Happier with Gretchen Rubin
by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project
Latest episode
Voice Notes from Dollywood!
Voice Notes from Dollywood!
About this podcast
Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully.
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Episodes
The newest 50 of 1,395 episodes
- Voice Notes from Dollywood! · 30 min · Episode 612During a recent trip to Dollywood, we recorded voice notes about what Dolly Parton teaches us about ambition, “Dolly droppings,” a travel hack for when you’re meeting people, why…
- I Really Don’t Want to See Entourage”: A Fundraiser Designed to Fail · 7 min · Episode 61102Writer Wendy Molyneux put her own quirks to good use, turning a passionate dislike of Entourage into a fundraiser for a cause close to her heart. Connect with Us: Email…
- Bonus: Holiday Visit Coming Up? How to Talk to Your Parents About Care · 33 min · Episode 61103We talk to Colleen Dennis of CareScout about how to start the tough conversations about aging, care, and family responsibility, and the dos and don’ts of holiday visits. Episode…
- How to Have Happier Relationships During the Holidays · 31 min · Episode 61101Whether you’re facing a full social calendar, interacting with challenging relatives, or missing a loved one, we share our favorite insights on navigating this…
- Are You Asking Too Much–of This Person, or This Job, or This School? · 36 min · Episode 611Why lowering your standards isn’t the answer, how to call friends without making it weird, and does it matter if everyone orders the same thing at a restaurant? Episode…
- Do You Replay Your Mistakes? Remember the “Coffee Cup” · 5 min · Episode 61002When I can’t let go of a mistake I made, I take comfort in the stories of highly skilled teams who made mistakes of their own. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected]…
- Everyone’s Talking About the Same Movie, and We Love It · 28 min · Episode 61001The fun of monoculture, a secret theme behind Steven Spielberg’s movies, and Jeff Probst visits a Survivor Fantasy League. Episode highlights Something Making Us Happier…
- Blockbuster Author Harlan Coben on Why Memory Is Partly Fiction · 36 min · Episode 610Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy…
- Little Happier: The Paradox at the Heart of the Open-Door Stage · 3 min · Episode 60902I've come to see a great paradox at the heart of the "Open Door" stage: I want my daughters to know they're essential to my happiness, and also that my happiness doesn't depend…
- Use Daylight Savings to Rethink Your Morning Routine · 31 min · Episode 60901A round-up of ideas for creating new morning habits, how to help your family form better morning habits, and why rethinking your daily routines can add more happiness and energy…
- A Secret to Creativity? Cultivate a Magpie Mind · 36 min · Episode 609A brilliant hack for getting more help with dinner, why a quest is more fun than a jaunt, and how we feel about desks. Episode highlights: Try This At Home: Cultivate a magpie…
- Little Happier: A Superstar's Unforgettable Thank-You · 4 min · Episode 60802I get such pleasure of thinking about iconic super-star Brad Pitt paying tribute to Chuck Palahniuk, and realizing what a gift he’d been given for his work. Connect with Us…
- Exercise Tips from NPR’s LifeKit: Could Watching TV Actually Help You Get Moving? · 33 min · Episode 60803For “Move Happier,” Gretchen talks with Marielle Segarra, host of NPR’s Life Kit, about ditching the all-or-nothing rule, making the most of everyday activities, and the…
- More Happier: Do you “Get to” or do you “Have to?” · 29 min · Episode 60801We discuss the happiness of a trip with old friends, a way to reframe the task of taking our pills, and a surprising fact about GLP-1s. Episode highlights Something Making Us…
- Ep. 608: Have You Ever Regretted a Good Decision? (Temporarily) · 35 min · Episode 608A listener shares a Know Yourself Better discovery, Elizabeth reports on what she learned from her Summer of Off-White Delight, and a recommendation for a new daily game…
- Little Happier: What Seems Important Isn't Always What Is Important · 5 min · Episode 60702Aphorisms are short, sharp, and easy to remember, and here are four surprising examples of one of my own: "What seems important isn't always what is important." Connect with Us…
- More Happier: Lean into Fall with the Five Senses · 31 min · Episode 60701We revisit some of our favorite try-this-at-home tips for tapping into our five senses this fall. Some ideas might turn into new annual traditions; others might be fun for this…
