We talk about the happiness of finishing the first draft of a book and having a child return home. We also present our five-senses portrait of a Kansas City Christmas, and discuss the recent observances in honor of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s ne...
Dec 23, 2023•25 min•Ep. 52
As part of the Happier Trifecta, we give ourselves and listeners an annual challenge. We reflect on last year’s challenge of “Go outside 23 in ’23,” and we reveal the challenge for 2024 as well as many suggestions for how to make it part of our daily lives. It’s a terrific challenge – plus, for the first time, we’re suggesting two very different ways of approaching it. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Ti...
Dec 20, 2023•35 min•Ep. 461
Should Money Be Used to Buy Fresh Flowers for a Museum? By posing an interesting question—such as “Should money be spent on flowers?”—we can learn about other people’s values. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a ...
Dec 18, 2023•3 min
Listeners—and we--share the most effective and transformative resolutions we’ve made, as well as our suggestions for keeping them. We also talk about the 21 strategies we can use to make or break our habits. (It’s much easier to keep a resolution when we use the strategy that’s right for us.) Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.c...
Dec 13, 2023•33 min•Ep. 460
Every time I refill my MTA Metro card, I’m reminded to ask myself a crucial question. Do I want to spend time or money? Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, lu...
Dec 11, 2023•3 min
In honor of the death of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Gretchen tells behind-the-scenes stories and personal reflections from her clerkship year. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest New York Times bestselling book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising pat...
Dec 09, 2023•29 min•Ep. 51
Each year, we make a list of things we want to get done in the next twelve months. We review our “23 for 23” lists and report on what we accomplished (or failed to accomplish). We also reflect on what we learned from the items we did and didn’t do in 2023. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resources and al...
Dec 06, 2023•35 min•Ep. 459
As a child, I was deeply moved by this story of a child’s wish to do a good deed, and how she fulfilled that wish, despite making many mistakes. As an adult, I’m even more moved by it. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she disc...
Dec 04, 2023•6 min
Next year marks the fifteenth anniversary of Gretchen Rubin’s #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Project . To celebrate, she’s leading a one-time, one-year course called “The Happiness Project: Revisited.” In this bonus excerpt from the course, Gretchen and Elizabeth explore the lessons Gretchen has learned over the years, talk about her plans to do a new happiness project in 2024, and discuss how other people can do their own happiness projects. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubi...
Dec 02, 2023•12 min
We review the one-word themes we chose for 2023—“Scale” and “Wave”--and discuss how and why those themes influenced the last twelve months. We also reveal the one-word themes we’ve chosen for 2024, and what symbol we’ll use to represent our themes. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resources and all links ...
Nov 29, 2023•33 min•Ep. 458
It’s not pleasant to be criticized, but I remind myself, “The only thing worse that getting criticized is not getting criticized.” Criticism shows that someone thinks that work is worthy of correction. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to...
Nov 27, 2023•4 min
Because listeners asked for another “Clear the Decks” episode--where we suggest a list of manageable, one-minute-ish tasks to do while listening--this episode features a “Deck the Halls” lists of quick tasks. Follow along, and by the end of the episode, we’ll all have accomplished a lot. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/sh...
Nov 25, 2023•30 min•Ep. 50
We discuss how and why we might look for pockets of wasted time (and talk about some wasted time we uncovered ourselves.) We also suggest an easy step to lower anticipatory anxiety, a simple hack for avoiding waste, and discuss a listener’s question about how her Upholder son should spend his time. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happier...
Nov 22, 2023•32 min•Ep. 457
In the Alcoholics Anonymous program, two people decided to take turns every day, acting as the sponsor or the one being sponsored. In helping, we are being helped. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising p...
Nov 20, 2023•4 min
As we do every year, we share a list of suggestions for great holiday gifts. We also discuss a way to figure out what kinds of gifts someone else would want—and how to think of ideas for great gifts to ask for, for yourself. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resources and all links related to this episode ...
Nov 15, 2023•33 min•Ep. 456
I’ve made this mistake before, and I just made it again: During a crunch time, I decided, “With the publication of ‘Life in Five Senses,’ I can’t manage to do all these other tasks. They have to wait until afterward.” Now that the book is on the shelves, I’m dealing with a lot of unnecessarily delayed tasks. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show ...
