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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More Happier: A Great Icebr...

05.27.2023

We talk about a fun, thought-provoking question to pose when we’re trying to make conversation, we discuss an astonishing fact about where we each live, and share a useful framework to decide whether we’re taking refuge in work when we ...

Happier with Gretchen Rubin episodes:

05.27.2023 More Happier: A Great Icebreaker Question, a Startling Realization About Where We Live, and How to Know When Work Is an Escape We talk about a fun, thought-provoking question to pose when we’re trying to make conversation, we discuss an astonishing fact about where we each live, and share a useful framework to decide whether we’re taking refuge in work when we ...
05.24.2023 Ep. 431: Design Your Summer, an Easy Hack to Have More Fun with Food, and a Talk on the Joy of Dressing As we do each year, we consider how we plan to design our summer. We also discuss a hack from a food-scientist listener about an easy way to have more fun with the sense of taste, and we talk to ...
05.22.2023 Little Happier: Which of the Five Senses Do People Most Often Neglect? The Answer Is Surprising. Tens of thousands of people have now taken the “What’s Your Neglected Sense?” quiz. The results are unexpected. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram Get the podcast show notes ...
05.17.2023 Ep. 430: Very Special Episode: Hacks, Hacks, and More Hacks for Making Entertaining Easier and More Fun For this Very Special Episode, we discuss dozens of hacks for entertaining, suggested by listeners and ourselves. We have suggestions and tips for making tasks easier, lowering the bar, doing preparations efficiently, and generally having more fun. Get in touch: ...
05.15.2023 Little Happier: Two Staircases in the Metropolitan Museum Illustrate a Profound Truth During my daily visits to the Metropolitan Museum, I noticed something about staircases that underscored a truth I already knew: the same experience can be drastically changed by design, and even a subtle difference can have a dramatic consequence. Get ...
05.13.2023 More Happier: Elizabeth Talks About Being on Strike as a TV Writer and Reveals Her New Philosophy of Life Elizabeth talks about the experience of being on strike as a Hollywood TV writer (and, relatedly, working on her new novel), and she also reveals her new insight about how she wants to live her life. Plus we discuss people’s ...
05.10.2023 Ep. 429: Try the Strategy of Unpairing, an Easy Travel/Exercise Hack, and When to Push Out of a Comfort Zone We talk about why and how we should try the Strategy of Unpairing when trying to change a habit. We also discuss an easy way to get more exercise while traveling, and how to know when to accept ourselves—and when ...
05.08.2023 Little Happier: “What Famous Person Was Born on My Birthday?” “You Were.” A conversation with Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor made me realize: it must be very odd to be a historic figure. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram Get ...
05.06.2023 Bonus! Hear an Excerpt from Gretchen Rubin’s New Book “Life in Five Senses.” As a thank-you to “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” listeners, this bonus episode features an excerpt from the audiobook of Gretchen Rubin’s new book, “Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the ...
05.03.2023 Ep. 428: Be a Source of Opportunity, Find Good Books to Read, and How to Cope with Difficult Family Dogs We talk about how and why we should try to be a source of opportunity for others. We also discuss listeners’ suggestions for how to deal with family members who won’t control their dogs, as well how we get recommendations ...
05.01.2023 Little Happier: Am I Looking for My Wallet Where the Light Is Good, or Where I Dropped It? An old joke illustrates an important truth: When we’re searching for a solution, it’s often tempting to look where we can see more clearly, rather than to look to look into obscurity—even if it’s more likely that we’ll find our ...
04.29.2023 More Happier: Hiking and Clutter-Clearing in L.A., a Secret of Great TV, and Personal Upgrades. During our recent time together in Los Angeles, we did many things that made us happy: hike, clear Elizabeth’s office, and drink lots of coffee. We also talk about a little-discussed explanation for why “Breaking Bad,” “Better Call Saul,” and ...
04.26.2023 Ep. 427: Do the Thing You’re Encouraging Someone Else to Do, a Networking Hack, and Finisher vs. Opener We talk about why, when we’re encouraging someone else to do something, we should consider doing it ourselves. We also discuss a hack to make networking easier, as well as the helpful know-yourself-better question: “Are you a finisher or an ...
04.24.2023 Little Happier: Queen Elizabeth II and Her Corgis Show That We Can Interpret the Same Situation in Different Ways A story about Queen Elizabeth II and her offer to feed her corgis illustrates how the same situation can be interpreted in different ways. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on ...
04.19.2023 Ep. 426: Tackle a Project by Considering the Five Senses, Enjoy More Luxury, and Hold Better Meetings We talk about why it’s useful to consider the five senses as we’re tackling a project or challenge—it’s a way to boost creativity and unlock ideas. We also discuss how we can heighten our appreciation for our five senses by ...
04.17.2023 Little Happier: A Place from Childhood Haunts Stephen King’s Imagination In his terrific book On Writing, Stephen King recounts how a certain place from his childhood recurs repeatedly in his fiction, under different names. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on ...