- Ep. 607: Do You Love Whimsy? Celebrate a New Holiday with Us · 34 min · Episode 607We discuss how we’re using whimsy to find the right date to celebrate our “How do we learn what everyone knows?” day, and listeners share their brilliant tips for elevating your…
- Little Happier: A New Moral for An Old Fable · 5 min · Episode 60602I've always loved Aesop's fables, but I've come to think the accepted morals don't always fit the stories. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website…
- More Happier: Embrace a Party Theme, Plus a Lesson About How to Fight Right · 30 min · Episode 60601Turn party-planning stress into fun with a theme, and why one person downplaying can lead the other to overreact. Episode highlights: Something Making Us Happier: Embrace a…
- Ep. 606: What We Learned from “Do-Spend September,” Plus What’s Safe in the Microwave & Try a Day Pass · 33 min · Episode 606Here’s what we learned from our own Do-Spend September, and how to get a luxury-resort experience for a fraction of the cost. Plus: really, what can go in a microwave? Episode…
- Little Happier: Dolly Parton Always Knew Just What to Say · 4 min · Episode 60502Remembering the gracious words Dolly Parton used to decline a statue in her honor—and how that moment captured her humility, her love for Tennessee, and her commitment to doing…
- More Happier: Helping Rebel Kids with School—and Other Rebel Questions Answered · 40 min · Episode 60501We revisit some of our most useful Four Tendencies conversations about Rebels, including listener advice for navigating school and ADHD, what actually motivates Rebels, and…
- Ep. 605: Why You Should Leave the House, Plus Why Sometimes You Don’t Need to Have an Opinion · 34 min · Episode 605We discuss why we should make an effort to leave the house. Plus, a stumbling block related to “having a take,” and a simple hack for reconnecting with people. Episode…
- Little Happier: Some of My Favorite Rules, Paradoxes, Laws, and Razors · 8 min · Episode 60402Whether through science, personal observation, or humor, short statements of these human “laws” help us understand that world we live in. Connect with Us: Email…
- More Happier: A Lesson from the Real Housewives, Plus a Tool for Dealing with Shared Work · 31 min · Episode 60401What reality TV can teach us about miscommunication, plus a simple tool for dealing with shared work based on your tendency. Episode highlights: Something Making Us Happier…
- Ep. 604: Clear Clutter With a Courtroom Hack, Plus How to Decline a Request for Accountability · 35 min · Episode 604Clear clutter fast with a courtroom-inspired trick, and we discuss how Upholders might set boundaries for unwanted accountability partners. Episode highlights: Try This at…
- Little Happier: A Lesson from the World Cup: Danger and Temptation Don’t Always Appear When We Expect · 4 min · Episode 60302As the World Cup illustrated, in the happy moments of scoring a goal or celebrating, we may find it hard to stay focused on our aims. Connect with Us: Email…
- Move Happier: Getting Unstuck: A Fresh Start for Your Move 26 Habit · 1 h 8 min · Episode 60303Not sticking to a habit that’s important to you? Dan Harris and Laurie Santos join Gretchen to share how to spot what's holding you back — and get moving again. Mentioned in…
- More Happier: Four Tendencies Solutions to Real-Life Problems · 39 min · Episode 60301We revisit some of our most useful Four Tendencies listener questions, including how to help a Rebel stick to exercise, work with a Questioner boss, and keep Obliger…
- Ep. 603: Avoid the Sunk-Cost Fallacy, and Why it’s Hard to Plan for Emergencies · 33 min · Episode 603We talk about how to avoid the mental trap of the “sunk-cost fallacy.” Plus, why it’s so hard to plan for emergencies and the biases that keep us from preparing for risk…
- Little Happier: After His Death, I Can Still Learn More About My Beloved Father · 3 min · Episode 60202Even after a person has died, we can continue to understand them in new ways. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram…
- More Happier: How Do People Know What To Do? Plus Making Friends at the Gym · 26 min · Episode 60201We discuss how people know what to do in certain situations. Plus why you might–or might not–make friends at the gym. Episode highlights: Something Making Us Happier: Elizabeth…
- Ep. 602: Spend Your Money at Home Instead of Away, and Why You Should Delegate · 37 min · Episode 602Why you might consider spending your vacation money on a home experience that you’ll enjoy for years, and why delegating tasks is more important–and harder–than it may seem…
