The poet Donald Hall wrote a beautiful memoir of the childhood summers he spent with his grandparents on their New Hampshire farm. In his account, he conveys the safety and orderliness of that country 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 Leav...
May 17, 2021•4 min
We have our annual discussion about why and how we plan to design our summers, I explain why I splurged on some colorful felt-tip pens, and we talk to award-winning actor Julianna Margulies about her terrific memoir “Sunshine Girl.” 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...
May 12, 2021•34 min•Ep. 325
In this bonus episode sponsored by Dell Technologies, we explore how small-business owners and entrepreneurs can use the “Four Tendencies” personality profiles to know themselves and others better. This framework can improve communication, end procrastination, reduce conflict, and help people work more effectively with clients, customers, co-workers—and themselves. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft G...
May 11, 2021•25 min
Dolly Parton is such an admirable person. Her statement to the Tennessee legislature—to ask that they withdraw legislation proposing to erect a statue of her on the Capitol grounds—was gracious, humble, appropriate to the moment, in her own voice, and a tribute to her enduring love for her home state. 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 c...
May 10, 2021•3 min
We review some terrific lessons we’ve learned from teachers, discuss an email hack that makes it easier to ask someone for help, and Anna Sale discusses her new book, “Let’s Talk About Hard Things.” 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...
May 05, 2021•37 min•Ep. 324
I’m a big fan of the work of childhood expert Michael Thompson, and his answer to a reader’s question reminds me of the importance of remaining open to an entirely different view of a problem. 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 ...
May 03, 2021•7 min
Our former producer, the podcaster and writer Kristen Meinzer, explains why we should try “movie therapy,” we discuss one of Gretchen’s all-time favorite hacks of her own invention, and we explore the question, “Do you find that certain situations send you into shock?” 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 r...
Apr 28, 2021•33 min•Ep. 323
A document created during World War II describes how ordinary people can help the United States’s war effort through “simple sabotage”—and the kinds of behavior the document suggests sound uncomfortably familiar. 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.co...
Apr 26, 2021•6 min
We talk about why it’s powerful to pick the right word, a listener suggests having a weekend book and a weekday book to enjoy reading more, and we talk to the hilarious actor, writer, and singer Leslie Jordan about what it’s like to be an Internet sensation, his adventures in Hollywood, hymn-singing, 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...
Apr 21, 2021•35 min•Ep. 322
A friend’s remark about growing up in the New York City suburbs reminded me of how valuable it is to have a strong home base. 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 prom...
Apr 19, 2021•3 min
We discuss the advice from legendary women’s gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field about how to ask for a favor or an opportunity in the right way, a listener offers a practical suggestion for using space to manage clutter, and we talk to author Julie Lythcott-Haims about her new book “Your Turn: How to Be an Adult.” 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...
Apr 14, 2021•35 min•Ep. 321
During a funny conversation with a friend about his messy wife, he realized how he could have a more orderly house, without necessarily winning her cooperation. 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 inf...
Apr 12, 2021•6 min
For this Very Special Episode, and in honor of our sixth anniversary, we asked listeners to send us their favorite moments, hacks, solutions, try-this-at-home suggestions and know-yourself-better questions. Plus we reveal our own favorite moments and ideas. 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...
Apr 07, 2021•38 min•Ep. 320
In Stephan Lee’s terrific young-adult novel K-Pop Confidential , the character Candace’s performance illustrates the same lesson that I saw in my daughter Eleanor’s second-grade show on the monkey bars: Sometimes we should expect more from ourselves, and sometimes we should accept ourselves—our own gifts, our own limitations, and our own way to achieve an aim. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin Get the podcast show notes by email eve...
Apr 05, 2021•6 min
For those in the mood for spring cleaning, we suggest clearing clutter by asking “Do I use it, need it, love it?” We talk about April Fool’s Day pranks, ideas for using the return to the workplace as a “clean slate” for starting healthy habits, and hear from Rebels about how to deal with a Rebel teacher who won’t read school emails. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@gretchenrubin.com Get in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft Get the podcast show notes by emai...