04.15.2023 More Happier: How to Manage the Stress of Having a Book About to Hit the Shelves: Personal Mantras & Hacks Because the book “Life in Five Senses” is just a few days away from being published, we talk about ways to deal with the anxiety of putting a big piece of work out into the world—personal mantras, hacks, and strategies. ...
04.12.2023 Ep: 425: Use Touch When Talk Is Tough, Close Your Eyes in a Dressing Room, and Answers for Questioners We discuss why it’s helpful to touch someone during a tough conversation (if appropriate, of course). We mention why closing your eyes in a store dressing room can make it easier to make good buying decisions, and we take a ...
04.10.2023 Little Happier: How Teachers Changed the Lives of Steve Carrell and Adrienne Kennedy For actor Steve Carrell (Michael from “The Office) and playwright Adrienne Kennedy, the influence of a childhood teacher shaped their lives. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram ...
04.05.2023 Ep. 424: "Taste It by 25," Ways to Make Networking Easier, and Why 4/10 Is a Day to Consider Your Tendency We talk about why it’s a good idea to taste a new food, or listen to a new kind of music, before the age of 25. We also discuss why the date of April 10 makes a good catalyst to ...
04.03.2023 Little Happier: Why Did a Neighbor Object to a Brownstone’s Bright Yellow Door? A neighbor asked, “Why would you paint your door such an ugly color?” as if everyone would agree that a particular color was objectively ugly. It can be helpful to remember that our preferences don’t reflect an objective truth. Get ...
04.01.2023 More Happier: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes Makes Us Happier, Good Tools Make Spring Cleaning Fun—Plus, Quiz We talk about why Patrick Mahomes, the star quarterback from our hometown football team, is making us happier with his initiative to encourage children to read every day. We also discuss whether spring actually makes us feel like doing spring ...
03.29.2023 Ep. 423: Indulge in a Nostalgia Smell, Try One of These April Fool’s Day Pranks, and an Easy Way to Stop Snacking We talk about why you might indulge in a “nostalgia smell,” share listeners’ suggestions for simple, fun April Fool’s Day pranks, and discuss an easy way to resist the temptation of snacking. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: ...
03.27.2023 Little Happier: The Same People Are Always Late, and the Same People Are Always on Time My weight-training instructor observed, “The same people are always late, and others are always on time.” Even though they’re experiencing the same traffic, the same weather, and the same usual challenges of everyday life. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on ...
03.22.2023 Ep. 422: Create an Audio Apothecary, Questioners Don’t Like to Answer Questions—and a Terrific New Quiz! We talk about why and how we might create our own “Audio Apothecary” to help us evoke certain moods. We also discuss a handy pronunciation hack, and two Questioners ask how a Questioner can handle the annoyance of being peppered ...
03.20.2023 Little Happier: Why I Call My Sister Elizabeth “My Sister the Sage” TV writer and producer Elizabeth Craft, “my sister the sage,” has given me more than a dozen brilliant observations about the workplace and creativity—all with a Hollywood flavor. Get in touch: [email protected] Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on ...
03.18.2023 More Happier: What It’s Like to Uncover a Family Secret, the Value of Refurbishing Your Office, and Maj-Jongg With author and friend Dani Shapiro as our guest host, we talk about her experience of uncovering an old family secret, as well as the value of writing as a way to gain self-knowledge. Plus the fun of mah-jongg, anniversary ...
03.15.2023 Ep. 421: Ways to Look Around a Museum, Advice For Obligers Resisting Accountability, and a Health Hack We talk about why it’s useful to find our own way to look around a museum—and we offer some unusual suggestions. We also discuss a useful health hack, and discuss listeners’ thoughtful responses to question from the OBLIGER/Rebel who resists ...
03.13.2023 Little Happier: One Thing That Surprised Me in My Study of the Five Senses Each of us inhabits our own individual, idiosyncratic sensory worlds. One example: I love the fragrance of paperwhite narcissus flowers; my daughter Eleanor disliked the smell intensely. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & ...
03.08.2023 Ep. 420: Very Special Episode: A Bonanza of Hacks for Using Our Five Senses for Happier Lives In the Very Special Episode, we discuss hacks for tapping in to the five sense to help make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. So many fun, easy, creative hacks! Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get ...
03.06.2023 Little Happier: Through the Eyes of Love, We Are Ageless and Untouched by Time. Authors Alix Kates Schulman and Joan Didion make the same observation from their very different experiences: during their long marriages, they and their husbands didn’t age. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft ...
03.04.2023 More Happier: The Thrill of a Creative Spark, the Anticipation of Tickets to a Show, and We Enter the Debate on Thank-You Notes We discuss the fun of “March Fourth” (March 4th) and the anticipation of going Isaac Mizrahi’s cabaret show. We also talk about getting a creative spark from a brilliant, unconventional book--Adrienne Kennedy’s “People Who Led to My Plays”—and we wade ...
03.01.2023 Ep. 419: Easy Ways to Boost Focus, a New Kind of Birthday Celebration, and Building Unlikely Friendships We discuss several ways we can tap in to our five senses to boost productivity and focus, and we share a listener’s idea for a new way to celebrate a birthday. Author Will Schwalbe (“The End of Your Life Book ...