- Little Happier: Why the Knicks Play Basketball with the Attitude of “Zero-Zero.” · 3 min · Episode 60102With a simple answer of “Zero-zero,” Jalen Brunson communicated the attitude of his team as they pushed toward the NBA Championship. Connect with Us: Email…
- More Happier: Try These 7 Habit Strategies for a Fresh Start This September · 34 min · Episode 60101September is the other January. We revisit seven of our favorite habit strategies to help you get back into your routines after summer and build habits that actually stick…
- Ep. 601: Try "Do-Spend September," Plus a Five-Senses Hack For a Memorable Vacation · 34 min · Episode 601A counterpart to No-Spend February, "Do-Spend September" helps us spend what we have. We also share a five-senses hack for planning vacations that are much more fun. Episode…
- Little Happier: NBA Players on the “Today” Show: When Lighthearted Humor Is Better than Sympathetic Silence · 6 min · Episode 60002An exchange between Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart illustrates the fact that sometimes, we’re better off treating a painful subject with lighthearted humor rather…
- Move Happier: Clear the Decks for September with 26 Quick Tasks (Bonus) · 33 min · Episode 60003It's time to clear the decks for September. Here are 26 quick tasks to get you moving while you refresh your space for fall. Mentioned in This Episode: The Move 26 in ‘26…
- More Happier: What Tattoo Would You Get? Plus How to Give Yourself Permission to Play · 26 min · Episode 60001When relaxing feels like wasting time, you can trick yourself into enjoying it anyway. Plus, 16 things to try for happier, calmer parenting. Episode highlights: Something…
- Ep. 600: 600 Episodes of Happier! Listeners Share the Ideas that Stuck · 34 min · Episode 600Listeners share the insights and suggestions that have resonated with them most over the past 600 episodes. Mentioned in this episode: Power Hour (Apple, Spotify) Ta-Da Lists…
- Little Happier: Why NBA Star Jalen Brunson Values Persistence over Pyrotechnics · 6 min · Episode 59902NBA star Jalen Brunson gives a surprising answer to the question, “What play best embodies this entire title run?” Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website…
- More Happier: Take Better Care of Yourself—Treat Yourself Like a Toddler, Dog, Teenager, and Professor · 33 min · Episode 59901We revisit one of our favorite happiness ideas: Treat Yourself Like a _____. Over the years, we've explored many variations on this theme, including treating yourself like a…
- Ep. 599: Treat Your Home Like a Hotel, Plus a Common Relationship Blindspot · 33 min · Episode 599Why you should treat your home like a hotel, and a common blindspot that can lead to unnecessary conflict. Plus a relationship hack. Episode highlights: Try This at Home: treat…
- Little Happier: Are You a Clutch Player or a Fast Starter? · 4 min · Episode 59802Many players and teams struggle during clutch time—but not every player or team faces that challenge. Never assume that your problems are the same as other people’s. Connect…
- More Happier: Have You Ever Felt Anonymous? Plus a Lesson for Upholders · 31 min · Episode 59801Gretchen shares a recent insight on feeling "anonymous" versus "present." We also discuss a lesson for Upholders and gift-worthy pop-up books. Episode Highlights Something…
- Ep. 598: Spy on Your Own Habits, and Discover Your Empty-Nest Personality · 35 min · Episode 598“Treat yourself like…a person of interest” and try a month-long “self-stakeout” to track your habits. We also share an easy way to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit in your head…
- Little Happier: Why People Don't Ride Horses If They Can Take a Bus · 5 min · Episode 59702George Orwell’s observation about work performed by machines is very relevant to our discussions of AI. Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website…
- More Happier: Introduce Whimsy, Schedule a Personal Playdate, and Embrace Fun Plans · 35 min · Episode 59701We revisit listener-favorite hacks for cultivating summer fun. If you want to make the most of the weeks ahead, these practical ideas can help you add more fun, adventure, and…
- EP. 597: Celebrate "Dogust," Plus a Special Challenge for Upholders With Little Kids · 37 min · Episode 597August is “Dogust,” so we talk about celebrating the dogs in our lives. Plus, we answer a listener question about our reading habits. Episode Highlights: Try This at Home…
