There are books, movies, and TV shows that we return to again and again—often because they include moments of transcendence, when the most enduring and important values are invoked. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...
Oct 13, 2025•6 min
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This Revisited episode shares our Emergency Kit—small, practical strategies to interrupt the spiral when everything feels like too much. Resources & links related to this episode: Podcast 240: Very Special Episode: Use the Emergency Kit for Anxiety, Worry, and Stress. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the t...
Oct 11, 2025•33 min
We discuss why investing in the right tools can boost both happiness and productivity—when it's worth spending money, and when it’s not. We share an easy happiness hack for finding accountability and community to keep up a good habit, and talk about a startling calculation that may change the way you read. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Ep. 548 Put your money where your mouth is Join Secrets of Adulth...
Oct 08, 2025•33 min•Ep. 555
Gratitude is a key to happiness, and while gratitude journals work for some, alternative practices also work—such as one simple approach suggested by author Kurt Vonnegut's uncle. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Oct 06, 2025•5 min
We talk about the energy (and space) gained from giving away items that others will appreciate, and we explore the surprisingly positive aspects of parasocial relationships with podcast hosts and TV personalities. Plus, we dive into the phenomenon of TV tourism. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to the Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb & Gretchen Rubin podcast Sign up for my free weekly "Five Things Making Me Happy" newsletter Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visi...
Oct 04, 2025•29 min
We discuss the value of taking the trip. We also reveal something very valuable that is available for free, if you know where to look, and we share listeners’ thought-provoking responses about the “one big thing” they’ve successfully tackled. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Use NewsBank , PressReader , or the Libby app to get access to digital newspapers Elizabeth is reading: War and Peace by Leo Tolst...
Oct 01, 2025•33 min•Ep. 554
A simple childhood memory of jubilation raises a lasting question: Is it better to persist with activities we dislike and struggle with, or pursue what comes naturally? Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. L...
Sep 29, 2025•4 min
Introducing my new podcast: Since You Asked ! This is the first episode of my new show with my friend, the therapist and author Lori Gottlieb. Each week, we tackle the daily problems of living—the pet peeve that’s annoyed you for years, the question you’re too embarrassed to ask, or the dilemma you just can’t solve. If you enjoy this episode, follow Since You Asked to get future episodes in your feed. Resources & links related to this episode: Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen ...
Sep 27, 2025•38 min
We talk about why asking for clarification is so important—yet it’s an easy step to skip. We also mention a listener’s great hack for nudging her kids to unclutter, and we discuss the urge to “use it up.” Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Elizabeth is reading: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Gretchen is reading: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin ( Amazon , Bookshop ) ...
Sep 24, 2025•35 min•Ep. 553
Our five senses constantly make adjustments and compromises—an observation that explains a cryptic comment by Andy Warhol. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
Sep 22, 2025•4 min
We explore whether it's better to seek out new experiences or enjoy familiar favorites when traveling. Plus, we share a surprising hack about alternatives to flossing, and how we’re approaching fall routines. Resources & links related to this episode: Learn your Tendency and learn more about the "Four Tendencies" framework " Dentists know you hate flossing. Try this instead ." GUM soft-picks Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-...
Sep 20, 2025•27 min
There are about 100 days left in the year, and we discuss why starting your 100-day countdown can make you happier. We also explore a hack that will help you read, learn, and get entertained, and we share interesting responses from listeners about the power of engaging. Resources & links related to this episode: For the Happier Podcast Book Club: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Joshua Rothman's New Yorker article " A.I. Is Coming...
Sep 17, 2025•36 min•Ep. 522
Texas’s extremely successful anti-littering campaign illustrates an important principle about habit change: Sometimes changing our habits requires us first to change our identity. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...
Sep 15, 2025•5 min
Feeling the end-of-summer slump? In this revisited episode, we share 7 practical strategies that can help you rebuild your routine for fall—especially if you're dragging your feet. September is the other January, and this “starter kit” for habit change will help you reset without forcing it. Resources & links related to this episode: Better Than Before 21 strategies Episode 360 Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books,...
Sep 13, 2025•31 min
We talk about why it can be very valuable to question our assumptions, and we also share hacks for helping a child moving into a college dorm. Plus we discuss a listener’s feelings of Obliger-rebellion due to the unacknowledged work she does for her family. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Love Life by Rob Lowe ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Four Tendencies quiz "Clear the Decks” bingo card Elizabeth is reading:...
Sep 10, 2025•35 min•Ep. 551
A teaching joke from the legal world captures an important lesson: Sometimes the reward for an achievement is simply a bigger helping of the same challenge. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more ab...
