Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Health EN ↓ 1338 episodes

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. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Author

Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project

Episodes

Ep. 342: Join the Work Happier Challenge, Use a Rubber Duck to Tackle a Tough Problem, and How to Fight Against Falling into Zombie Mode 08.09.2021 33:43

We suggest taking the free “Work Happier Challenge” by text as we head into the “other January” of September, explain why talking to a rubber duck can help us tackle difficult problems, explore the challenge of the “first night effect” when traveling—and Elizabeth struggles with zombie mode. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @Gretch...

Little Happier: Actor Andrew McCarthy Faces the Question of How, as a Parent, to Acknowledge a Child’s Pain 06.09.2021 4:07

When the young son of actor and writer Andrew McCarthy raised a tough issue, his father found the right words to respond. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnerca...

Ep. 341: Find Something Unconventional to Celebrate, How to Deal with a Happiness Regret, and Listeners Suggest Ways to Deal with a Talkative Co-worker 01.09.2021 33:11

Inspired by “Garbage Eve,” we discuss about why we might find something unconventional to celebrate, we talk about listeners’ suggestions for dealing with a co-worker who interrupts constantly, and listener asks about how to deal with the regret of not having started her Happiness Project sooner. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @G...

Little Happier: For Writer Isabel Allende, January 8 Is the Right Day to Begin. 30.08.2021 4:39

In remembrance of her grandfather’s death, writer Isabel Allende starts all her new books on January 8, which for her is the right day to begin. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: h...

Ep. 340: Very Special Episode! Ask Us Anything 25.08.2021 37:46

Every tenth episode is a Very Special Episode, and this episode is an “Ask Us Anything.” We answer listener questions about our parents, career insights, our favorite hacks, why Gretchen calls Elizabeth “my sister the sage,” and more. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email ev...

Little Happier: Ordinary Belongings Become Precious as They Persist—Like My Parents’ Brown Bowl 23.08.2021 3:03

Ordinary belongings become precious as they persist. They make us feel rooted in our own existence, with the comforting feeling that “Some things will never change.” Things will change, of course—but using my parents’ brown bowl makes me feel like they won’t. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every...

Ep. 339: Why It’s More Helpful to Ask for Help than to Show Anger, a Listener Struggles with a Talkative Co-Worker, and What Textures Do You Enjoy Most? 18.08.2021 32:42

We discuss why, if we’re facing a challenge, it can be more helpful to focus on need than anger, explore a know-yourself-better question related to textures, and a listener asks: I’m back in the office; what do I do about a co-worker who won’t stop talking to me? Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the p...

Little Happier: Musician Rosanne Cash Reminds Me of a Paradox: Love Is Unconditional, and Love Is Demanding 16.08.2021 5:56

Musician and writer Rosanne Cash tells the story of a conversation she had with her husband, which was a terrific illustration of a paradox of love. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM her...

Bonus Episode: Fantasy Island! We Explore the Making of the New FOX TV Drama 13.08.2021 41:26

In this bonus episode, we dive deep into questions about the making of the new FOX TV drama “Fantasy Island” and Elizabeth’s role as showrunner. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretchen’s new book OU...

Ep. 338: If You’re Under Pressure, Give Yourself Less Time, an Easy Hack for Listening to Podcasts, and an Interview with Ramit Sethi about Money and Couples. 11.08.2021 32:05

We talk about why, when under pressure, you might consider giving yourself less time, we suggest a hack that makes podcast-listening more convenient, and Ramit Sethi discusses his new podcast about the role that money can play in our romantic relationships. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast...

Little Happier: A Single Letter Reverses the Meaning of This Quotation from Leonardo da Vinci 09.08.2021 4:15

I’d long been haunted by a line from Leonardo da Vinci’s “Notebooks,” but I learned that I’d mistyped a single letter, and had utterly transformed the meaning of the quotation. (I like my version better than Leonardo’s.) Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#ne...

Ep. 337: Take a Nap, an Easy Hack for Lowering Frustration, a New Way to Use Gold Stars—and Are You a “Song” Lover or a “Music” Lover? 04.08.2021 34:03

We explore the many benefits of taking a nap (if schedules permit), one listener suggests a simple organization hack and another listener finds a way to use demerits and gold stars in a hospital, and we discuss whether we’re “song” lovers or “music” lovers. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast...

Little Happier: After Enron’s Downfall, a Massive Trove of Private Emails Were Made Public. Researchers Learned a Lot, and So Did I. 02.08.2021 4:42

The fascinating history of the “Enron Corpus,” the trove of private emails that were made public in the wake of the collapse of the energy company Enron, reminds me never to write anything in an email that I wouldn’t want to see made public. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://...