02.27.2023 Little Happier: A Writer Gives Me an Easy Hack for Evoking Memories A writer friend told me her strategy for evoking memories, by making a “memory visit.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter ...
02.22.2023 Ep. 418: Eighth Anniversary: Our Favorite Try-This At Home Ideas, Happiness Hacks & Highlights To celebrate the eighth anniversary of the podcast, we discuss the Try-This-at-Home ideas that have resonated most with listeners over the past year. We also review our favorite Happiness Hacks and some of our favorite moments and biggest milestones. Get ...
02.20.2023 Little Happier: During the Covid Lockdown, a Mother Found the Right Thing to Say When her daughter was feeling dejected about all the things she was missing during the Covid lockdown, a friend was able to find the right words to comfort her. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: ...
02.18.2023 More Happier - The Joy of Ferry Rides, the Fun of Thrillers, and the Bittersweet Feeling of Family Milestones We discuss the fun of reading psychological thrillers as well as the delights of taking a New York City ferry. We also talk about the bittersweet pleasure of passing a family milestone, and (again) why pre-orders are such a source ...
02.15.2023 Ep. 417: Celebrate “Determination Day,” Start a No-Homework Book Club, and Go Outside--or Read About It We talk about the fact that while most people have given up their New Year’s resolutions by February 28, we can celebrate that day as “Determination Day” to stay engaged with our aims. A listener explains how to start a ...
02.13.2023 Little Happier: It Makes Me Happy to Watch This Football Player’s Touchdown Celebration Football player Jaylen Waddle has created a “touchdown celebration” that’s funny, humble, simple, and a clever play on his distinctive name. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes ...
02.08.2023 Ep. 416: Identify and Work Through Small Conflicts, Stay in Closer Touch, and How to Say the Right Thing We talk about why it’s useful to identify and work through nagging conflicts (e.g., whether and when to make the bed, load the dishwasher, get off your phone). We also discuss a listener’s hack that makes it easier to say ...
02.06.2023 Little Happier: Patti Smith and the Haircut that Changed Her Life In a striking story from her memoir Just Kids, Patti Smith describes why she decided to cut her own hair and how that decision changed her life. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & ...
02.04.2023 More Happier: We Discuss How Parenthood Has Changed Us and the TV Show “Better Call Saul,” and We Both Learn Something New We discuss two questions: whether parenthood has changed us and whether we ask ourselves rhetorical questions. Then we realize we’re not entirely clear on the definition of “rhetorical question.” We also talk about tablescapes and relationships. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; ...
02.01.2023 Ep. 415: Aim to Show Up, Agree on a Code Phrase for “Change the Subject,” and Why No One’s Right or Wrong We talk about why it’s a good idea to aim to show up, and why it’s helpful to establish a code phrase with your sweetheart to let them know, “Change the subject.” We also talk about how to avoid arguments ...
01.30.2023 Little Happier: The Old Story of Stone Soup Reminds Me that Magic Solutions Usually Don’t Exist In an old story, a stone magically makes a soup out of water—but you do have to add carrots, beef, cabbage, onions, milk, salt, pepper, and potatoes. This story reminds me to be wary when someone offers a quick fix ...
01.25.2023 Ep. 414: Think About Your Past-Self. Plus a Valentine’s Hack, and Are You and Over- or Under-Estimator? We talk about why instead of thinking about our future-selves, we might think about our past-selves. Also, a listener suggests a lovely family Valentine’s Day tradition, and we ask ourselves the question, “Am I an over-estimator or an under-estimator?” Get ...
01.23.2023 Little Happier: When Do I Feel the Joyous, Childhood Feeling of Expectancy? Writer Betty MacDonald’s memoir reminds me that even as adults, to be happier, we should seek out experiences that will give us the “wonderful, joyous, childhood feeling of expectancy.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: ...
01.21.2023 More Happier: Guest Co-Host! The Iconic Heather Dubrow of “Real Housewives” Fame For this episode, we have a surprise co-host—an iconic figure who offers her own suggestions and insights for how to be (more) happier. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast ...
01.18.2023 Happier - Ep. 413: Tune in to Your Five Senses, “Go Outside 23 in 23” Even in Bad Weather, and a Hack About Dread We talk about how and why we should tune in to our five senses. We also share listeners’ practical suggestions for how to “Go Outside 23 in 23” when the weather is bad, and discuss an easy hack for handling ...
01.16.2023 Little Happier: A Truth About Happiness That Confused Me for a Long Time For a long time, when I tried to understand the nature of happiness, I was confused by one aspect of its nature. Finally, I figured it out: One of the best ways to make ourselves happy is to make other ...
01.11.2023 Ep. 412: Turn Deprivation into Indulgence, Creative Ways to Make a “23 in 23” List, and a Fun Tradition In honor of “Dry January,” we explore why we might want to turn deprivation into indulgence (with alcohol or with anything else). We discuss listeners’ ideas for creative ways to approach the “23 in 23” tool, and share a suggestion ...

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