What do you consume every day on your phone? Do you ever stop to reflect on what you’re interacting with? In a time when feelings of exhaustion, burnout, anxiety and isolation are at an all-time high, finding relief and dissociation through social media is too common. Admittedly, sometimes it’s easy to go on auto-pilot and scroll through TikTok instead of being present. But, this is not how we should strive to be; it’s not what we deserve.
The following content creators study mental health and create podcasts, videos and books about it for the general public. I love what these four creators produce with their specific knowledge and I enjoy leaning on them for life insight. They’re educational and inspiring; their work provides far better alternatives to mindless scrolling, watching or listening. Pull out your phone and prepare to check out these four uplifting creators on the internet.
Brené Brown
Listening to Brené Brown’s podcasts feels like listening to a chill older sister. She’s hilarious, comforting and wise… and also happens to have a strong academic background studying social work and the human condition. But her podcast, Unlocking Us, doesn’t sound like a lecture. It’s far from it.
I’m not the strongest candidate for podcast listening — I tend to zone out. Yet Brown’s podcast is an exception. The content is fascinating, keeps me engaged for an hour or two (which is a big deal!) and always feels relevant to what I’m going through in my daily life. Not to mention, Brown’s guest stars offer many different perspectives across all walks of life. Brown has hosted deep conversations with fellow authors, academics and stars such as Nikole Hannah-Jones, Abby Wambach and Dax Shepard.
Unlocking Us’s insightful conversations will make you think and reveal new ways to understand yourself and others, make strong human connections and have compassion. My favorite episode is from 2020 when Brown hosted authors Emily and Amelia Nagoski to discuss stress and burnout. However, any episode is a good place to start. I like to pick and choose which episodes I listen to depending on what I need.
Dr. Ramani Durvasula
Ramani Durvasula’s content about narcissism may be a little too niche for everybody out there, but it’s still a worthwhile watch or read. Her background as a clinical psychologist, professor and author has equipped her with expertise in narcissism. She provides us with advice on how to be self-advocates when confronted with difficult people in an increasingly insecure world. Ramani also writes articles critiquing our society’s “culture of entitlement.”
“The balance between wanting to get along with others and protecting ourselves is one of the most exquisitely difficult to achieve,” Ramani wrote in her second book, ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am?’: How to Stay Sane in an Era of Narcissism, Entitlement, and Incivility. “Nobody wants to be a sucker, but most of us don’t want to be tyrants. We actually do want to get along, but we do not want to be played.”
Barb Schmidt
Barb Schmidt’s Instagram, @peaceful_barb, is a happy little ray of sunshine in my feed. Schmidt is an author, professor and the founder of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, an online mental health and wellness community. Alongside her daughter, Michelle Maros, Schmidt is always posting uplifting and informative content encouraging their followers to live their best lives and know their worth. The content has a huge emphasis on mindfulness practices.
But above all, Schmidt’s Instagram is just really adorable.
Cinema Therapy
This witty YouTube channel meets at the intersection of movies and mental health topics. Hosted by therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright, Cinema Therapy is thoroughly entertaining if you love pop culture and psychology. The two men break down a ton of concepts, from different mental illnesses to toxic masculinity and family relationships, all while applying them to your favorite movies. Decker handles the mental health insight while Seawright provides some artistic critiques of movie production.
This channel has covered massively popular movies and cultural institutions, from Harry Potter to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars and even Disney Pixar. Decker and Seawright are great friends and it’s really fun to watch their humorous commentary as well as their (sometimes) corny video editing. I also admire the duo’s ability to remain respectful of heavy topics and be vulnerable as they share their own life experiences and struggles with viewers. This is a great channel if you’re new to learning about mental health, as the content is leisurely watching and the hosts are such a warm, welcoming pair.
No matter what path you go on today, it’s a good idea to mind what you’re consuming online. It’s also not a bad idea to take some time to learn makes you and others tick. Knowing who you are and what you value will lead to a happier, more intentional life. These four content creators make that journey less daunting and more fun.