Feeling Anxious? Try An Anxiety Podcast To Relieve Stress

While occasional feelings of anxiety are considered a normal part of life, those who experience them on a chronic, persistent level that disrupts their functioning may be living with a diagnosable anxiety disorder. With anxiety disorders now affecting more than 40 million American adults every year, they have become the most common type of mental health condition in the country. 

That said, anxiety is considered treatable. In addition to meeting with a mental health professional for evaluation and support, there are measures you can take on your own too that may help you manage symptoms. One of these is to listen to a podcast for a sense of comfort, solidarity, learning, and inspiration. We’ll explore some of the top podcasts here to help you find the best anxiety podcast for you.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of uneasiness, worry, or fear that’s part of your body’s natural response to stress. Some may experience anxiety occasionally during certain stressful situations, such as a job interview, the first day of school, or before making a major life decision. Others may experience intense, persistent anxiety about everyday situations, which could indicate an anxiety disorder.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, but one of the most common is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Some symptoms of GAD can include:

• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
• A persistent sense of dread 
• Restlessness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Irritability or feeling “on edge"
• Muscle tension
• Disrupted sleep, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep

How can an anxiety podcast help you when you’re anxious?

Each person’s journey with anxiety is different, so the strategies used to cope with symptoms can vary widely as well.

Anxiety podcasts can aid mental health, self-care, and coping

Some podcasts may help you better understand your feelings and symptoms, while others may have tips and advice for managing certain situations or engaging in personal development. Still others could lift your mood or offer a sense of hope through humorous perspectives or success stories from others living with anxiety. Certain options may even guide you through breathing techniques or help you fall asleep and rest better—both healthy practices that could help reduce symptoms.

15 of the best anxiety podcasts for stress and mental health

Whether you experience occasional anxiety, live with an anxiety disorder, or have a loved one with anxiety, you might find it useful to tune into an anxiety podcast or two. If you don’t know where to begin, here are some top-rated mental health podcasts to consider exploring.

1. The Anxiety Guy

In this podcast, the host explores various strategies and tips that may help you manage anxiety, whether it’s an occasional feeling or a diagnosed disorder. The host has lived with panic disorder and health anxiety and frequently speaks from his own experience.

2. The Calmer You

Chloe Brotheridge—hypnotherapist, coach, and author of The Anxiety Solution—gives advice and inspiration to help listeners become calmer, happier, and more confident versions of themselves in The Calmer You podcast. Episode topics include things like setting boundaries, navigating relationships, navigating parenting, and cultivating work-life balance, all in the name of helping reduce anxiety. Chloe Brotheride helps people by providing practical strategies, guided meditations, and expert insights to manage anxiety, boost self-confidence, and cultivate a calmer mindset.

3. Meditation Minis

Hosted by Chel Hamilton, Meditation Minis is an award-winning podcast primarily focusing on short, guided meditations. Research suggests that the ancient practice of meditation that originated in various Asian cultures and religions may have numerous mental and physical health benefits—including helping a person manage anxiety and overcome negative thought patterns. If you’re looking for help in getting started with your own meditation practice, the 10- and 20-minute guided sessions on this podcast may help.

4. Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast

In this podcast, the host usually explores science-backed strategies and tips to help individuals manage various mental health concerns—including anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—from a compassionate place. Mindfulness is a key focus of this show, and the host discusses tips for practicing it to help reduce symptoms.

5. Get Sleepy: Sleep Stories For Relaxation

Those who have trouble falling asleep may benefit from the Get Sleepy podcast. It consists of calming sleep stories that may help relax the mind and the body. This may be especially useful for those who experience anxious or intrusive thoughts that can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest—and since poor sleep may increase anxiety symptoms, a tool that could help you sleep better may be worth pursuing.

6. Anxiety Slayer

Anxiety Slayer, hosted by Shann Vander Leek and Ananga Sivyer, may be an effective resource for those living with anxiety, high levels of stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or panic attacks, as they cover tips and stories related to each of these. This highly popular podcast has had over 12 million downloads and has been running for over 14 years.

