Happier with Gretchen Rubin - podcast cover

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Projectwww.gretchenrubin.com
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/
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Episodes

Ep. 282: Do Good to Feel Good, Bruce Feiler Suggests Two Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Manage Transitions, and a Spotlight on Octavia Butler

We discuss why one way to overcome COVID-19 listlessness is to do good for other people, explore some Know-Yourself-Better questions to help manage tough transitions with Bruce Feiler, and shine a spotlight on author Octavia Butler. 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 thi...

Jul 15, 202040 minEp. 282

Little Happier: Do You Know the Famous Story of the Fox and the Sour Grapes?

One of Aesop’s most famous fables, and writer Virginia Woolf agree: it’s important to resist the temptation to deny the truth about what we really want. 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://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information...

Jul 13, 20203 min

Ep. 281: Start a Social-Issues Book Club, a Deep Dive into the Problem of Flaky Friends, a Hack for Great Quotations, and a Spotlight on Author Jason Reynolds.

We discuss why you might start or join a social-issues book club, we talk about ways to incorporate your favorite quotations into everyday life, we take a deep dive into the challenge of flaky friends, and put a spotlight on renowned author Jason Reynolds. 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 ...

Jul 08, 202031 minEp. 281

Little Happier: Often, It’s the Small Gestures of Thoughtfulness that Make Us Feel Loved

A friend explained to me why her daily habit of making lunch came to have so much importance to her son. 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://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happie...

Jul 06, 20203 min

Ep. 280: Very Special Episode: We Discuss Questions from Listeners about the Four Tendencies Personality Framework, and a Spotlight on Samantha Irby

For this Very Special Episode, Elizabeth and I discuss listener questions related to my “Four Tendencies” Personality Framework of Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels—plus a spotlight on essayist Samantha Irby. 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 her...

Jul 01, 202034 minEp. 280

Little Happier: Someone’s Casual Comment Can Show Us an Entirely New Path for Ourselves.

Acclaimed writer Nnedi Okorafor describes how a friend’s casual comment redirected her life. 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://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about advertisers and promo codes, go to happiercast.com/sp...

Jun 29, 20205 min

Ep. 279: Halfway Through 2020: Check In with Your #20for2020 list and #Walk20in20—and a Spotlight on “Just Mercy.”

The year 2020 is halfway over, so we check in with our “20 for 2020” lists and our “Walk 20 minutes in 2020” projects, and we talk about Bryan Stevenson’s brilliant memoir “Just Mercy.” Plus a hack for social-distancing. 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 he...

Jun 24, 202033 minEp. 279

Little Happier: Illustrator Quentin Blake’s Use of Negative Space Is a Reminder of Its Possibilities.

Illustrator Quentin Blake drew on the walls of a gallery exhibit—a great reminder that we shouldn’t overlook the possibilities of negative space. 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 77...

Jun 22, 20205 min

Ep. 278: Why We Should Do Something, and a Conversation with Sofy Solomon about Lessons from Safer-at-Home in a Childhood Bedroom--and How to Make Systems More Just.

Why we should do something, a hack for measurement, and a conversation with Sofy Solomon about what we can learn about ourselves from spending time in our childhood bedrooms—and why we should treat our budgets as a moral document. 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 ...

Jun 17, 202030 minEp. 278

Little Happier: We Really Don’t Have That Kind of Time.

In this era of the coronavirus, I find myself thinking often about a passage from Anne Lamott’s book “Bird By Bird”—and reminding myself, “I really don’t have that kind of time.” 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com...

Jun 15, 20203 min

Ep. 277: Schedule an “Empower Hour,” a Know-Yourself-Better Question about Confiding Secrets, and a Spotlight on Writer Nnedi Okorafor

Why you might schedule a weekly “empower hour,” how a dollar bill can come in handy, a spotlight on the writings of Nnedi Okorafor, and a revealing question about secrets. 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/277 Order a copy of Gr...

Jun 10, 202032 minEp. 277

Little Happier: I Remind Myself: It’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature.

A proverb from computer programmers can help us remember that sometimes, our limitations and weaknesses can also serve as our strengths. 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-933...

Jun 08, 20205 min

Ep. 276: Design Your Summer, Solutions to Create Sibling Harmony, and How Cornstarch Can Enliven a Boring Afternoon

We discuss why you might design your summer, how you can use cornstarch for a fun, science-based activity, and review listeners’ solutions for creating harmony among siblings. 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/276 Order a copy o...

Jun 03, 202024 minEp. 276

Little Happier: Have You Ever Been So Impatient to Get to the End That You Couldn’t Start?

Sometimes, we’re so eager for to reach the end that we can’t bear to start. It’s an irrational but real response. 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-277-9336 For information about...

Jun 01, 20204 min

Ep. 275: Choose a Magic Number, How an Ironing Board Can Make Working from Home Easier, and a Pandemic-Time Question to Ask Yourself

We discuss why you might want to choose a magic number, how an ironing board can help you work more comfortably from home, and explore a know-yourself-better question for pandemic times. 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/275 Ord...

May 27, 202033 minEp. 275

Little Happier: Can You Call Spirits from the Vasty Deep? Sure, No Problem.

A line from Shakespeare’s Henry IV summarizes a point that’s worth remembering: it’s not hard to put our words out into the world, it’s another thing to get a response. 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a v...

