Coronavirus, Isolation, and Podcasts

Our everyday lives and routine have dramatically changed. The words “Covid-19” and “Coronavirus”, once vocabulary we would have only associated with sci-fi and apocalyptic movies have become part of our everyday speech. It’s on every news station, social media platform, and everyone’s minds and lips. The situation we find ourselves in hasn’t been something gradual, it’s not something we saw building over time, and you or I certainly couldn’t have predicted it. As we went about our everyday lives we were suddenly hit with this unique situation as if out of nowhere, with no real warning, and no real-time to prepare. It has left most of us with feelings of shock, disbelief, and uncertainty, as we try to process what’s going on around us and to us!

If a few months back somebody had told you or me that soon we would be locked in our houses fearing for our health, whilst worrying about having enough food, toilet roll, and hand sanitizer, we probably would have laughed. If they had told us that we wouldn’t be able to go freely to our offices, the gym, a restaurant for a simple meal, Starbucks for a coffee, or even take our kids to school, we would have dubbed them insane. If they had told us that the supermarket shelves would be barren, a simple handshake thought of as deadly, and everyday normal life as we know it completely paralyzed, we would have thought they were crazy. Yet here we are! The world, our world, gripped by a sweeping global pandemic!

With most of us on lock-down in our houses and self-isolating, how do we stay connected? We’re not talking about tweets, posts, and 30-second videos. We’re talking about real human connection. We’re talking about a deep conversation, interesting subjects, and informative, thought-provoking chats.

One way is through the world podcasting!

Podcast shows covering pretty much every subject imaginable, are available to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and won’t cost you a penny or dime.

Now, we’re not saying that listening to a podcast episode is the same as having a glass of wine, cup coffee, or a cold beer with a good friend, but in this bizarre situation that has been thrust upon us, it’s the next best and safest thing.

Podcasts allow us to feel connected to others. When we listen to an interview it can feel as if we have been invited to pull up a chair at the table of two friends having a conversation. There is something almost intimate about it as we listen in. Then on the other hand, when we think about all the other listeners who have chosen to listen to the exact same episode as us, we feel a comradery, and as if we’re part of something bigger, even if it’s just for a short time. For those 30-minutes or so, we are part of a global network, we’re not just stuck at home, we have a window out onto the world.

Podcasting takes our minds off the Coronavirus. Serious illness, the health, and safety of our loved ones, economic challenges, being locked in a house 24/7 with the other half and kids, the prospect of eating canned goods...the list of concerns we have weighing on our minds right now is endless. None of us are new to anxiety and stress, but this feels like uncharted territory in the worry sector. And although you’re probably doing your best to stay positive, I am sure you have noticed it all feels a bit doom and gloom currently. Podcasts allow us a break from all that! As we put on our headphones or turn up the volume knob, tune in to something interesting or funny, something, anything but the things listed above, we’re afforded the chance to switch off and focus on something more positive.

Podcasts are informative. Whether you have had enough, or whether you can’t get enough of learning about Coronavirus and things/stories related to it, the world of podcasting will have something for you. Via podcast shows, every expert from every field, from medicine, politics, finance, health, wellness, real-estate, etc, etc, will be addressing every aspect and layer of this unprecedented situation facing us. Show hosts and expert guests will be offering advice, tips, guidance, and encouragement, to help us deal with things now, and prepare us for what’s to come. Through podcasting, we have an endless pool of knowledge freely available to us.

On the other hand, considering the news and headlines are filled with Covid-19, you might feel like you need a break from it. The world of podcasting provides us with a source of endless choices and topics to choose from whether you want something informative, educational, or lighthearted and entertaining.

Learn a new skill with Podcasting. “I’m too busy!”, “I wish I had the time for that!”. Sound familiar? In the same way that we’ve suddenly had new words forced into our daily vocabulary, other common expressions we used regularly seem to have taken a back seat. Many of us may currently have more time on our hands than we’re used to. So is there something you have always wanted to learn or master but just haven’t had the time? Maybe now is your opportunity! Imagine coming out of this situation with a new language under your belt, or in better shape than you have ever been, or equipped to manage your finances better, or knowing how to do your own car mechanics. The possibilities are endless. Many podcast shows are basically online courses available to you and me absolutely free. If you have a shelved passion or interest, maybe now you can dedicate a little time to it. Think of what could be achieved by listening to just one episode a day.  Podcasting is the perfect resource to learn something new, master a new skill, polish up on that rusty talent, or become an expert on a subject.

This unusual situation has come upon us at a time when technology and telecommunication are more advanced than it ever has been. Fortunately for us, we have things like social media, Zoom, Skype and WhatsApp to keep us connected with loved ones. We also have available to us Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and endless Podcasts to keep us informed, educated, entertained and linked to the outside world. So as we push through this situation together, doing our best to stay safe, well, and sane, let’s try and use our time wisely.

Could you be a podcast guest? Read this article.