Mar 31, 2021•32 min•Ep. 319
Understanding my Four Tendencies personality framework, and my own Tendency as an Upholder, revealed to me why I’d behaved inexplicably years ago, when I took my daughter to school in a snowstorm. 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 voicem...
Mar 29, 2021•5 min
We discuss why you might look at your home through the eyes of a stranger, why a simple hook can be so useful , share some excellent before-and-after clutter-clearing triumphs, and discuss listeners’ response to the question, “What valuable lesson have you learned from 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/#newsl...
Mar 24, 2021•31 min•Ep. 318
The old teaching story of the greedy monkey and the bananas illustrates many notions, including the idea that sometimes we have to let go of a desire in order to free ourselves. 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...
Mar 22, 2021•3 min
We discuss whether we thrive in an atmosphere with a sense of urgency, share a listener’s happiness hack for drinking less alcohol (without giving it up altogether), and have a conversation with Kim Scott and Trier Bryant about how we can recognize and eliminate workplace injustice. 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/#newsle...
Mar 17, 2021•44 min•Ep. 317
One of the best ways to make ourselves happier is to make other people happier. I was made happier by my gesture of loving in tracking down my husband’s iPod than he was made happy by getting it back. Do good, feel good. 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://outerorderinnercal...
Mar 15, 2021•3 min
We discuss why we might ask ourselves, “What valuable lessons have I learned from the pandemic, now that a year has passed?” We also suggest an easy hack to shake off sleep inertia, tackle a listener’s question about a Rebel teacher who doesn’t read email, and give a phone-related gold star. 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.co...
Mar 10, 2021•29 min•Ep. 316
In the 1600s, Samuel Pepys kept a diary, and of everything he wrote about, including the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London fair, one thing that is remembered, so many hundreds of years later, is a delicious night of sleep he had in 1661. 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 C...
Mar 08, 2021•3 min
In honor of our sixth anniversary—an unusual year, due to the pandemic—we look back at the previous year and highlight our favorite try-this-at-homes, happiness hacks, and favorite moments. 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/315 ...
Mar 03, 2021•32 min•Ep. 315
Baseball legend Yogi Berra was famous for the hilarious things he said. And in his own inimitable way, he captured some profound truths. 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 advertise...
Mar 01, 2021•4 min
We talk about the 21 strategies that can help us re-engage with our resolutions, discuss a hack about helping people to give gifts (to avoid disappointment), and talk to Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonus about how humor can help us to engage more productively with other people. 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 ...
Feb 24, 2021•40 min•Ep. 314
The brilliant children’s book From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was inspired when writer E. L. Konigsburg spotted a piece of popcorn on a chair in a period room at the Metropolitan Museum. You never know what moment can lead to a masterpiece. 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, I...
Feb 22, 2021•4 min
We talk about how and why it’s a good idea to help people not disappoint us, share a reader suggestion about how to read more, and Deepa Iyer explains her map for social change. 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/313 Order a copy...
Feb 17, 2021•34 min•Ep. 313
Whenever I think about the work that it takes to try to be friendly, I remember a funny story from my daughter’s childhood. 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 ...
Feb 15, 2021•2 min
We discuss why you might confront a clutter-related conflict, how to use the Four Tendencies personality framework to help tackle clutter and chores, and talk Anne Mercogliano about a fun acvtivity while safer-at-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 here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletter Get the resources and all links related to this episode here...
Feb 10, 2021•35 min•Ep. 312
I’m haunted by an image from Erling Kagg’s book Walking One Step at a Time , when he describes a cabin in the wood where the owner had carefully arranged that no footpaths would appear, so that it stood amid the wilderness, right up to the door. 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: ...
Feb 08, 2021•3 min
