Happier with Gretchen Rubin

By Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Education

What's Happier with Gretchen Rubin about?

Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. Part of the Cadence13 Network.

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Bonus: A Conversation from ...

12.02.2023

Next year marks the fifteenth anniversary of Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Project. To celebrate, she’s leading a one-time, one-year course called “The Happiness Project: Revisited.” In this bonus excerpt from the course, Gretchen and ...

Happier with Gretchen Rubin episodes:

12.02.2023 Bonus: A Conversation from The Happiness Project: Revisited Next year marks the fifteenth anniversary of Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Project. To celebrate, she’s leading a one-time, one-year course called “The Happiness Project: Revisited.” In this bonus excerpt from the course, Gretchen and ...
11.29.2023 Ep. 458: We Review Our One-Word Themes for 2023 and Reveal Our 2024 New One-Word Themes We review the one-word themes we chose for 2023—“Scale” and “Wave”--and discuss how and why those themes influenced the last twelve months. We also reveal the one-word themes we’ve chosen for 2024, and what symbol we’ll use to represent our ...
11.27.2023 Little Happier: The Only Thing Worse Than Getting Corrected Is Not Getting Corrected It’s not pleasant to be criticized, but I remind myself, “The only thing worse that getting criticized is not getting criticized.” Criticism shows that someone thinks that work is worthy of correction. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: ...
11.25.2023 More Happier: Deck the Halls! A “Clear the Decks” Episode of Quick Tasks to Get Us Ready for the Holidays Because listeners asked for another “Clear the Decks” episode--where we suggest a list of manageable, one-minute-ish tasks to do while listening--this episode features a “Deck the Halls” lists of quick tasks. Follow along, and by the end of the episode, ...
11.22.2023 Ep. 457: Look for Pockets of Wasted Time, a Hack to Soothe Anxiety, and Are You a Baker or Cook? We discuss how and why we might look for pockets of wasted time (and talk about some wasted time we uncovered ourselves.) We also suggest an easy step to lower anticipatory anxiety, a simple hack for avoiding waste, and discuss ...
11.20.2023 Little Happier : Who Is the Sponsor, Who Is Being Sponsored? They Can Take Turns In the Alcoholics Anonymous program, two people decided to take turns every day, acting as the sponsor or the one being sponsored. In helping, we are being helped. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin ...
11.15.2023 Ep. 456: Consider Our Holiday Gift Guide and Learn Someone’s Gift- Getting Type (and Your Own) As we do every year, we share a list of suggestions for great holiday gifts. We also discuss a way to figure out what kinds of gifts someone else would want—and how to think of ideas for great gifts to ...
11.13.2023 Little Happier: A Mistake I’ve Made Before and Which I Made Again I’ve made this mistake before, and I just made it again: During a crunch time, I decided, “With the publication of ‘Life in Five Senses,’ I can’t manage to do all these other tasks. They have to wait until afterward.” ...
11.11.2023 More Happier: Lucky Calendar Dates, the “Wrong-Shoe Theory,” and How to Have a Christmas-Movie Month We talk about lucky dates (such as 11/11), the “wrong-shoe theory” approach to getting dressed, and a listener’s entertaining plan to celebrate her birthday month by living the life of a character from a Hallmark holiday movie. Get in touch: ...
11.08.2023 Ep. 455: Elizabeth Talks About Her Experience with Diabetes In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, Elizabeth talks about living with type 1 diabetes: her diagnosis, how she manages day-to-day, pregnancy, changes in technology, how family and friends can help, and more. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social ...
11.06.2023 Little Happier: At Last, Someone Appreciates My Dimmers I laughed when I saw that someone appreciates a good dimmer system as much as I do. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast ...
11.01.2023 Ep. 454: Find the Perfect Gift, Look Behind You, and Listeners’ Ideas for Coping with Someone’s Last Days We talk about the new gift-giving quiz that divides people into four categories depending on the kinds of gifts they prefer to receive: Tried-and-True, Easy-to-Please, Enthusiast, and Connoisseur. We remind ourselves of the very helpful hack to check behind you ...
