“A Slight Change of Plans” offers advice for navigating change with grace.
As we come upon the third year of the pandemic, things are still constantly changing in regards to, well, everything. Change can be stressful and scary, especially with the varying degrees of strain and hardship that the pandemic has placed on everyone.
That’s why the podcast “A Slight Change of Plans” might be exactly what some of us need right now. It aired for the first time in May 2021 and offers stories from people who have been through big life changes and coped with them.
The show updates weekly, but there are 28 episodes so far for new listeners to explore. Host Maya Shankar talks to a variety of guests, from celebrities like Kacey Musgraves to psychologists to Olympians as the show explores what it’s like to persevere through difficult times. Most of the episodes range between 20 to 40 minutes, making them perfect to listen to while driving in the car or enjoying a walk around campus.
Shankar, a cognitive scientist, is the perfect host. She too went through a life change, with an injury to her hand stifling her dreams of becoming a successful violinist. She navigated this change and eventually saw it as a chance to begin exploring other possibilities. Shankar talks to people who have been through similar experiences and how they navigated the ups and downs in their lives.
Some of the episodes feature conversations with researchers who study human behavior. Episode five, “The Science of Change,” features a conversation with cognitive scientist Dr. Katy Milkman. She and Shankar discuss “science-based strategies to help inspire change in your own life.” Engaging conversations like these cover many exciting ideas and tips to be more resilient, while less emotionally heavy than the more personal stories.
The episodes are inspiring, even if they are hard to listen to at times. This isn’t necessarily a feel-good podcast, as many of the difficulties that some of the guests detail are serious and often anxiety inducing, especially if you tend to worry a lot yourself.
The variety available on the podcast is a good thing though. It’s important to listen to stories of people whose experiences are different from yours, even when those experiences sometimes seem frightening. As Shankar tries to impress upon her listeners, changes that seem to have negative life-altering consequences can also open up new possibilities.
The different stories featured as well as the more science-based episodes make this podcast a must listen for anyone going through a change right now, especially the big ones, like graduating, moving or getting a new job (something some of us at TU are about to go through soon!). Give it a listen the next time you are in the mood for a podcast that helps you grow and maybe even thrive.
“A Slight Change of Plans” is available on all streaming platforms.