Happier with Gretchen Rubin

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

October 29, 2025 35 mins

We discuss why making space to put things away can free up your time, energy, and space—also, buying duplicates of necessary items can make life easier. Plus listeners give their answers about the “one big thing” they had to tackle, and how finally confronting that challenge made their lives happier.

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Sometimes, helping can hurt. When people are struggling, our impulse is to try to pull them back on their feet, when what they really need is for someone to sit beside them and ask, "What do you need? What can I do?"

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 tran...

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Sometimes, looking at what unsettles us gives us a clearer view of what matters most. In this Halloween episode, we revisit a collection of Little Happier stories about fate, superstition, loss, and the mysterious truths that shape our lives.


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 H...

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We talk to blockbuster bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert about her latest book —a compelling memoir that’s impossible to put down.

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Get in touch: podcast@gretc...

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Observing my own parents—and realizing why they make sure good houseguests—helped me discover a Secret of Adulthood: “Be full of desires and easy to please.”

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 epis...

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We talk about why working in an office can be a source of happiness—and why making a very successful recommendation is so satisfying. Plus we talk about why a quest is more fun than a jaunt.

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We discuss why a weekly "Saturday Synch-up" can reduce squabbling and make coordinating schedules much easier. We also share happiness lessons learned from six months of living with a puppy. Plus, we answer a listener question about the best way for an Obliger to ask questions of a Questioner without causing resistance.

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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 th...

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Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This Revisited episode shares our Emergency Kit—small, practical strategies to interrupt the spiral when everything feels like too much.

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Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's bes...

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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.

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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 ...

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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.

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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.

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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 p...

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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 fee...

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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.”

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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  • For the Happier Podcast Book Club: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (Ama...
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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 ...

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