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
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 ab...
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.
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, produ...
We discuss why embracing regret can help us make our lives happier, by helping point the way to a life that better reflects our values. We also share a listener's hack for using customized stickers to label children's belongings. Plus, we explore whether Upholders can experience Upholder-rebellion.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Take the survey here
- Memento Keepsake Journal with free companion guide
- The P...
This humorous collection of phrases, puns, and other kinds of wordplay is a good reminder of the delights of language.
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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 transcript fo...
“Money can’t buy happiness.” “It’s selfish to try to be happier.” These familiar ideas seem wise—but they often hold us back. This week, we revisit 7 common happiness myths and share how letting go of them can help us use our time, energy, and attention more effectively.
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We discuss why a themed retreat can boost our happiness, and talk about different possible themes. We also share safety tips for staying safe when caught in a crowd, plus we explore a very simple solution for making water activities more enjoyable.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Neoprene Wet Suit
- Gretchen Rubin's Secrets of Adulthood newsletter on Substack
- Stage Performance by Livingston Taylor (Amazon, Booksho...
Each week, comedians and best friends Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael take a ‘deep dive’ into their real lives and discuss a wide range of topics including how to pursue joy amidst the insanity of motherhood and family, grief and loss, sh*t they put on their faces, and why they refuse to check their voicemails or unpack their suitcases. The Deep Dive captures the friendship of two women trying to survive adult ...
The extraordinary story of two Olympics-prize-winners Japanese pole vaulters is a testament to the power of friendship—and also a great reminder that if we don't like the decisions being made around us, we may, with our own ingenuity and initiative, be able to find a different outcome.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gretchen's website to l...
We discuss the fact that a new Barbie has the gear of a Type 1 diabetic. We also talk about how having an additional monitor makes writing more enjoyable and a new TV show that we’ve both been watching. Plus we talk about Barnaby’s recovery from surgery, and the challenge of helping dogs heal when they don’t understand what’s happening to them.
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The year is half over, and we review our “25 for 2025 Lists” to see what progress we’ve made—and to remind ourselves of our unfinished aims for the year. There’s still plenty of time to get a lot done.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Simon Haissel's Footnotes and Tangents newsletter on Substack
- Liz Craft and Sarah Fain's Happier in Hollywood newsletter on Substack
- Gretchen Rubin's S...
Important truths endure. Three different teachers across the centuries have commented, in their own way, on an important aspect of the human experience.
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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 trans...
We’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes—our travel hacks extravaganza. These 30 tips range from the obvious (check the weather!) to the oddly specific (pack Downy Wrinkle Releaser), and as we get ready for our first-ever sisters reading retreat, we’re realizing how many of these tricks we’ve forgotten—and how helpful they still are. Some things really do stand the test of time.
Resources & li...
We discuss how to make use of counterintuitive research that shows that our ability to change our minds often makes us less satisfied with our choices. We share a helpful smartphone hack for scheduling text messages. Plus we continue our discussion about handling a spouse who makes hurtful "jokes," with practical advice from listeners who've successfully addressed this issue.
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In the “Four Tendencies” personality framework, tech legend Steve Jobs was a Questioner. At a crucial moment, his question was ignored—with profound consequences.
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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&nbs...
We discuss how we’re doing on some items from our “25 for ’25 lists,” and how book writing is going for both of us. Plus we talk about the joys of reading commercial fiction from the 1980s.
Resources & links related to this episode:
- Sign up for the 30-day summer reading challenge at gretchenrubin.com
- For the Love with Jen Hatmaker
Get in touch: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Visit Gretchen...
We discuss why it’s useful to identify the "ugliest thing" in your life—i.e., what aspect needs the most attention? We also share an easy hack about enhancing family memories, and we explore a Four-Tendencies situation involving a young-adult son's surprising reaction to his father's lateness. We wrap up with listener suggestions for creative before-and-after photo books.
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<...With time and experience, we learn “Secrets of Adulthood,” and parenthood teaches us many of those lessons.
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...
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:
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.
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...
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