Sep 08, 2025•4 min
During our recent Reading Retreat 2025, we made voice memos to record our sisterly adventure. We talk about our reading, plus we also report on the evening we spent clearing out a very crowded closet. Listen in and follow along as we report from Los Olivos and Encinco, California. Resources & links related to this episode: Read 25 in '25 Elizabeth's same-day book: James by Percival Everett ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Gretchen's same-day book: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute ( Amazon , Bookshop ) ...
Sep 06, 2025•39 min
Sometimes, to be happier, we need to confront one enormous, daunting goal that we would really prefer to avoid. We discuss what those kinds of intimidating goals might be, offer suggestions for how to approach them, and share many encouraging examples from listeners. Resources & links related to this episode: Are you a marathoner or a sprinter, in your work pace? Quiz for the Four Tendencies personality framework Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more ...
Sep 03, 2025•35 min•Ep. 550
Sometimes life achieves the formal perfection of art, or a moment can seem so transcendent that only art can allow us to express what we feel. Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad ch...
Sep 01, 2025•5 min
Clear the Decks! We revisit one of our most popular episodes to help you prepare for the return to routine after summer—or anytime you’re gearing up for a change. Resources & links related to this episode: Sign up for the "5 Things Making Me Happy" newsletter . Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episo...
Aug 30, 2025•27 min
We explore the power of creating a "love list" to help us stay connected with the people who matter most. We share a clever way for getting someone’s honest opinions, plus, we dive into listeners' most practical back-to-school tips. Resources & links related to this episode: Order my new book Secrets of Adulthood Request a signed bookplate here Elizabeth is reading: Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Gretchen is reading: Pied Piper by Nevil Shute ( Amazon , Bookshop ) Get i...
Aug 27, 2025•33 min•Ep. 549
A touch of levity can help us navigate awkward or painful situations by making it easier for people to hear difficult things—as illustrated by a funny moment from the popular TV show Friends . Resources & links related to this episode: The One Where Monica and Richard Are Friends Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this e...
Aug 25, 2025•4 min
In this Roundtable discussion, we explore the role of romance in fiction and real life. Author and political leader Stacey Abrams explains how she weaves it into her suspense novels by focusing on authentic human connection, while therapist Lori Gottlieb brings her perspective on love off the page. Together, we look at how romance is imagined, experienced, and sustained today. Resources & links related to this episode: Stacey Abrams Lori Gottlieb Gretchen Rubin Get in touch: podcast@gretchen...
Aug 23, 2025•38 min
We explore how we can signal dedication to an aim by putting our money where our mouth is—though it’s important to note that merely spending money isn’t enough. We also share listeners' delightfully surprising answers about what they do for fun. Plus we tackle a fascinating Rebel dilemma: having a spirit of resistance against something she actually really does want to do. Resources & links related to this episode: Wheel of Names Puppy Potty Log A Little Happier: How Teachers Changed the Live...
Aug 20, 2025•35 min•Ep. 548
Super-star musician Taylor Swift has three categories of imaginary pens that she uses to write her songs. Having the right tools helps to make work a joy—and in Taylor Swift’s case, even imaginary tools help to make work a joy. Resources & links related to this episode: Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on ...
Aug 18, 2025•3 min
From Dan Harris’s podcast, 10% Happier—a conversation about how to remember and use what truly makes us happier. We talk about why it’s so easy to forget helpful ideas, what to notice when you’re hiding something, and a simple habit that can strengthen your relationships. Resources & links related to this episode: Dan and I talk Secrets of Adulthood on Substack 10% Happier with Dan Harris podcast Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's ...
Aug 16, 2025•1 hr 10 min
We discuss why we should beware of the impulse to disengage when we feel lonely, purposeless, or overwhelmed by bad news. We also share listener responses about creative themed-retreat ideas, such as a heal-the-heartache getaway. Plus we discuss an interesting know-yourself-better question. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to episode 110 here If you want to see how you’ll look on video, go to Zoom.us/test Shop the Muse Machine, Know Yourself Better Journal , and Don't Break ...
Aug 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 547
Creating an orderly environment can be surprisingly energizing and mood-boosting. And while an empty shelf holds invitation and promise, so does a junk drawer. Resources & links related to this episode: Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app. Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app. See omnystudio.c...
Aug 11, 2025•5 min
We talk about the joys of summer and of navigating airports and subways. We also discuss how the Real Housewives can set a bad example (surprise!), and we grapple with how parenthood changes during the empty-nest/open-door transition. Resources & links related to this episode: Get a free month of the Happier app Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier ap...
Aug 09, 2025•28 min
Strong relationships are essential for happiness—but they can be hard to maintain. In this bonus episode, we try something totally new: a live experiment using LG’s “Radio Optimism” platform. Can a simple creative gesture actually make us feel closer? We wanted to find out. Try it yourself at https://RadioOptimism.LG.com Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happi...
Aug 08, 2025•23 min