Nov 13, 2023•5 min
We talk about lucky dates (such as 11/11), the “wrong-shoe theory” approach to getting dressed, and a listener’s entertaining plan to celebrate her birthday month by living the life of a character from a Hallmark holiday movie. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest New York Times bestsellin...
Nov 11, 2023•23 min•Ep. 49
In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, Elizabeth talks about living with type 1 diabetes: her diagnosis, how she manages day-to-day, pregnancy, changes in technology, how family and friends can help, and more. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resources and all links related to this episode here: h...
Nov 08, 2023•35 min•Ep. 455
I laughed when I saw that someone appreciates a good dimmer system as much as I do. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love: by tuning in to the fi...
Nov 06, 2023•4 min
We talk about the new gift-giving quiz that divides people into four categories depending on the kinds of gifts they prefer to receive: Tried-and-True, Easy-to-Please, Enthusiast, and Connoisseur. We remind ourselves of the very helpful hack to check behind you each time you leave a place. We also share listeners’ many helpful suggestions about how to handle the final days of a family member or friend. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft...
Nov 01, 2023•27 min•Ep. 454
The old story about “The Dog in the Manger” is a reminder that if there’s something we can’t enjoy or make us of, we should back away and let someone else benefit from it. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surp...
Oct 30, 2023•4 min
We talk about our response for trying—for the first time!—the famous flavor of pumpkin spice latte. We also discuss the secret of a making a convincing TV pitch, and how group texts can strengthen family bonds. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest New York Times bestselling book Life in Fi...
Oct 28, 2023•22 min•Ep. 48
We talk about how and why the creative challenge of coming up with “___ is the new ___” observations sparks happiness. We also talk about enjoying the five- senses experiences of Halloween, and the fun of the new thrift ghost-painting challenge. Plus, a listener asks how to listen to podcasts to help ourselves fall asleep. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by ...
Oct 25, 2023•27 min•Ep. 453
In South Carolina, three thoughtful passers-by stopped to comfort a weeping stranger—and had the opportunity to share a joyful moment with author Hernan Diaz, who had just learned that he’d won the Pulitzer Prize. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Fi...
Oct 23, 2023•3 min
We suggest several practical solutions to common, but challenging, social situations. We also address a listener’s question, “Do Questioners ever experience Questioner-rebellion?” and discuss the know-yourself-better question of “Is your birthday important to you?” Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resourc...
Oct 18, 2023•29 min•Ep. 452
At the top of one of the most significant pages of his notebooks, Charles Darwin wrote “I think.” There are three good reasons to explain why he might have done so. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising ...
Oct 16, 2023•4 min
We talk about how Elizabeth’s novel-writing is going, now that the Hollywood writers’ strike is over. Inspired by a recent wedding, we discuss the huge contribution that old friends can make to our happiness. Plus we highlight a great suggestion from a listener about how Obligers (and people around Obligers) can create useful accountability. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the pod...
Oct 14, 2023•26 min•Ep. 47
We talk about why making a visual representation of a challenge can help us make tough decisions. We also share listeners’ suggestions about improvements they’ve made to their daily routines, and Elizabeth reveals the brand of running shoe that cured her foot pain. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraft on Instagram @GretchenRubin on TikTok and YouTube Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get the resourc...
Oct 11, 2023•30 min•Ep. 451
My daughter’s experience helping with little kids at school illustrates the same principle as the sponsorship program in A.A.: by giving support, we gain. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Follow on social media: @GretchenRubin on YouTube @GretchenRubin on TikTok @GretchenRubin on Instagram @GretchenRubin on Threads Get the podcast show notes by email every week: happiercast.com/shownotes Get Gretchen Rubin’s newest book Life in Five Senses to see how she discovered a surprising path to a ...
Oct 09, 2023•7 min
In this Very Special Episode, we discuss ideas, hacks, and habits related to the challenge of performance. We all have to perform—give a wedding toast, make a presentation to co- workers, give an announcement to a group, or make a formal speech to a large crowd. We share tips from our own experiences, as well as many suggestions from listeners, for dealing with stage fright, memorization, mistakes, mishaps, and audience engagement. Plus, we have new merch! Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com...
Oct 04, 2023•35 min•Ep. 450