May 25, 20203 min

Ep. 274: Change Your Life When You’re Changing Your Life, Hacks for Sibling Harmony, and a Deep Dive into COVID-19 Mantras.

We discuss why it’s often easier to change our lives when we’re changing our lives, we take a deep dive into COVID-19 mantras, and we discuss hacks for keeping harmony among siblings. 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/274 Order ...

May 20, 202035 minEp. 274

Little Happier: This Nightly Ritual Gives Me the “New York City Feeling” During the Pandemic.

I get my “America Feeling”— more specifically, my “New York City feeling”--every night at 7 p.m., when we all cheer and clap for the people working on the front lines of the pandemic. 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmboo...

May 18, 20203 min

Ep. 273: Get Grounded in Your Body Through Your Senses, an Idea for a Quick, Inexpensive Gift, and a Conversation about Tough Times with Kate Bowler

We discuss how we can feel calmer by getting grounded in our body, through our senses; we discuss a gift that’s easy, inexpensive, and thoughtful, and Kate Bowler joins us to talk about how to stay happier during these very difficult times. 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 relate...

May 13, 202039 minEp. 273

Little Happier: My COVID-19 Song: “New York City, Lexington Avenue, Rush Hour.”

As I stood in the middle of the unnaturally deserted Lexington Avenue at rush hour, I felt, “This is the moment when I should begin to sing . ” 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 OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM here: http://outerorderinnercalmbook.com Leave a voicemail message on: 774-...

May 11, 20207 min

Ep. 272: Make a “Power Hour After” list, a Conversation about Parenting with Dr. Elizabeth Schwarz, and Elizabeth Talks about No Alcohol April.

We talk about you might make a “Power Hour After list,” Dr. Elizabeth Schwarz joins us to talk about how to deal with common parenting challenges, and Elizabeth celebrates her completion of No Alcohol April. We have been nominated for a Webby Award. Please vote for "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" for here: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/podcasts/general-series/health-wellness Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @Gretc...

May 06, 202043 minEp. 272

Little Happier: What’s the Best Time to Plant a Tree?

A famous proverb illustrates why now is the best time to start anything—because it’s the only time we can start anything. We have been nominated for a Webby Award. Please vote for "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" for here: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/podcasts/general-series/health-wellness 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://g...

May 04, 20204 min

Ep. 271: Make Lists to Make Memories, an Easy Way to Make Zoom Meetings More Fun, and a Discussion about Meditation with Dan Harris of 10% Happier.

We discuss why you might make lists to make memories, we talk about a fun, easy way to enliven Zoom meetings, and Dan Harris of 10% Happier explains how and why meditation can be helpful during these tough times. 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...

Apr 29, 202035 minEp. 271

Little Happier: “I Love You as Much as the Salt in My Soup.”

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 situation took hold. Given the rapidly changing situation, it may be jarring to hear me ignore it—and that’s why. This folk tale is a good reminder that it’s often the most ordinary and familiar things—the things that we take for granted--are actually the most precious to us of all. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by ema...

Apr 27, 20204 min

Ep. 270: Very Special Episode with Advice for Graduates

We asked listeners for advice for graduates: What’s the best advice you ever got? What advice do you give to others--or that you wish you could give to your younger self? Plus suggestions for marking the special day during the time of COVID-19. 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 re...

Apr 22, 202040 minEp. 270

Little Happier: Michael Jordan Had a “Love of the Game” Clause

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 situation took hold. Given the rapidly changing situation, it may be jarring to hear me ignore it—and that’s why. I love this example of an outstanding athlete staying true to his love of the sport, and being so determined to play that he made sure it was written into his contract. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by emai...

Apr 20, 20203 min

Ep. 269: Choose a COVID-19 Mantra, a Fun Way to Celebrate These Difficult Days, and Casey Schwartz Talks about “Attention.”

We discuss why you might pick a mantra for the COVID-19 situation, propose a fun way to celebrate while safe at home, and talk to Casey Schwartz about the challenge of paying attention. 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/269 Orde...

Apr 15, 202043 minEp. 269

Little Happier: A Loud Noise Woke Me Up from a Sound Sleep in a Mississippi Hotel—and Made Me Very Happy.

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 situation took hold. Given the rapidly changing situation, it may be jarring to hear me ignore it—and that’s why. The sound of a train racing across the countryside, deep in the night, reminded me of my childhood visits to my grandparents in Nebraska. 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...

Apr 13, 20203 min

Ep. 268: Limit Yourself to One Option, a Self-Care Solution, and Chris Guillebeau Talks about “The Money Tree” and Creating the Work Life We Want

NOTE: These episodes were recorded before the COVID-19 situation took hold. Given the rapidly changing situation, it’s jarring to hear us ignore it—and that’s why. We discuss why you might limit yourself to one option, we highlight a listener’s brilliant self-care solution for Obligers (the secret is a pillbox), and Chris Guillebeau joins us to talk about his new novel “The Money Tree.” Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenR...

Apr 08, 202032 minEp. 268

Little Happier: How Do You Write a Letter of Recommendation for Someone You Can’t Honestly Recommend?

NOTE: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 situation took hold. Given the rapidly changing situation, it may be jarring to hear me ignore it—and that’s why. When he was asked to write an informational letter about a difficult boss, my friend found an elegant way to be helpful, truthful, and prudent. 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:/...

Apr 06, 20203 min
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