We discuss why investing in the right tools can boost both happiness and productivity—when it's worth spending money, and when it’s not. We share an easy happiness hack for finding accountability and community to keep up a good habit, and talk about a startling calculation that may change the way you read.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
• Ep. 548 Put your money where your mouth is
• Join Secrets of Adulthood on Substack
• Elizabeth is reading: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop) 
• Gretchen is reading: All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West (Amazon, Bookshop)

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gratitude is a key to happiness, and while gratitude journals work for some, alternative practices also work—such as one simple approach suggested by author Kurt Vonnegut's uncle.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about the energy (and space) gained from giving away items that others will appreciate, and we explore the surprisingly positive aspects of parasocial relationships with podcast hosts and TV personalities. Plus, we dive into the phenomenon of TV tourism.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Listen to the Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb & Gretchen Rubin podcast
• Sign up for my free weekly "Five Things Making Me Happy" newsletter

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the value of taking the trip. We also reveal something very valuable that is available for free, if you know where to look, and we share listeners’ thought-provoking responses about the “one big thing” they’ve successfully tackled.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
• Use NewsBank, PressReader, or the Libby app to get access to digital newspapers 
• Elizabeth is reading: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Amazon, Bookshop) 
• Gretchen is reading: Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton (Amazon, Bookshop)

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A simple childhood memory of jubilation raises a lasting question: Is it better to persist with activities we dislike and struggle with, or pursue what comes naturally?

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing my new podcast: Since You Asked! This is the first episode of my new show with my friend, the therapist and author Lori Gottlieb. Each week, we tackle the daily problems of living—the pet peeve that’s annoyed you for years, the question you’re too embarrassed to ask, or the dilemma you just can’t solve. If you enjoy this episode, follow Since You Asked to get future episodes in your feed.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
• Have a question or advice to share? Leave a voicemail or write to us at thesinceyouaskedpodcast.com.
• Follow along with Gretchen (@gretchenrubin) and Lori (@lorigottlieb_author) on Instagram for the latest on the show.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about why asking for clarification is so important—yet it’s an easy step to skip. We also mention a listener’s great hack for nudging her kids to unclutter, and we discuss the urge to “use it up.”

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
• Elizabeth is reading: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Amazon, Bookshop) 
• Gretchen is reading: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin (Amazon, Bookshop)

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our five senses constantly make adjustments and compromises—an observation that explains a cryptic comment by Andy Warhol.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore whether it's better to seek out new experiences or enjoy familiar favorites when traveling. Plus, we share a surprising hack about alternatives to flossing, and how we’re approaching fall routines.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Learn your Tendency and learn more about the "Four Tendencies" framework
• "Dentists know you hate flossing. Try this instead."
• GUM soft-picks

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are about 100 days left in the year, and we discuss why starting your 100-day countdown can make you happier. We also explore a hack that will help you read, learn, and get entertained, and we share interesting responses from listeners about the power of engaging.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• For the Happier Podcast Book Club: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Joshua Rothman's New Yorker article "A.I. Is Coming for Culture"
• Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
• Happier in Hollywood Substack 
• Secrets of Adulthood Substack 
• "Fall in Love with Your Next Novel" Quiz
• Elizabeth is reading: Actress of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller (Amazon, Bookshop) 
• Gretchen is reading: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (Amazon, Bookshop)

Get in touch: [email protected]

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.