7. Not Another Anxiety Show

Hosted by Kelli Walker, a certified health and wellness coach and registered nurse who previously lived with agoraphobia, Not Another Anxiety Show can be a valuable resource for learning more about stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Walker frequently interviews guest experts on the show, digging into what anxiety is and providing practical advice and strategies that may help listeners manage symptoms.

8. The Anxiety Coaches 

The Anxiety Coaches is hosted by Gina Ryan, an anxiety coach and nutritionist who has experienced an anxiety disorder as well. Some topics covered on the show include coping with financial anxiety, handling racing thoughts, strategies for challenging self-limiting beliefs, tips for preventing panic attacks, and more.

9. A Mindful Moment: Mindfulness Meditation

A Mindful Moment is hosted by Teresa McKee, a transformation coach, certified mindfulness meditation facilitator, and EFT practitioner. McKee discusses tips and strategies for incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily life to help with anxiety, which studies suggest may help reduce symptoms of disorders in this category.

10. Getting Better: Stories of Mental Health

This podcast created by BetterHelp is hosted by licensed therapists Micheline Maalouf and Nadia Addesi. The duo is frequently joined by guests like Ian Somerhalder, Chris Bosh, Meghan Trainor, and others to talk about individual mental health journeys in an effort to reduce stigma around this topic.

11. Anxious in Austin

Hosted by Austin-based clinical psychologists Dr. Marianne Stout and Dr. Thomas Smithyman, Anxious in Austin usually discusses treatment options available for those living with anxiety or OCD. They also provide useful scientific information and practical advice designed to help listeners manage their symptoms.

12. The One You Feed

Created by Eric Zimmer and Chris Forbes, The One You Feed podcast has a catalog of over 200 episodes. They cover various mental health topics, such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, healthy habits, and mindfulness.

If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.

13. Social Anxiety Solutions: Anxiety podcast for anxious minds

This podcast is hosted by Sebastian van der Schrier, a social confidence coach who formerly lived with social anxiety. This podcast may be a valuable resource for those living with social anxiety disorder, as it offers strategies for building confidence, managing symptoms, and forming relationships with others.

14. The Panic Pod

Joshua Fletcher, a licensed psychotherapist and author of several best-selling books who previously lived with anxiety, hosts The Panic Pod. Fletcher offers advice and practical tools to those living with stress, panic disorders, and social anxiety. He often talks with other experts about the psychology behind anxiety as well, which may be beneficial to listeners who are looking for more information on their diagnosis.

15. Ten Percent Happier

Dan Harris is a journalist and an author who experienced a panic attack on live TV. He hosts Ten Percent Happier, which focuses on a wide range of mental health topics from meditation to other science-based techniques for managing challenges related to anxiety, productivity, and relationships. 

When to start therapy for anxiety?

While a podcast may be a helpful support resource for those living with anxiety, it is generally not a replacement for professional treatment. When left untreated, an anxiety disorder can worsen and interfere even more significantly with personal relationships, daily responsibilities, and employment, and it could also worsen and lead to additional physical and mental health concerns or conditions. That’s why getting support from a qualified provider can be so important.

If you believe you may be living with an anxiety disorder, it can be crucial to seek evaluation and treatment advice from a licensed mental healthcare professional. Since the primary form of treatment is usually some form of talk therapy, they can typically support you in getting started with this method right away. They may also help you learn to recognize and shift patterns of negative thinking that may be contributing to negative emotions and anxiety symptoms and develop healthy coping strategies that work for you.

Online and in-person therapy for stress and anxiety

In most cases, you can choose between online and in-person therapy for conditions like anxiety disorders. If you’re interested in exploring virtual options, you might consider BetterHelp—an online therapy platform that can match you with a licensed therapist. You can then meet with them virtually from the comfort of home to receive tools and guidance that may help you live better with anxiety. Studies suggest that online therapy can be an effective form of treatment for a variety of mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders.