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
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
