We share listeners’ suggestions about creative ways to create physical representations of our one-word themes for 2021, discuss an extremely easy, fun hack for bringing happy memories to life, and we talk about the happiness stumbling block of paying for college with journalist Ron Lieber. 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/...
Feb 03, 2021•41 min•Ep. 311
Sometimes, gestures of love don’t look the way we expect. I found it wonderful to think that, many years after this time has passed, the writer realized what she’d been witnessing. 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: ...
Feb 01, 2021•4 min
In this Very Special Episode, we share hacks, strategies, and tools from listeners—and our own experience—about how to get more reading done in 2021. #Read21in21 is underway. 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/310 Order a copy of...
Jan 27, 2021•36 min•Ep. 310
I love aphorisms, proverbs, true rules, and Secrets of Adulthood, and I offer some of my favorite proverbs for parenthood. 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 c...
Jan 25, 2021•3 min
We discuss why you should heed someone’s suggestion, take a deep dive into listeners’ imaginative ideas for their “21 for 2021” lists, and reveal a hack to help us look better on Zoom (and perhaps sleep better, too). 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: ...
Jan 20, 2021•32 min•Ep. 309
The famous Greek myth of the Bed of Procrustes illustrates the principle that we shouldn’t try to pressure everyone to fit into a single approach. No bed fits every traveler; we can hurt people when we try to force them to fit into our model. 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: htt...
Jan 18, 2021•4 min
We discuss why spending one hour managing our email inbox can give us a happiness boost, highlight a listener hack about clearing out the photos on our phones, and interview award-winning journalist Gary Taubes about his new book “The Case for Keto.” 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 li...
Jan 13, 2021•36 min•Ep. 308
When I feel distracted or overwhelmed, I remind myself that I can’t blame the internet. If I want a life with more time for calm and reflection, I need to create it for myself. 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-...
Jan 11, 2021•3 min
We reveal our “21 for 2021” lists, discuss an easy hack for staying in touch with people long-distance, and Elizabeth gives a gold star to a great music documentary. Registration is still open for The Happiness Project Experience 2021. If you want to join a community focused on making meaningful changes all year long, join today: gretchenrubin.com/thpe . Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podc...
Jan 06, 2021•34 min•Ep. 307
When I’m feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or unhappy, I sometimes conjure up an image in my mind—an oak tree in Iowa, or a traffic light in a thunderstorm—to help me to feel calmer. 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: 77...
Jan 04, 2021•3 min
We choose our one-word themes for the year, and encourage listeners to choose their own theme for 2021, we discuss a hack for heading into the new year (plus a bonus wrapping-paper hack), and listeners suggest many practical, helpful ways to show love and support to someone who’s far away. Registration is still open for The Happiness Project Experience 2021. If you want to join a community focused on making meaningful changes all year long, join today: gretchenrubin.com/thpe . Get in touch: @gre...
Dec 30, 2020•40 min•Ep. 306
As several examples illustrate, it’s easy to forget that the way we see the world is very much shaped by our own perspective. One person’s reason for taking medication is another person’s negative side effect. 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 L...
Dec 28, 2020•3 min
As 2020 draws to a close, we share many terrific success stories from listeners about their experiences following the “Walk 20 in 2020” challenge, and we reveal our challenge for 2021. (Hint: It’s fun.) 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://happier...
Dec 23, 2020•35 min•Ep. 305
The simplicity and power of Yul Brynner’s anti-smoking ad, aired after his death, makes it unforgettable. This ad transformed his suffering into a story that could save the lives of others. 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 mes...
Dec 21, 2020•4 min
We review our “20 for 2020” lists and reveal what we did—and didn’t—get done in this strange year. We also talk about an easy hack to avoid leaving something behind, and Elizabeth gives herself a decorations demerit. 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: ...
