Getting up in the morning to get ready for work or school is hard enough on its own when you have to wake up hours before, get ready, and go through the daily commotion of public transportation or traffic to get to where you need to be. During this lengthy pandemic-induced lockdown, those steps have been greatly transformed into a more simple one where all we have to do is have breakfast (sometimes), and get ready for a series of Zoom sessions (if ‘getting ready’ means plopping down in front of the laptop with PJ’s on).

But despite the considerable downgrade in our morning routine, a new challenge presented itself in our New Normal pre-work process: the challenge to get our head into ‘work mode’ when the bed is right there, your pet is begging for a cuddle, and all your favorite books, video games, series, and movies are just right in front of you on the laptop.

Mindset. That’s what we need to focus on in the morning to get pumped up for work. We need the motivation, inspiration, and the general working mindset to plow through our to-do list with a little more enthusiasm than we’re used to.

To that, we say: try listening to a podcast.

This could potentially be an invaluable part of your morning, if consumed wholeheartedly by listening to the speakers on the other side of your phone or laptop with the full intention of getting in the mood to work.

So check out these podcasts that’s all about taking the necessary steps to get things done, fulfill your dreams, and be happy while doing it:

ADULTING WITH JOYCE PRING

TV personality, host, and actress Joyce Pring first launched her podcast back in 2018, and it has grown into a valuable resource for all the things we need to know about #adulting—from dating, starting a business, and going after goals. Her podcast has developed so much over the years that her episodes offer a wide range for whatever we might need in the morning: a dose of inspiration, a story about faith, or just the traditional reminder to get our butts off the bed and get to work.

TED TALKS DAILY

We all know what a Ted Talk is: a short talk by an inspirational speaker that has some weird magic that gets us all pumped up to reach our dreams. In this podcast, several episodes take on the format of inspiration and emotion, but there’s also a number of episodes for socio-political or cultural discussions like sustainability, racism, and the like. On top of that, there are also instructional episodes on creative writing, practicing a skill, how to win an argument, and more.

HAPPIER WITH GRETCHEN RUBIN

Gretchen Rubin is a renowned author on all things happiness and cultivating good habits. She is a #1 bestselling author for The Happiness Project and Better Than Before, and in this podcast, she dissects more actionable ways that we can live a better life by injecting happiness into our work. Some notable episodes include how to read more, how to calm yourself, proven and tested life hacks, and all the secrets of happier living, despite all the work.

THE GOOD LIFE PROJECT

The Good Life Project is all about getting insights from guests on living a “fully-engaged, fiercely-connected, and meaning-drenched life.” This one’s all about inspiration from real stories of life, and experts’ secrets to transforming our mindset to one that seeks more meaning in everything we do, and every little, seemingly irrelevant, task we have to accomplish.

THE MINDSET MENTOR

As stated in its description, this podcast is specifically designed to help listeners with motivation, direction, and focus in life. Its episodes take on a more instructional and actionable approach, with quick episodes on how to destroy negative thoughts, the first thing to do in the morning, ways to be more confident, and so much more. If you’re looking for a direct fix to your mindset needs, with step-by-step directions on how to get there, this one’s for you!

GET HIRED!

Maybe this one’s more appropriate for soon-to-graduate college students, but even if you’re not, it’s never too early to know how to land that dream job. With host and coach Lyqa Maravilla, the podcast offers tips, tricks, and techniques on nailing that job interview you’ve been freaking out over, or the kind of questions you should ask your interviewer. This show supplies all you need to know pre-interview, to get you ready and hyped up for the job.

And hey, if you’re still a student and you listen to this before school, you might just feel the extra level of motivation to get you through all the things that stands between you, and your dream life after university.

Hopefully, these podcasts can help you get started in the morning, with inspirational and motivational speakers keen to give you that boost towards your goals. After all, mental strength and the condition of your mind are just as important as your physical health when dealing with virtual classes, hefty digital modules, and all of society’s current problems.