There is something about podcasts: part entertainment, part education, part current event news. You can listen while you drive, ride the subway, do your laundry, or eat lunch. The only downfall we see is that there are too many great podcasts to choose from — even if you limit your options to the top charts.
As always, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up some of the most entertaining, educational and inspiring podcasts of the fall. We categorized them by mood, because there’s definitely a podcast for every one of yours.
Mood: When You Want Your Morning Commute to be Less Painful
Still Processing
Produced by The New York Times, Still Processing hosts Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham discuss all things culture from television, film, books and music. But more interestingly, they talk in the context of societal issues such as dating, the internet of all things and career.
Wortham works for The New York Times Magazine and Morris is the paper’s critic-at-large. This great podcast is an entertaining way to keep up with what’s going on in the world before clocking in at work.
Safe For Work
What better way to prep for another day at work than to listen to Safe For Work, an advice show that reminds you that while your career may be hectic, you can still find balance and happiness in your life.
Hosts Liz Dolan and Rico Gagliano offer guidance on how to avoid burnout and how to deal with colleagues you don’t get along with. They also invite experts to talk about how to negotiate and knowing when it’s time to change jobs.
Mood: When You Want to Be Productive
Life Kit: All Guides
Life Kit is a series of podcast threads produced by NPR that helps listeners navigate life issues that range from personal finance and parenting to making friends and packing for trips.
Each series is broken down by topic with each spanning several episodes.
Dive into a whole guide, or subscribe to a specific topic or “Life Kit: All Guides” for all episodes in one place.
Beyond the To-Do List
Productivity is the name of this great podcast’s game. In interviews with real people who implement various productivity strategies in their professional and personal lives, Beyond the To Do List host Erik Fisher gets the real deal on how to get good work done, reach your goals and, overall, live a meaningful life.
Hearing stories on the successes and failures of high-powered people may kick your butt into gear.
Mood: When You Want to Continue Learning
RISE podcast with Rachel Hollis
Hosted by The New York Times bestselling author, Rachel Hollis, the RISE podcast provides tangible and valuable takeaways for success in business and life.
Listen for in-depth interviews with business and personal development leaders. The conversation: hot-button topics such as navigating mom guilt, capitalizing on social media, how to overcome fear of failure, and how to stop apologizing for living as your authentic self.
On Being with Krista Tippett
On Being with Krista Tippett, a Peabody Award-winning public radio show and one seriously great podcast, dives deep into life’s biggest questions. What does it mean to be human? How do we want to truly live? And how will we treat each other?
Writers, poets, academics and thought leaders join Tippett in attempting answers. Recent podcast guests include author Ta-Nehisi Coates and zoologist and researcher Katy Payne.
Mood: When You Want To Be Inspired by Other Women’s Successes
Superwomen with Rebecca Minkoff
Celebrating the strength of women from all walks of life, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff shares off-the-cuff interviews with CEOs, artists, philanthropists and more in her Superwomen podcast.
Behind every conversation is the real story on how powerful women achieved their goals despite the challenges of life.
WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women
Love or hate it, money makes the world go round. And for women, money can spell immense freedom. If you want to empower yourself financially, The Wall Street Journal’s Secrets of Wealthy Women podcast can teach you a thing or two.
Ever wanted to pick the brain of female executives, self-made entrepreneurs and financial experts? This show, hosted every week by Veronica Dagher, reveals the inner workings on how to get ahead, reach your money goals and achieve professional success.
Mood: When You’re Hitting the Treadmill or Hiking Trail
She Explores
Created by self-made entrepreneur Gale Straub, She Explores is a collection of audio stories about women who are inspired and energized by spending time outdoors whether it be solo hiking, camping or traveling. Each episode imbues a sense of adventure in your own daily life. Stories are told in a variety of ways such as on-the-field interviews or listener submissions.
On a recent episode, climber and endurance runner Emilee Struss is at first held back by persistent injuries. She later finds joy in discovering other aspects of herself.
Nutrition Diva
Regular exercise and healthy nutrition go hand-in-hand. Once you get the exercise part down, brush up on simple and painless ways to improve your eating habits with the Nutrition Diva podcast.
Host Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, CNS separates fact from fiction when it comes to eating better. She covers a variety of food topics, including a recent episode that explores the healthiest and unhealthiest types of fish.
Mood: When You’ve Meditated and Burned the Sage
10 Percent Happier
After journalist Dan Harris had a panic attack live on “Good Morning America,” he embarked on a journey where re-examined his nonstop work life and took up meditation. Following the publication of his bestselling book, “10 Percent Happier,” his podcast is a continuation of his mental health and spiritual journey with interviews with leaders and experts.
Each episode aims to answer the overarching question: Can you be an ambitious person and still strive for enlightenment?
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
If you are old enough to miss your daily dose of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” fill that void with her podcast, Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, which aims to discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around us.
In her trademark way, Oprah interviews authors, spiritual leaders and wellness experts. In doing so, she helps us get closer to finding the best version of ourselves.