10.30.2023 Little Happier: Have You Ever Been Annoyed by “The Dog in the Manger?” The old story about “The Dog in the Manger” is a reminder that if there’s something we can’t enjoy or make us of, we should back away and let someone else benefit from it. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on ...
10.28.2023 More Happier: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Group Texts, and How a Hollywood Pitch Sells in the First Minute We talk about our response for trying—for the first time!—the famous flavor of pumpkin spice latte. We also discuss the secret of a making a convincing TV pitch, and how group texts can strengthen family bonds. Get in touch: [email protected] ...
10.25.2023 Ep. 453: “Halloween Is the New Christmas,” the Ghost-Painting Challenge, and Fall Asleep to Podcasts We talk about how and why the creative challenge of coming up with “___ is the new ___” observations sparks happiness. We also talk about enjoying the five- senses experiences of Halloween, and the fun of the new thrift ghost-painting ...
10.23.2023 Little Happier: Three Passers-by Stop to Comfort a Stranger, and Instead Share a Moment of Joy In South Carolina, three thoughtful passers-by stopped to comfort a weeping stranger—and had the opportunity to share a joyful moment with author Hernan Diaz, who had just learned that he’d won the Pulitzer Prize. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on ...
10.18.2023 Ep. 452: Tackle Hard Social Situations, Do Questioners Ever Rebel, and Is Your Birthday Important? We suggest several practical solutions to common, but challenging, social situations. We also address a listener’s question, “Do Questioners ever experience Questioner-rebellion?” and discuss the know-yourself-better question of “Is your birthday important to you?” Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on ...
10.16.2023 Little Happier: Why Did Charles Darwin Write “I Think” on One of the Most Significant Notebook Pages? At the top of one of the most significant pages of his notebooks, Charles Darwin wrote “I think.” There are three good reasons to explain why he might have done so. Get in touch: podc[email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin ...
10.14.2023 More Happier: Great Accountability for Obligers, the Important vs. the Urgent, and How to Spark Creativity We talk about how Elizabeth’s novel-writing is going, now that the Hollywood writers’ strike is over. Inspired by a recent wedding, we discuss the huge contribution that old friends can make to our happiness. Plus we highlight a great suggestion ...
10.11.2023 Ep. 451: Visually Represent Your Challenge, Ideas for Improving Routines, and Elizabeth Reveals the Great Shoe Brand We talk about why making a visual representation of a challenge can help us make tough decisions. We also share listeners’ suggestions about improvements they’ve made to their daily routines, and Elizabeth reveals the brand of running shoe that cured ...
10.09.2023 Little Happier: The Helper Gets More Help Than the Helped My daughter’s experience helping with little kids at school illustrates the same principle as the sponsorship program in A.A.: by giving support, we gain. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on ...
10.04.2023 Ep. 450: Very Special Episode: Hacks for Performance (Stage Fright, Preparation, Mistakes, and More) In this Very Special Episode, we discuss ideas, hacks, and habits related to the challenge of performance. We all have to perform—give a wedding toast, make a presentation to co- workers, give an announcement to a group, or make a ...
10.02.2023 Little Happier: A Mystery: How Possessions Change When Their Owner Dies After people die, their possessions often seem transformed, because they’re no longer animated by the animating force of their owner. It’s startling and transcendent to experience this change. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin ...
09.30.2023 More Happier: Our Favorite Easy Way to Make Ourselves Happier, Healthier, Smarter, and More Productive In honor of International Podcast Day, we talk about all the ways that listening to podcasts boosts our happiness—by making it easier and more fun to exercise, fall asleep, learn information, do chores, relieve anxiety, commute, and stay connected to ...
