I once thought that podcasts were for those who spend too much time on the road. It turned out that they are for everyone who wants to live their day a little more deeply. I started listening to them by chance, when I needed something to do on the train. And now, even at home, I turn on them instead of TV.

There is a special pleasure - listening to the stories of people you have never met, but feeling that their experience resonates inside. One of my favorite podcasts is about small towns. People talk about what they see from their windows, about their neighbors, about how they spend their evenings. And I understand that the world is not that big.

Another one that I love is about personal habits. There are no trivial pieces of advice like "get up at five in the morning." People share what really works in their lives. Some stopped checking their phones in the morning, others learned to spend their evenings without social media. Sometimes I try some of their ideas and see that small changes can change a lot.

Podcasts have become a background for me at different moments. I can be washing dishes and listening to an interview with a musician, and suddenly catch myself smiling in an empty kitchen. I can walk around the city in the evening, and a quiet voice sounds in my headphones, telling me about someone's trip to the mountains.

They teach me to listen. To listen to stories, thoughts, emotions of other people. And, perhaps, this is the most valuable thing - because the more you listen, the more you understand yourself.