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Ep. 564: Revealing…the Annual Challenge for 2026! Plus a Report on Read 25 in 2025
10 december 2025 · 32 min
We report on our experience with the “Design Your Year” exercise of the annual challenge: Read 25 in ’25. We also reveal the annual challenge for 2026—join us.
Resources & links related to this episode: Lees meerMove 26 in 2026
Visit the Happiness Project shop
The science-backed trick that soothes an itch better than scratching
Elizabeth: is coming into the end of War and Peace (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: Have You Ever Felt Like an Employee of Your Former Self?
8 december 2025 · 5 min
Do You Feel Like an Employee of Your Former Self? Renowned novelist Ian McEwan makes a funny observation about book tours that’s applicable to many familiar situations.
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 page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Your Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Hosting [Revisited]
6 december 2025 · 29 min
Make entertaining easier. These simple hacks take the stress out of hosting and help you focus on what really matters: enjoying the people you’re with.
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 page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 563: Need a One-Word Theme for Next Year? We Review and Reveal Our Words
3 december 2025 · 42 min
We talk about why choosing a one-word theme for the year can be such a creative, constructive, and satisfying exercise. We review our words for 2025 and reveal our words for 2026. Plus we share an original and fun reason to have a party.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Amazing scene in Mad Men
Work through my new Gift Idea Generator worksheet
Elizabeth is reading: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Couples by John Updike (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: Do You Suffer from “Paris Syndrome?”
1 december 2025 · 6 min
The gap between expectations and reality determines whether we feel happy or disappointed. From empty-nest parents hoping for daily texts to tourists experiencing "Paris syndrome," our expectations shape our emotions. Sometimes adjusting expectations—rather than changing reality—is the key to happiness.
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 page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Bonus: Hacks to Make the Holidays Happier [Revisited]
30 november 2025 · 33 min
We revisit our long list of hacks to make the holidays a happier time.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to Happier episode 145 Lees meer12 Personal Commandments
Eight Splendid Truths
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Do You Specifically Recollect Yourself at Different Ages?
29 november 2025 · 28 min
We discuss a know-yourself-better question related to how we conceive of ourselves at different ages. Plus we talk about a way to find excellent book recommendations.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Join the The Happiness Project: Revisited course Lees meerSince You Asked advice podcast
Shop the biggest journal sale of the year!Substack Live with Sari Botton
"Oldster Magazine" on SubstackLess Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis (Amazon, Bookshop)
All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers by Larry McMurtry (Amazon, Bookshop)
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 562: Do You Hesitate to Raise Your Hand to Make Something Happen? Plus a Medication Hack
26 november 2025 · 32 min
We talk about why it’s such a happiness-booster to raise your hand to organize an event or undertaking—to realize that if you don’t do it, no one will. We also share a hack for making it easier to take medication, and why it’s a good idea to “suffer fools gladly.”
Resources & links related to this episode:
Shop the Black Friday Sale in the Happiness Project Shop Lees meerUse the gift guide for thoughtful and easy gift ideas
Elizabeth: is catching up on War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Rules for Visiting by Jessica Francis Kane (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: A True Story of Redeeming a Loss Through Sacrifice
24 november 2025 · 4 min
The awe-inspiring true story of “Mountain Man” Dashrath Manjhi is an example of how we can transform pain into action that can help others. After his wife died for lack of medical care, Dashrath Manjhi spent more than twenty years single-handedly carving out a path to make his remote village more accessible.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Bonus Episode: Who Am I Without Kids at Home? (Gretchen Rubin on “Laugh Lines”)
23 november 2025 · 46 min
I joined Kim and Penn Holderness on their podcast "Laugh Lines" for a funny, thoughtful talk about parenting after the kids move out—a great listen as families come back together for the holidays.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Do Holidays Leave You Exhausted, Not Restored? Priya Parker, Francis Lam & Kate Bowler on Celebration
22 november 2025 · 40 min
It’s easy to get swept up in a cycle of holidays that feels more like a relentless to-do list than a source of joy. In this Celebration Roundtable, we talk about how to embrace the holidays as opportunities for intentional connection and meaning.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Francis Lam
Priya Parker
Kate Bowler Lees meerThe Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 561: Need Some Fresh Ideas for Gift-Giving? Here Are Many Great Suggestions
19 november 2025 · 35 min
It can be a real challenge to find new, useful ideas for gifts. We suggest many of our own recommendations, plus we include dozens of ideas from listeners.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Request bookplates now to get them in time for the holidays!
Sign up for The Happiness Project Revisited and get 40% off enrollment
Florist Wire
Electric Foot Warmer
Whiskey of the Month Flaviar
Uncommon Goods Pop-Up Escape Room
Clear Case for eReader
Briogeo Sleek Stick
SK-II Facial Masks
Surratt Makeup Brushes
La Mer Lip Balm Lees meerSnuffle Mat
Flirt Pole with Lure
Trigger Point Cane
Back and neck massager
Heating pad for neck
TOMOO 9 wheel muscle roller
Tom Cruise Cake
Doan's Bakery
John Kelly Chocolates
Boston Big-Buckle Shearling Birkenstock
Portable light-Newmowa
Lumify Eye Drops
Sea Scooter
EcoNour tray for car
Gift-Giving Toolkit
Elizabeth is reading: Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: A Beautiful Ending & the Final Passage of Queen Victoria
17 november 2025 · 6 min
As a writer, I'm particularly drawn to great endings, and I read the extraordinary closing paragraphs of Lytton Strachey’s biography Queen Victoria. Strachey imagines Victoria's fading mind retracing the vanished visions of her long history—passing back through decades of memories in a poignant, poetic cascade that captures both the end of a life and the end of an era.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Is It Always a Bad Idea to Gossip? Plus: Choosing a One-Word Theme for the Year
15 november 2025 · 28 min
We talk about the challenge of choosing a one-word theme for the upcoming year, as well as the surprising value of gossip. Plus we talk about a fun reason to have a party.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Send recommendations for your favorite books to give for the holidays
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 560: Very Special Episode: What Secrets Does Your Therapist Wish They Could Tell You?