09.27.2023 Ep. 449: Make a Mindful Investment in Yourself, a Hack for Falling Asleep, and Fun with Pop-Tarts We discuss why making a mindful investment in ourselves is a good way to spend our time, energy, and money. We also suggest a hack for falling asleep more easily, and we tackle a listener’s question about a messy adult ...
09.25.2023 Little Happier: What’s the Real Lesson from the Tortoise and the Hare? It’s Not What You Think The familiar fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare” offers many possible lessons, and the most common moral—“Slow and steady wins the race”--actually isn’t the most apt. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on ...
09.20.2023 Ep. 448: Start Your 100 Day Countdown, Try the Library, and a Deep Dive into Issues for Rebels and School: ADHD & College There are 100 days left until the end of the year, so if something needs to get done, start the countdown! We also read a listener’s suggestion for another reason to visit your local library, and we take a deep ...
09.18.2023 Little Happier: Do You Like the Idea of a “Happiness Project”—or Does It Remind You of Homework? Our attitude toward a habit or an activity can be dramatically changed by the words we use to describe it. I love the idea of a “happiness project,” but to some people, that sounds too much like homework. Get in ...
09.16.2023 More Happier: A Case of Obliger-Rebellion, Advice About Waking Up a Child, and Do Spoilers Spoil Stories? A Case of Obliger-Rebellion, Advice About Waking Up a Child, and Do Spoilers Spoil Stories? We talk about Elizabeth’s rare episode of Obliger-rebellion (spoiler: it involved a box of chocolates) and about advice for helping children get themselves out of ...
09.13.2023 Ep. 447: Give a Meaningful Compliment, Protect Your Privacy, and What’s the Least-You Thing You Do? We talk about why we should pay someone a meaningful complement, and we share many wonderful, moving compliments received by listeners. We also highlight a quick, easy hack that can protect your digital privacy and discuss an amusing (and also ...
09.11.2023 Little Happier: Opportunity Cost and Abstainers: A New Term Can Help Us See the World in a New Way New terms allow us to understand the world in a deeper way. Opportunity cost, abstainers vs. moderators, finishers vs. openers—sometimes, having the right vocabulary helps us see more clearly. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube ...
09.06.2023 Ep. 446: Re-Think Our Daily Routine, Recognize the Warning Signs of Obliger-Rebellion, and a Back-to-School Demerit We talk about why it’s a good idea to re-examine our personal, work, and family routines to look for opportunities to improve. We also discuss how Obligers can recognize when they’re entering the state of Obliger-rebellion, and we answer a ...
09.04.2023 Little Happier: As an Upholder, I Needed an Obliger Friend to Tell Me the Right Thing to Do During the covid period, my daughter Eliza returned to live on campus for her final semester of college. She was told to pack lightly, and as an Upholder, I took that to mean that she should pack very, very lightly. ...
09.02.2023 More Happier: The Anniversary of a Favorite Book, a Lesson in Standing Up, and the Joy of Clearing Clutter We talk about the eleventh anniversary of “Happier at Home,” which is Elizabeth’s favorite book written by Gretchen. We also discuss a lesson in standing up for yourself, and about the energy that comes from getting rid of clutter. Get ...
08.30.2023 Ep. 445: Have a Happier Labor Day, Nominate Someone, and Manage the Line Between Work and Leisure We reflect on two questions that can help us make our work lives happier, more productive, and more creative. We also talk about why it’s a good idea to nominate people for awards, and how to manage the breakdown of ...
08.28.2023 Little Happier: When Do We Say “I’m Finished” and When Do We Say “I Can Still Make It Better?” A story from the life of writer Shirley Hazzard illustrates the conundrum: When do we think, “It can still be better,” and when do we decide, “It’s finished?” Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin ...
08.23.2023 Ep. 444: Benefit from Tools You Already Use, a Gift Idea, and Traditions for the Other “New Year” We talk about why and how we might try to get more benefit from a tool we already use, and share an idea for a gift that’ very valuable to the recipient, but doesn’t cost any money. We also share ...
