47+ Days Without Listening to Podcasts

17 Sep, 2024

Podcast Noise

After listening to podcasts daily since 2016, I challenged myself to stop for August 2024. I completed the mission with intense JOMO. I’m now considering not listening for the rest of the year.

I substituted part of my listening time with TV watching. From August 1-11, I watched the Olympics while eating and usually while preparing meals. Since then, I’ve been rewatching LOST—the GOAT TV show—while eating.

Is most of the joy from watching LOST, not from skipping out on podcast listening?

Maybe. I watched “The End” on Sunday, so I’ll find out in the coming weeks. But for over a month, I’ve prepared all my meals in silence, and now I’m eating in silence.

It’s just me and my thoughts.

Before, other people’s thoughts were flooding my brain. The switch was always on. Now it’s always off, possibly buried for several months. I found a new switch: my wandering mind. It’s been freeing. Less noise. More pondering. More writing.

More tranquility.

Less

I’ve been listening to less podcasts over the past two years. In addition to preparing meals and eating, I used to listen while doing other activities: taking long walks, walking a few minutes to run an errand, brushing my teeth, hiking in nature (why would anyone ever do this?!), and more. I was once subscribed to 15+ podcasts. I listened to every episode. The speed was usually 1.5x to 2x because how else would I listen to them all?

Over the past year or so, I’ve thought often about taking an extensive break. Each time, the thought dissipated like mist on the wind. Before the challenge, I don’t think I ever intentionally took one day off from podcast listening since I started listening daily five-plus years ago.

On July 9, 2024, I finished reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. I wasn’t ready to ditch podcast listening, but I knew it was likely my first action after reading the book.

The Podcasts

Before the challenge, I regularly listened to the six podcasts listed below. If I return to podcast listening, I’ll listen to every episode of the top three with the priority in the order listed.

Why these three?

Making Sense: I’ve been a fan of Sam Harris for more than a decade now. He’s intellectually honest. His voice is soothing. I discovered Sam soon after I started questioning the idea of free will. I researched and found his articles, books, and talks in short order. I regularly use his meditation app Waking Up.

The Breakdown: I’ve been investing in Bitcoin since 2022 and have since become more interested in economics. The Breakdown covers Bitcoin, macroeconomics, and “big picture power shifts remaking our world.” He publishes episodes daily, which are bite-sized at around 15 minutes each. The host, NLW, is energetic, intelligent, and optimistic but even-keeled about the world’s future.

The Lowe Post: The NBA is my jam (no pun intended). I’ve been a sports fan my entire life, but if I could only follow one sports league, it’d be the NBA. Even when my Detroit Pistons (I’m a Michigan native) are a shit team like they have been for the past 15 years, I still pay close attention to the NBA. I can’t say this about any other sports league. The podcast host, Zach Lowe, has an attractive sense of humor and an optimistic view of life, is a pleasure to listen to, and is incredibly intelligent about basketball.

If I start listening to a fourth podcast, it’d be The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck. I’ve been a big fan of Mark Manson’s writing for over a decade, and his podcast has been a great listen.

The Other Podcasts

Outside of the top three to four, I’d consider listening to two new podcasts: Secular Buddhism and Hurry Slowly. The former publishes once monthly, and the latter hasn’t published since May, so neither would add noise. I’d likely listen to them mindfully: snuggle my AirPods into my ears, sit or lay down comfortably, close my eyes, and listen.

I’d consider catching up on and continuing to listen to The Minimalists podcast. Before I stopped last year, I had listened to every public episode. I’d consider becoming a paying subscriber (to gain access to the private episodes) and moving the podcast into my top four.

No matter what, I’ll continue to listen to Waking Up conversations at some point. This isn’t a standalone podcast but a feature of the Waking Up app. In contrast to how I listened to them before—while preparing meals or eating—I’ll listen to them mindfully.

The podcasts listed below are those I’ve listened to sporadically but still received immense joy and value from. I’d consider doing the same again.

Podcast listening was a massive part of my life before, so I’ll write more on this topic soon, whether or not I start listening again. If I don’t start listening again, it’ll likely be due to turning my meditation practice up a few notches. If I do start listening again, it’ll be in a much more mindful and intentional way.

Either way, the extensive break from podcast listening continues.