Happier with Gretchen Rubin

In a recent Secrets of Adulthood Substack Live conversation, I talked to the terrific Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action (the nation’s largest grassroots group fighting gun violence. We discuss insights from her latest book and how we've arrived at several of our own Secrets of Adulthood, including why it’s important to ask yourself whether your life goals are your own or someone else's, the cost of ...

We share a treasure trove of creative, easy parenting hacks from our listeners, as well as a happiness hack about creating a "prep station" bin to stay organized for trips and special events. In our "Know Yourself Better" segment, we explore how the desire to manage our own worry can lead us to burden or try to control others. Plus, we share some ideas related to reading.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Order yo...

The familiar proverb “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” is a reminder that one person may seek out a product, an experience, or a situation for the very reason that someone else avoids it.

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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...

We talk about why it can helpful to trust our interests and inclinations about what to read, watch, or listen to, without imposing a lot of judgment on our choices.

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• Elizabeth's treadmill desk

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...

In this Very Special Episode, we share dozens of ideas from listeners—and ourselves—about how to add an element of whimsy to everyday life, without needing to spend much time, energy, or money.  

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood
• My article: Why Whimsy Is Having a Moment
• Elizabeth's newsletter: Happier in Hollywood
• Gretchen's book Happier at Home
• B...

New Yorker magazine covers capture something both true and elusive about the city, by distilling New York in single images, so that the place feels simultaneously familiar and out of reach.

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 ...

In honor of our upcoming Read 25 Day, we are excited to share an audiobook preview of bestselling novel "The Ministry of Time" from Lemonada's own "Your Next Listen" podcast. 

More about the book: This genre-bending time-travel sci-fi slash romance slash mystery slash spy thriller was a breakout hit for debut author Kaliane Bradley. It’s been recommended by everyone from Barack Obama to Cosmopolitan magazine – ...

We discuss why we shouldn't downplay things that are actually important to us (such as saying “I don’t care about my birthday” if you do care). We also review some fun new travel terms, such as "townsizing" and "JOMO travel," and we address the problem of waiting until we're ready to make big decisions. Plus, we tackle a listener's question about dealing with a spouse who makes hurtful comments disguised as jokes.

A double anniversary (of a wedding and of a life-saving medical cure) inspired this toast—with allusion to Gertrude Stein, Wendell Berry, and “The Office.”

Resources & links related to this episode:

• The most purely happy day of my life

Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project ...

We bring you a conversation with my friend Zibby Owens on her podcast Totally Booked. Taped in front of a life studio audience, we discuss my new book, Secrets of Adulthood, the beauty of frameworks, and why you should label your next email "confidential."

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Zibby Owens 
• Totally Booked 

Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit&nbs...

We talk about why it can be helpful to set a tripwire for making a decision or moving forward. We also discuss a Secret of Adulthood that’s very relevant to the practice of keeping a storage unit (even one that’s not really needed), and a know-yourself-better question related to the use of gadgets and gizmos.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Ord...

Becoming a parent can be one of the most transformative, and instructive, experiences of our lives. These four “Secrets of Adulthood” examine some of the most important lessons parenthood can teach us.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Open-door stage
• Secrets of Adulthood
• A version of this piece was originally published on the CNBC site.

Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

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James Taylor and a new puppy are making us happier. We also explore the question of whether it’s common these days to have perhaps unrealistically high expectations from the people and organizations in our lives, from marriage to work to friendship. Plus we discuss an intriguing question: Do you love to "provision,” to stock up on essential items?

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• Insight...

We discuss the idea of the  “familect” and why it might be fun to create a  dictionary for our own familect. We also talk about a hack that makes it easier to use a smartphone, and we share dozens of listeners’ thought-provoking  “Secrets of Adulthood.”

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood
• Join Secrets of Adulthood on SubStack
• Look B...

Winston Churchill was an extraordinary presence on the world stage, and among his strengths, he had a tremendous gift with words. Here are just a few of the powerful, insightful, or hilarious observations he made.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Secrets of Adulthood
•  Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill
• Episode of “A Little Happier on one of Winston Churchill's most famous lines
• Painting as a Pasti...

The Roundtable Series tackles the subject of parenthood. With parenting expert Dr. Becky Kennedy and comedian Samantha Bee, we discuss the most helpful lessons we’ve learned, big challenges we’ve faced, the anxieties that we sometimes feel as parents, and more.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Dr. Becky Kennedy 
• Samantha Bee

Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Visit Gretchen's ...

We discuss how creating before-and-after photo books of renovations or improvements can bring satisfaction and preserve memories. Our happiness hack suggests visiting your local library (or museum) for the first time; that first visit can be surprising to make. We also share listeners’ strategies for handling a spouse who asks too many questions at inopportune times.

Resources & links related to this episode:

• Order y...

I love book titles, and when I finally tracked down the book attached to one of my favorite titles, I was astonished to learn where I heard about it.

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 App...

We discuss why it’s interesting to consider our longest continuous non-family relationships. We spotlight a tool for spring: the Five-Senses Quiz that helps you discover which of our senses might be neglected. Plus, we explore how authors like Stephen King shape their creative landscapes from personal memories, and how viewing the own past through different literary lenses—Jane Austen, Judy Blume, Tolstoy—can reve...