08.21.2023 Little Happier: A Story About a Man Who Couldn’t Resist Tempting Food—Until He Could I never forgot a story I read about a man and his eating habits, and how it illustrated an essential lesson: What we think is not possible may be possible, through the power of an idea. Get in touch: [email protected] ...
08.19.2023 More Happier: A Surprising Benefit of Daily Visits to the Met, a Funny Sign from the Hollywood Picket Line, and a Same-Day Book We talk about how making daily visits to the Metropolitan Museum have had unintended consequences. We also discuss a funny sign from the Hollywood picket line that plays on a famous scene from “Mad Men,” and how there’s a special ...
08.16.2023 Ep. 443: Clear the Decks! We Try Something New to Get Ready for September, the Other New Year We’re trying something new for this episode: a fun “Clear the Decks” exercise. This time, e’re using it to help prepare to return to the usual routines after the summer, but it can be used any time we need to ...
08.14.2023 Little Happier: Have You Ever Walked Along a Desire Path? As we go through our days, we can look for “desire paths”—the natural paths that emerge as we try to find the quickest and easiest way to get where we’re going. Get in touch: podc[email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin ...
08.09.2023 Ep. 442: Take Over a Disliked Task, Check Your Passport, and When Not to Do Something for the First Time We talk about why we might take over a task that someone else particularly dislikes. We also mention that it’s a good idea to check passport expiration dates, and when it’s a bad idea to do or try something for ...
08.07.2023 Little Happier: You’re a Jerk, and I’m a Responsible Parent Listening to the “Office Ladies” podcast reminds me of the psychological phenomenon of the fundamental attribution error. Both of which are good reminders not to judge others too quickly. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube ...
08.05.2023 More Happier: How to Create Connections (Or, Butter People Up), Great TV, and Fun with the Five Senses We talk about research into how people successfully flatter others, and how those insights can help us to build strong connections in our own relationships. We also talk about the fun TV show “Claim to Fame” and insights from the ...
08.02.2023 Ep. 441: Escape Your Taste, an Easy Way to Remember Hard Names, and New Metaphors for “Empty Nest” We talk about how we can boost our happiness by escaping from our own taste. We also suggest an easy way to make it easier to remember challenging names, and share the many terrific metaphors that listeners suggested as alternatives ...
07.31.2023 Little Happier: I’m Going to Take This Thing Home, Because Otherwise Someone Else Might Steal It Idaho ghost towns have a problem with vandalism, because people think, “I’ll take this home so someone else doesn't steal it." I felt the same impulse when I visited a little unsupervised library during college. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow ...
07.26.2023 Ep. 440: Very Special Episode: We Talk About Regret—Our Own Regrets and Listeners’ Regrets In this Very Special Episode, we explore the subject of regret. We talk about the most common categories of regrets and why reflecting on regret can help us make our lives happier. We share some of our own regrets, and ...
07.24.2023 Little Happier: Would You Pay $500,000 for a Steve Jobs Paradox? An amusing paradox arose in real life: Steve Jobs put his autograph on a letter to tell someone that he didn’t sign autographs. Sometimes, in the process of saying we won’t do something, we do it. Get in touch: [email protected] ...
07.22.2023 More Happier: The Silver Lining of Summer Camp, a Happiness Bully for Writing, and Not Getting Choked Up We talk about the silver lining of having a child away at summer camp. We also discuss how a happiness bully might “encourage” someone to work on their novel, and how to avoid choking up while giving a commencement address. ...
07.19.2023 Ep. 439: Suggest the Default Option, Skip a Year of an Activity You Enjoy, and More Everyday Luxuries We talk about how we can make planning easier by suggesting the default option of time and place when coordinating with other people. We also discuss the suggestion to skip a year of an enjoyable activity, if it starts to ...

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