Happier with Gretchen Rubin

For this episode of More Happier, for your weekend listening, we’re bringing you our conversation with Drew Barrymore, one of our favorite interviews from the very first year of Happier. Plus we talk about having an end-of-year ritual, procrastinating about holiday decorations, and the joy of temporary tattoos.  Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouT...

Ep. 482: We discuss why you might decide to train for a tough transition—perhaps for an entire year. We also revisit a listener’s response from years ago that listeners continue to comment on; it’s an idea that has deeply resonated with people. Plus we suggest an excellent hack for storing collections of stuffed animals. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubi...

Warren Buffett is a spectacularly successful investor, and he’s also a master communicator. Lines from his “Letters to Shareholders” are easy to understand and enjoy, and are therefore more compelling and persuasive. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcas...

Because listeners asked for another “Clear the Decks” episode--where we suggest  quick, manageable, tasks to accomplish while listening--this episode features a list of short tasks to help us prepare for summer. Follow along, and by the end of the episode, we’ll all have accomplished a lot. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on...

Ep. 481. We talk about why it’s helpful to try to avoid avoidance, and why “planned maintenance” is more effective than “unplanned maintenance.” Plus we share a hack for making cooking easier and faster, as well as many suggestions from listeners of excellent books about how things work. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on Tik...

When it comes to happiness and human nature, the words and metaphors we choose have a surprisingly large influence over our actions. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s new...

Listen to a bonus episode featuring an excerpt from Gretchen Rubin's latest bestselling book, Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me Out of My Head and Into the World. This excerpt comes from the chapter Tasting: The Taste of the Tea and the Cake, or Why Ketchup is Magic.   Audio excerpt courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from LIFE IN FIVE SENSES by Gretchen Rubin; Read by the au...

In this Very Special Episode, we share hilarious and insightful “proverbs of the professions”—the collective wisdom of people in particular roles or professions about how to manage the dilemmas of life. We include proverbs that come from parents, poker players, doctors, ski instructors, and many more. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @Gretch...

Three amusing examples—from the worlds of pickpockets, farmers, and archeologists—illustrate the point that we must beware of unintended consequences. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gr...

We talk about yet another lesson from the Real Housewives: the power of a personal style. We also share a lovely marriage proposal story that involves stationery products, as well as a quick hack for reducing email spam. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads @LizCraft ...

We explore an imaginative, manageable way to write your autobiography, and we share a suggestion from a listener about using cards to help someone make it through a tough time. Plus listeners respond to the question from the veterinarian who didn’t want to lie about her profession, but also didn’t want to tell the truth. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubi...

I keep a list of quotations, images, and memories that make me happy or make me laugh. Whenever I’m feeling low, I conjure up one of those items to give myself a quick mental boost. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: h...

We talk about why it’s so enjoyable to read a book that sheds a light on how things work. We also share a hack for making driving more pleasant, as well as an easy and fun hack for sparking creativity. Plus we ask: Does your sleep feel heavy or light? Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @Gret...

A corporation president found an unconventional way to make a multi-million dollar decision—a solution that could be employed by any child in grade school. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes G...

We talk about Elizabeth’s first visit to Orangetheory, Gretchen’s experience of the eclipse, and a celebration of picture books in Kansas City. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads @LizCraft on Instagram @LizCraft on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every w...

We talk about why it’s a good idea to show ourselves (inspired by a Hollywood headshot story). We also tackle a listener’s question about how to recognize when we’ve become a mentor and the happiness stumbling block of dreading plans, even when they will be a lot of fun. Plus a listener suggests a great hack for using an Altoids tin. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media:...

During the memorial service for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the lyrics of “America the Beautiful” invoked the principle aim of her life, and one of the great dreams of the United States. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by...

We talk about how we can boost happiness by paying attention to the textures in our everyday lives. We also share an easy hack for improving video meetings and share listeners’ creative ideas for #Write24in24. We also discuss a question from a listener who faces a tough challenge: for understandable reasons, she doesn’t want to lie, and she also doesn’t want to share the truth. Get in touch: podca...

When we’re unsuccessfully trying to get rid of our children’s old toys, or a sweetheart’s ragged t-shirts from college, and can’t figure out why it’s so hard to make progress, remember: all this junk is an expression of love. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get t...

We explore the difference between discouraging “treadmill days” and energizing “finish-line days.” We also discuss the creative challenge of planning a good family April Fool’s Day joke and coming up with clever t-shirt mottos. Plus, the satisfaction of attending a dance party. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @Gretc...

In honor of National Card and Letter Writing Month, we suggest writing cards or letters to boost happiness—perhaps as part of #Write24in24. We also share listeners’ useful insights and resources from observing “No-Spend February,” and we share a quick, easy, whimsical suggestion for staying in touch. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @Gretche...

What seems important when events are unfolding isn’t always what turns out to be most significant, when we look back. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life i...

We talk about why it’s helpful to pay attention to how much time we spend venting, versus not venting, to our family and friends. We also answer a listener’s question about why SMART goals don’t work for Rebels, and share listeners’ creative responses to the “Habits for Happiness” quiz. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikT...

When an activity feels ordinary—such as texting while walking—it doesn’t feel dangerous, and that familiarity can mislead us. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest boo...

We talk about two shows that we’re enjoying: the YouTube Channel “Financial Audit” and the Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.” Plus we talk about how to get lots of tips for using outer order to find more inner calm. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads @...