Feeling Down? These Love-Related Podcasts Will Lift You Up

By Maggie Mancini

The best part of being a podcast person is, without a doubt, erupting in full-bellied, unapologetic, almost maniacal laughter in a public place. Here’s my personal favorite: strolling around the grocery store, still dressed in my pajamas (or, even worse, my outfit from the night before), listening to some of the funniest women in the world talk about their rules for living and loving and everything in between.

The following is in no way a definitive list of the best podcasts for feeling your best, but they do come in handy. Especially as someone trying to find the purpose in endless 2 a.m. swipes and that weird look you share on the subway when you see someone you hooked up with and you just know they don’t remember your name. You know, both universal experiences.

Girls Gotta Eat

Hosted by Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenberg

Rating: 5.0 on Apple Podcasts

Outspoken, honest, and absolutely hilarious, “Girls Gotta Eat” is a REFINE favorite. Some of my favorite podcasts are hosted by comedians, in part because you can take almost every topic and explore it with laughs. “Girls Gotta Eat” feels like a conversation between friends, with a focus on sex.

Why Won’t You Date Me?

Hosted by Nicole Byer

Rating: 5.0 on Apple Podcasts

I have loved Nicole Byer since 2014, watching episode after episode of MTV’s Girl Code. In her podcast, she explores relationship struggles and the nature of being “perpetually single” (as per the description) with a different weekly guest. Hilarious, action-packed, and always an easy listen, “Why Won’t You Date Me” is Nicole Byer at her best.

Thirst Aid Kit

Hosted by Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins, produced through Slate Podcasts

Rating: 5.0 on Apple Podcasts

Imagine: you’re sitting with your friends, mindlessly binging “New Girl” for the fifth time, and suddenly, you realize—Jake Johnson is hot. That’s the vibe at Slate’s “Thirst Aid Kit,” hosted by the hilarious Nichole Perkins and Bim Adewunmi. The first episode I listened to was their Jake Johnson episode, in part because I hadn’t realized how distinct my thirst for him was when I first watched “New Girl.” Each week, Perkins and Adewunmi tackle a different male celebrity that is simply so easy to thirst over and turn it into a 45-minute laugh-fest perfect for someone who’s looking to feel like they’re gossiping with their best friends.

Schnitt Talk

Hosted by Ellie Schnitt and Alanna Vizzoni, produced through Barstool Sports

Rating: 4.5 on Apple Podcasts

I’d like to say, on the record, that “Schnitt Talk” is the only Barstool Sports podcast that I listen to. If not just because host Ellie Schnitt is incredibly likable and easy to listen to, “Schnitt Talk” explores topics like being clingy, faking orgasms, and post-breakup woes with a voice not unlike your more experienced and wiser older sister.

I Don’t Get It

Hosted by Ashley and Lauren Iaconetti, and Naz Perez

Rating: 4.5 on Apple Podcasts

To be fair, I am not a huge fan of the “Bachelor” franchise, though I like to keep up with them from time to time. Ashley Iaconetti, an alumna from both the “Bachelor” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” alongside her sister and their producer, Naz Perez, tackle everything from relationships, sex, pop culture, to female reproductive health with clarity and responsibility, but also lots of laughs.

Cover image courtesy of Head Gum podcasts