Dec 16, 2020•38 min•Ep. 304
I had a pain in my foot, and I blamed my foot—until a friend pointed out that I had a tack in my shoe. Whenever I get frustrated, I remind myself that I shouldn’t be too quick to hold myself responsible for the problem. Sometimes the problem is me. But sometimes the problem is something else. 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 Gr...
Dec 14, 2020•4 min
As a holiday gift for listeners, I read a story: Charles Dickens’s timeless ghost story, “A Christmas Carol.” These days, while many people have a general impression of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts , they probably haven’t actually read or heard the story. 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/#news...
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr 34 min
As a holiday gift for listeners, I read a story: Charles Dickens’s timeless ghost story, “A Christmas Carol.” These days, while many people have a general impression of the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, and the Ghosts , they probably haven’t actually read or heard the story. 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/#news...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 19 min
We discuss why you might want to create a ritual to “Exorcise 2020” and share terrific suggestions from listeners, and our own ideas, for how to bid farewell to 2020. We also talk about a tech -related hack that makes it easier to fall asleep, and discuss ways for people to stick to a schedule when working from home. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by email every week her...
Dec 09, 2020•38 min•Ep. 303
Book-industry people love to tell this old (probably apocryphal) story, because it illustrates the temptation, and the folly, of deciding that your plan for business success is to do only those ventures that will be highly successful. 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://oute...
Dec 07, 2020•3 min
We suggest revisiting a book that you still remember from high school or college (and reveal the books that we plan to revisit), discuss a funny food-related Know-Yourself-Better question, and explain why, during the winter months, it’s a good idea to run errands in the morning; plus, a listener asks for suggestions about how to give long-distance love and support to a parent with cancer. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @Gretche...
Dec 02, 2020•30 min•Ep. 302
When I articulate very clearly in my own mind what I’m seeking to learn, that’s when I start to see the teachers. Teachers are out there—it’s myself that I need to make ready, by acknowledging and defining what I want to learn. 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://outerorderi...
Nov 30, 2020•3 min
We discuss why it’s helpful to embrace an attitude of gratitude for what this unprecedented Thanksgiving holiday offers; we do a deep dive into listeners’ useful personal policies; we share an easy money-related hack; and Gretchen gives herself a clutter-related demerit. 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...
Nov 25, 2020•36 min•Ep. 301
In the wonderful children’s book “Little Bear,” Mother Bear takes away Little Bear’s hat, coat, and snow pants so that he can be warm in the fur coat in which he was born. 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: 774-277-9...
Nov 23, 2020•4 min
With every 100th episode, we have a very special episode where listeners can ask us anything. We discuss how we were raised, how we prepare to record the podcast, tips for Obligers, why Elizabeth has such a deep love of reality TV, and more. 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 relat...
Nov 18, 2020•41 min•Ep. 300
We don’t have to choose between working toward being happier ourselves and working to increase the happiness of others. The two states reinforce each other. 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 informa...
Nov 16, 2020•3 min
Review how you’re doing in the “Essential 7” areas for Habits, a fun, easy way to celebrate Thanksgiving, and an interview with renowned chef Carla Hall about the power of food, why it’s important to say yes and to say no, and why she doesn’t listen to music in the kitchen. 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 ...
Nov 11, 2020•40 min•Ep. 299
It’s important to make sure that we don’t learn the wrong lessons from pain, frustration, criticism, or failure. Like a cat, we want to learn not to sit on a hot stove—but maybe we still want to be able to sit on a stove that’s cold. 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://outer...
Nov 09, 2020•4 min
Inspired by “I Voted” stickers, we discuss why you might award yourself a sticker to mark an important accomplishment, talk about a hack for remembering forgotten details, and talk to bestselling writer Rachel Hollis about her new book, “Didn’t See That Coming.” 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 resource...
Nov 04, 2020•39 min•Ep. 298
Sometimes, the transcendent seems to appear in the concreate, ordinary world—in a conversation, in an experience, or even in a person. 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...
Nov 02, 2020•5 min
