Sometimes music gets old or you're just not feeling it. You have a long commute and want to listen to something but don't know quite what. What do you do? One word. Podcasts!

They've been around for over a decade but are just getting super popular because of Itunes, Google Play, and Spotify. There's something for literally every niche! There are podcasts about music, news, politics, sports, sci-fi, self-help. Basically everything you need to nail #adulting.

If you're new to podcasts, my suggestion is to start short. I wasn't super used to just sitting and listening to someone else talk for 30 minutes. Take away the eye contact, body language, and ability to engage in conversation and you might notice that it's not easy to just sit and listen and actually absorb the conversation.

With podcasts on the rise and interest in them increasing rapidly, they are also getting longer. Finding something short and sweet can prove to be a challenge when your not sure what to look for. Here are four of my absolute favorite podcasts that'll totally get you hooked!

1. A Thousand Things to Talk About

A Thousand Things to Talk About is like a massive database of questions and facts. Episodes are published every weekday and never go longer than five minutes. The perfect way to jump-start your day and get the brain going. With over 550 episodes there is a ton to listen to! 

Topics range from romantic advice like the importance of cuddling in a relationship and what is an acceptable dating age gap, health advice like dieting and vaccinations, religion, population control, digital communication, the black market, feminism.

 2. TED Talks Daily

TED Talks Daily are educational and thought provoking. They range from five to 20 minutes in length and include any topic imaginable; from the male contracepting pill, SpaceX, disability rights. Literally everything: science, politics, education, social media, fashion, language, art, faith. You name it! There's probably a few TED Talks about it.

There are over 150 episodes with an average of five additions every week.

Some are in interview form, others are lectures. It is important to note that the people speaking about these subjects have done extensive research, making them credible and probably the most educated on the matter at hand.

3. WSJ What's News

Staying up to date on current events is extremely important right now. There is always something new going on in the world, and if we are being honest, a little more ridiculous than would be ideal. A quick and easy way to stay in the know is by listening to WSJ What's News (produced by The Wall Street Journal).

Sometimes you don't have a lot of time to read the news, or even watch it. Or you might find current events a bit obscure and confusing. WSJ What's News is there to help. Episodes are only eight to 10 minutes long and include the need-to-knows of the day. They are uploaded daily to keep you in the loop.

4. Happier with Gretchen Rubin

We all need a little boost every now and again. Happier with Gretchen Rubin is a great self-improvement podcast, hosted by Gretchen Rubin who is the author of the #1 bestselling book "The Happiness Project." She wants to share with all of you how she achieved happiness in her personal life, in the hopes that she can help you manifest it in yours as well! 

Episodes for this podcast are a little bit lengthy, 30 to 45-minute episodes but there is a two minute "Little" in between. There is one "Little" published every Sunday to give you that extra boost at the beginning of the week.

If you decide podcasts might be your thing...there is a built-in app for iPhone users. Unfortunately, Android doesn't have a built-in app yet but there is a bunch of podcast apps available through Google Play. Popular and FREE podcast apps for Android are Spreaker, Stitcher, and Podbean.

If you decide to give podcasts a try, these 4 are the perfect way to start. Something short and sweet to start your audio journey! We would love to know what podcasts your are listening to! Just let us know in the comments.