In case it’s not clear from all the heart-shaped confectionaries, adorably fluffy teddy bears, and the copious amounts of red roses everywhere, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, like, tomorrow! Some people love Valentine’s Day! For them, February 14th is a day to celebrate love and being in love, and getting to show those they love how much they care about them. For others, it’s just another overly-commercialized day getting you to throw money at things that don’t last. (There is actually a third group of people…those that can’t wait to fill their baskets with discounted chocolate come February 15th, but that’s a discussion for another time…) And in honor of St Valentine, we’re talking all things love…self-love that is! Yup, that’s right! Our post today highlights some of the top self-love podcasts to help you learn to love yourself (because you’re pretty amazing!) and in turn, love others better. It is our belief that before we can truly show love to those around us, we need to be able to first love ourselves – sometimes easier said than done – but to help you along the way, these podcasts may be just what the (love) doctor ordered…
1. The Restoring Heart Podcast (The Courageous Worth Podcast)
The Restoring Heart Podcast (titled The Courageous Worth Podcast in most podcast libraries) is a really beautiful podcast, focusing on showing it’s listeners how to love themselves and highlighting the value in sharing their true selves with the world. Host Ashley Baxter guides you so gently through this process of recognizing your self-worth, but she’s also so confident and courageous! She shares her very personal account of processing her sexual assault and the devastating effect it had on her sense of self-worth, and through her sharing her own journey, you’re able to learn to love yourself, to understand your worth, and realize that you and your heart are so needed in this world. But Ashley doesn’t stop there! Not only does she want you to remember the miracle that you really are, but she wants to enable you to do the same for those hurting around you. Her catchphrase at the end of her episodes is, “Do something restoring to your heart, and the heart of someone around you,” which is an inspiring way to live and speaks volumes of what it means to your genuine, compassionate, fullest self. And while her content is heavy, emotional, and often heart-breaking, she blends this together with hope and laughter, and her gentle confidence in who she is rings true throughout every episode. She’s honest about her flaws and shortcomings but gives sound insight and advice for overcoming any lack in self-worth while showing us that loving ourselves enables us to truly share that love with others.
2. Happier With Gretchen Ruben
Happier with Gretchen Rubin aims to do just as its name implies – helping us lead happier lives. I don’t know about you, but I could definitely do with more of that in my life! Gretchen and her sister and co-host, Elizabeth Craft, show us that we can, indeed, cultivate happiness in our lives without depending on outside entities to do it for us. They give practical strategies to help develop good habits – like talking more kindly about ourselves and banishing all that inner criticism – and all the other tactics we can employ to live happier and be more at peace with ourselves. The show is thought-provoking, insightful, and you’ll always come away feeling really good after every listen. The intimate dynamic of a conversation between sisters also adds a special element to each episode, giving us a variety of perspectives on their fascinating and well-researched topics. So if you’re needing a little more joy in your life, and are looking to be happier with who you are and in the life you lead, then you should definitely give Happier a try.
3. On Purpose with Jay Shetty
On Purpose with Jay Shetty is another great podcast for helping you learn to love and appreciate all that you are. Filled with great interviews, insightful questions and bucket loads of wisdom, this show will have you doing some major soul-searching and clearing out everything that is negative or critical about yourself. In an open, honest, and thought-provoking way, those areas in our lives that habitually trip us up and get us down are explored and examined, and real solutions and strategies are given in order to help overcome these obstacles once and for all. Jay’s humble manner ensures that you glean all the wisdom that can possibly be gleaned from his guests, ensuring that you are fully equipped to get your mind on the right track, and thinking positively about yourself. There’s content covering relationship advice, how to combat negative thinking patterns, as well as how to get rid of those toxic beliefs we hold about ourselves. Each episode serves as another stepping stone to becoming someone who loves and values themselves and can show that love and care to those around them.
4. The Melissa Ambrosini Show
Named a “self-help guru” by Elle Magazine, Melissa Ambrosini and her podcast, The Melissa Ambrosini Show, want to propel you into living your life at it’s absolute best, and she wants to give you all the tools you need for that major mindset shift of learning to love yourself. She interviews experts from all walks of life – a vast variety of health and wellness specialists and thought-leaders – and together, you learn more about what it means to live authentically and how to holistically create and live an exciting, fulfilled life. All you need to build up your self-worth, know your value, and learn to love yourself can be found in these episodes, and Melissa’s positive energy and all that valuable insight her guests bring to the table will have you dusting out those negative cobwebs covering your mind and get you seeing yourself and all your potential with new, positive eyes. You’ll be inspired to become more introspective, focusing on those areas that need healing and a little TLC, and you’ll soon remember just how great you are and all that you can accomplish.
5. Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations is another great podcast if you’re looking to fill up your self-love tank. In true Oprah form, this podcast focuses on exploring the world around us at a deeper level, understanding ourselves with greater intimacy and finding ways to deal with our emotional baggage to help us enjoy the journey of life. One of the greatest take-aways from almost all of her guests is the need to love and value yourself in order to accomplish great life feats. Her guests come from all walks of life, and through sharing their experiences and insights, we develop understanding and empathy as we chew on all that hearty soul food being dished up! There is a deep sense of striving to know and understand ourselves at our cores – in our souls – that permeates everything that is discussed on this show. Each episode inspires you to become that much more in-tune with your inner self, and inspired to become the person you were meant to be and do accomplish all you desire to and more.
6. Confidently She
Confidently She is another wonderful podcast giving us all the tools and strategies we need to love ourselves – all of ourselves! Hosted by Rebekah Buege, Confidently She takes you on a journey of learning to love the skin you’re in, learning to accept and value all the intricacies that make you “you”, and helping you gain the confidence you need to share your wonderful self with the world. The topics are varied and necessary – from embracing your singleness, celebrating your feminity, and even confronting and accepting your insecurities – Rebekah helps you delve deep into learning to accept and value yourself. There’s a particular focus on addressing the pressure to be perfect, and the often ridiculous standards we feel the push to hold ourselves to, and along with her guests, Rebekah guides us to a place of self-acceptance and self-love. You’ll definitely come away loving yourself a little more after each episode.
7. Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso
Our last self-love boosting podcast is Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso, a show focusing on amazing women who, through learning to be their authentic selves, have made waves in their fields. While the interviews highlight the significant marks these women have made and continue to make within their community, and society as a whole, the underlying theme of finding out and harnessing who you are is woven into the fabric of every episode. In some shape or form, each and every guest has understood the power of self-love and has used this as the driving force in their quest for domination in their industry. Whether it’s internal or external barriers you need to break through, this show gives you the confidence and self-belief to conquer your giants and stand tall in the knowledge that you truly have greatness within you. No matter your background, your upbringing, or anything else you think counts you out, Girlboss Radio is here to tell you that simply is not the case – you are capable of so much! You just need to learn to love who you are, harness that inner magic, and go forth and conquer your goals.
Closing Thoughts
Truly being able to love ourselves is a journey, and there are often many obstacles in our way. We’re constantly feeling the pressure to do the “right” thing, look a certain way, and live up to other’s expectations that we often get lost in the process, and more often than not, we find that our self-talk and our view of ourselves is far from positive. We’re usually our own biggest critic, counting all our failures rather than our successes, and the notion of self-love feels beyond our grasp. But that doesn’t have to be the case! Give some of these shows a listen and learn to show yourself a little love today. If we can love ourselves and then show that love others, we may just make the world that little bit brighter. As the Beatles so famously said, “All you need is love,”…and maybe just a little chocolate…