Ep. 336: Allow Others to Share Your Enthusiasm, the Props Listeners Use to Manage Anxiety, a Deep Dive into Listeners’ One-Word Themes—Plus a Hack for Asking Tough Questions 28.07.2021 34:44

We discuss why it’s a good idea to allow others to share your enthusiasm, we review the props used by listeners to help manage anxiety, take a look at listeners’ one-word themes for 2021, and share a hack for asking a tough question. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email ev...

Little Happier: To the Curious and Prepared Mind, Something Dull Becomes Interesting. 26.07.2021 2:55

A story about the small talk of two brilliant mathematicians reminds me that a curious and well-informed mind can find much of interest in the world. The taxi-cab’s number 1729 turns out to be a very interesting number. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#new...

Ep. 335: Walk Away from a Bad Mood, a Rebel and an Obliger Offer Tips, and a Great Hack for Giving an Easy Yet Thoughtful Gift 21.07.2021 26:36

We talk about how we can walk away from a bad mood, suggest an idea for giving very thoughtful gifts (that are easy to do), and discuss excellen suggestions from a Rebel and an Obliger about self-management. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretc...

Little Happier: Both My Parents Made the Same Observation about Queen Elizabeth II. 19.07.2021 4:29

I was surprised when both my parents commented on Queen Elizabeth II’s decision to direct the Royal Family to wear mourning clothes (instead of traditional uniforms) to the funeral of her husband Prince Philip. Both my parents were impressed by the thoughtfulness and foresight of her decision. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the...

Ep. 334: Happier Podcast Book Club: Writer and Musician Michelle Zauner Talks about Family, Identity, and Food in Her Memoir “Crying in H Mart” 14.07.2021 31:47

We talk to Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast about her compelling memoir “Crying in H Mart.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Get the resources and all links related to this episode here: http://happiercast.com/3...

Little Happier: Sometimes We Lash Out in Anger When In Fact We’re Feeling a Very Different Emotion 12.07.2021 5:46

A poignant scene from Meredith Hall’s novel Beneficence, where a husband and father speaks with harsh words to deny his regrets, reminds me to show my love; others can only see my actions. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Order a copy of Gretche...

Ep. 333: We Review Our One-Word Theme for the Year, Suggest a Hot-Weather Hack, and Discuss the Power of Plants with Michael Pollan 07.07.2021 39:45

The year 2021 has hit the midway point, so we review our one-word themes to evaluate how we’re doing. We also suggest a hack for dealing with hot summer nights, and talk about Michael Pollan about his fascinating new book, “This Is Your Mind on Plants.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast sho...

Little Happier: Sometimes, When We Understand Someone’s Perspective, Our Anger Fades 05.07.2021 4:46

Sometimes, understanding someone else’s point of view allows our anger to fade. When writer Julie Lythcott-Haims understood that her mother’s definition of a “visit” differed from her definition of a “visit,” her resentment faded and her empathy grew. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email every week her...

Ep. 332: We Review Our “21 for 2021” Lists to Consider What We’ve Done (or Not) and Discuss a Happiness Hack for Managing Anxiety. 30.06.2021 39:29

The year is hitting the half-way mark, so we review our “21 for 2021” lists to mark our progress (and lack of progress). We also review a hack for clearing the mind, and Elizabeth gets both a demerit and a gold star related to work. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email ever...

Little Happier: Novelist Amy Tan Didn’t Ask Her Unnamed Goddess for Good Reviews, But for Something Else. 28.06.2021 3:45

Novelist Amy Tan recounts that as she was writing her second book, she prayed to unnamed goddess that she “be able to write the best book I could, and that no matter what happened to it, I would have no regrets.” Wisely, she didn’t pray for a particular outcome or some metric of success; she prayed that she would feel no regrets. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch...

Ep. 331: Give Yourself a Prop to Hold, Ways to Maintain Healthy Habits as Ordinary Routines Resume, and Hack for Little Kids and Chores 23.06.2021 37:31

We talk about why you might give yourself a prop to hold, discuss a friend’s hack for helping little kids to be independent, and explore a listener question about the common post-pandemic stumbling block of maintaining healthy habits that have been acquired during the last year. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @L...

Little Happier: Why Is It So Hard to See and Hear the World from Someone Else’s Perspective? 21.06.2021 5:31

Despite all good intentions, an accomplished architect built a house with lousy acoustics, even though the owner—the writer Ved Mehta, who was blind--emphasized that the acoustical environment was the most important aspect of the house. It takes constant discipline to remember that what other people value, and what other people seek, may be very different from what we value and what we seek. Get...