Happier with Gretchen Rubin
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. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Episodes
When I called the emergency vet to ask a question about my dog Barnaby, her answer gave me an important insight into the challenge of decision-making.
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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 transcr...
As part of the Move 26 in ’26 Challenge, we’re sharing a listen-along episode to pair with your 26 minutes of daily movement. Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson discuss the role movement plays in a happier life and share favorite clips from podcasts like IMO and The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon that explore how movement, discipline, and mental health shape who we become. Great listening for a walk...
We talk why it’s valuable to “go for the no” instead of avoiding rejection and failure. Plus we give our suggestions for excellent same-day books and a hack for making email more efficient.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Get the Winter Bingo card here
- Subscribe to my "Five Things" newsletters here
- The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt (Amazon, Bookshop)
A famous quip illustrates an important point: Small debts burden the borrower; big debts burden the lender.
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...
We talk about the power of reframing—specifically, reframing the meaning of a siren. We also talk about a passage from the novel “Little Women” that illuminates our experience of our father’s death.
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In honor of No-Spend February, we talk about why it’s a good time to turn in your coins and to use up your gift cards. We also talk about the juggler vs. aerialist distinction, and how the Four Tendencies framework can illuminate an experience of family estrangement.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Coinstar
- Wall Street Journal article by therapist Rachel Glik
- Elizabeth is reading: Strangers by Belle ...
The traditional Russian practice of “sitting on suitcases” is an excellent ritual for anyone setting off on a trip.
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...
Why is it so hard getting yourself to do what you want to do? This overview of the Four Tendencies explains why motivation works differently for different people and how understanding how you respond to expectations can make follow-through easier.
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Get in touch: ...
We share our plans for our next “No-Spend February”—our rules, our exceptions, and what we hope to learn. We also share a more elegant term for “squats” and discuss an interesting self-knowledge question related to the makeshift.
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A modern fable is an excellent illustration of a very popular loophole used to justify breaking good habits.
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 detail...
We talk about the impulse to save things, such as stationery or fine china, even when it makes no sense. And we also talk about the puzzling popularity of coffee-table books.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Check out my new LinkedIn Learning course on the Four Tendencies
- How to Write Your Own Personal Commandments
- Join the "Move 26 in '26" challenge
- Electric throw blanket
Get in touch: podcast@gr...
Ep. 570: Very Special Episode: How Do We Deal with the Loss of Our Beloved Father? Advice & Insights
In this episode, we talk about the recent death of our beloved father, Jack Craft—what we’ve experienced, what we’ve learned. We also share many tender, practical suggestions from listeners about how to manage this kind of a profound loss.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Raymond Carver’s last book, A New Path to the Waterfall (Amazon, Bookshop)
- One last reminder to sign up for The H...
We worked for several days on this obituary for my father. We wanted to capture his extraordinary spirit.
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 p...
We talk about a hack from the world of the Real Housewives that makes party-giving easier and more fun. We also discuss the question, “What’s an ordinary food that most people seem to like—but not you?” Plus the pleasure of a better tennis bag.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gretchen's websi...
We explore the value of the German custom of the Stammtisch as a fun and easy way to strengthen friendships. We also share dozens of compelling one-word themes chosen by listeners for 2026—plus a strategy for elevating everyday life.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Learn more about Move 26 join us here
- Elizabeth is reading: The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg (Amazon, Bookshop)
- Gretch...
When we lose our wallet, we think finding it would make us happy forever, but once found, we quickly start taking it for granted again. Colette said of her life, "What a beautiful life. It's a pity I didn't notice it sooner." But we don’t have to lose our wallet to note the joy of possessing it.
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, produc...
Already exhausted by the new year? In this conversation on the "Lazy Genius" podcast, host Kendra Adachi and I explore why “fresh start” culture creates so much anxiety—and how being “lazy” about some things can help you focus on what truly matters in January.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gr...
You have a big project you want to finish. So why can’t you get it done?
In my new Audible Original audiobook “Get It Done: How to Complete Your Dream Project,” I share a practical, research-backed approach to help you break a big project down, stay focused, and keep moving forward in a way that fits how you actually work.
This episode is part of the Move 26 in ’26 Challenge. Each month, I’m releasing ...
As one of the three “Design Your Year” exercises, we each wrote a list of 26 things we want to accomplish in 2026. Some repeats, some new.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Design Your Year hub
- One last reminder to sign up for The Happiness Project Revisited course
- I Want You to Know: My Portrait of You
- Elizabeth is reading: Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company ...
In his speaking, Winston Churchill often deliberately made mistakes. He understood that an imperfect speech would be more persuasive and moving than a perfect speech, and he chose to make his performance better by making it worse.
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 T...
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