting exericse, reducing stress etc etc. These podcasts have honestly changed my life. I now eat well, sleep well and run three times a week (something I'd never, ever done before!).

Also I've recently listened to The Lighthouse, a podcast about a young Belgian lad who went missing in Australia last year.

For history, try You're Dead to Me, which takes a light-hearted look at historical figures. Also The National Archives broadcast webinars, which although they have graphics, you can pretty much just listen to.

Will try to think of some more, as I listen to loads!

Shagged married annoyed
Grounded
Rob and Josh's parenting in lockdown
You'll do
Happy mum happy baby
Evil Genious
Standard issue
The truth, the whole Truth, the gay truth
Pinch of nom

I listen to all the above regularly, some have finished but have plenty of old episodes and some are still releasing new ones.

@EasternDailyStress

I had the audiobook of The Dry, by Jane Harper. A well-written thriller set in Australia.

Podcast-wise, if you're interested in motivating yourself and changing your whole approach to your health and fitness, then try the Feel Better Live More podcasts by Dr Rangan Chatterjee. He interviews guests on topics such as why sleep is so important, getting exericse, reducing stress etc etc. These podcasts have honestly changed my life. I now eat well, sleep well and run three times a week (something I'd never, ever done before!).

Also I've recently listened to The Lighthouse, a podcast about a young Belgian lad who went missing in Australia last year.

For history, try You're Dead to Me, which takes a light-hearted look at historical figures. Also The National Archives broadcast webinars, which although they have graphics, you can pretty much just listen to.

Will try to think of some more, as I listen to loads!

I like Jane Harper too "the lost man" is excellent and Dr chattergee's odcast is brilliant. As we clearly have the same taste I shall check out your other recommendations!

This podcast ‘the happiness lab’- www.happinesslab.fm/

Podcasts:-
Desert Island Discs
Reasons to be Cheerful
Motherkind (particularly focuses on motherhood but lots for everyone)

All of my podcasts are horror based aside from RHS gardening. I like nosleep and the wicked library. Quite enjoying a new one called Faerie

Shagged married annoyed is the only podcast I've stuck with, it's so funny, just lighthearted banter really although it's probably not very intellectual or high brow!

I secretly recorded my boyfriend
The secret world of slimming clubs

Both really funny and warm

When I was 'putting myself back together' I went back to old favourites with an obviously created world and favourite characters. eg Peter Wimsey.

My new reading started with biography of famous people I knew about from History. Some of these can be uplifting and revealing. There are many about Pepys. "The Last Englishman" describes Arthur Ransome's strange (to me) life before "Swallows & Amazons".
'Wind in the Willows'?