12 november 2025 · 42 min
We talk to Lori Gottlieb—psychotherapist, bestselling author, and co-host of the “Since You Asked” advice podcast—about what she wishes she could tell her patients. We discuss questions like why patients lie to their therapists, how to know if you’re the toxic friend, how to handle a challenging holiday gathering, and how to end rumination.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Request bookplates now to get them in time for the holidays! Lees meerMaybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb (Amazon, Bookshop)
Elizabeth is reading: The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: A Weekend in New York by Benjamin Markovits (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: A Teaching Story So Good That It Should Be True
10 november 2025 · 4 min
Sometimes a teaching story has such a great lesson that it doesn’t even matter if it’s not true. While the famous story of the sardines and the catfish turns out to be apocryphal, it illustrates a useful truth: Being in an environment where we need to show hustle can be better for us than quiet, stagnant surroundings.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Deck the Halls! 24 Quick Tasks to Get Holiday-Ready [Revisited]
8 november 2025 · 24 min
A twist on our “Clear the Decks” strategy—this episode guides you through a series of quick, one-minute tasks to help you get organized for the holidays.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Sign up to be an organ donor!
We mention the Five-Senses Journal, which includes spaces to do five-senses portraits.
To make it easier to identify good gifts to give, take the Gift-Giving Quiz.
Outer Order, Inner Calm Lees meerKnow Yourself Better Journals
We mention the Happier appGet 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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 559: Feel Lonely? Out of Touch? Try This. Plus the Beautiful Pressure to “Use It Up”
5 november 2025 · 33 min
We talk about the value of having a party (a party that’s not family- or child-centric). We share an easy hack for assembling furniture. Plus listeners give their examples of how they feel the pressure to “use up”—the beautiful offerings of the world.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Here's a guide to help you generate thoughtful gift ideas Lees meerElizabeth is reading: The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: On the Beach by Nevil Shute (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
A Little Happier: Surprise: Gossip Can Be Good for You
3 november 2025 · 4 min
Despite its bad reputation, gossip is actually a ubiquitous and important feature of human communication.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Embrace the Immersive, Reflect on Your Algorithm & Clear Clutter to Boost Energy
1 november 2025 · 28 min
We talk about why immersive experiences are so energizing and interesting. We also explore how we can know ourselves better by considering what the algorithm reflects back to us about our interests, and we talk about the satisfaction of clearing clutter.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Masquerade
Viola's Room Lees meerLife in Five Senses
Titanic Virtual Experience
Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 558: Have “One Big Thing” Holding You Back? Listeners Weigh In. Plus the Value of Making Space
29 oktober 2025 · 38 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode: Lees meerCheck out the new Bingo Book in The Happiness Project Shop
Gift-Giving QuizOuter Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin (Amazon, Bookshop)
Elizabeth is reading: They All Came to Barneys by Gene Pressman (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: The White Stone by Esther de Waal (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A Little Happier: A Story from Real Life: Sometimes, We Help Best by Hanging Back
27 oktober 2025 · 4 min
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 transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: You Can’t Outrun Fate—and Other Haunting Truths [Revisited]
25 oktober 2025 · 26 min
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 Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Lees meer -
Ep. 557: Happier Book Club: Liz Gilbert Talks About Love, Addiction & Grief in “All the Way to the River”
22 oktober 2025 · 42 min
We talk to blockbuster bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert about her latest book —a compelling memoir that’s impossible to put down.
Resources & links related to this episode: Lees meerAll the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert
Check out the new Happiness Project tools
Liz Gilbert's Substack newsletter: Letters from LoveGretchen's Substack newsletter: Secrets of Adulthood
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
A Little Happier: A Counter-Intuitive Truth About How to Be a Good Guest
20 oktober 2025 · 3 min
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 episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: The Joys of Working in an Office, Making Great Recommendations & Tom Cruise Cake
18 oktober 2025 · 30 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Dog cave bed
Visit happiercast.com/finishstrong to find your Tendency and get the tools you need to finish the year strong
Scamanda podcast
Manual massage cane
Sign up for my "Five Things Making Me Happy" newsletter
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 556: Schedule a Saturday Synch-up, Lessons About Getting a New Dog & How to Question a Questioner
15 oktober 2025 · 37 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
Check out the new Happiness Project tools
Take the Four Tendencies quiz: Are you an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel?
Elizabeth is: So busy that she's not reading anything right now
Gretchen is reading: Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Lees meer -
A Little Happier: One Surprising Reason that the TV Show “Friends” Is So Popular
13 oktober 2025 · 6 min
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 the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: How to Build Your Own Anxiety Emergency Kit [Revisited]
11 oktober 2025 · 33 min
Feeling anxious or overwhelmed? This Revisited episode shares our Emergency Kit—small, practical strategies to interrupt the spiral when everything feels like too much.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Podcast 240: Very Special Episode: Use the Emergency Kit for Anxiety, Worry, and Stress.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 555: Invest in Tools, an Orange Theory Hack & a Sobering Fact about Books
8 oktober 2025 · 33 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
Ep. 548 Put your money where your mouth is
Join Secrets of Adulthood on Substack
Elizabeth is reading: All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Lees meer -
Little Happier: A Happiness Lesson from Author Kurt Vonnegut’s Uncle
6 oktober 2025 · 5 min
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 episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: The Joy of Giving Away Toys, the Pleasure of Parasocial Relationships & TV Tourism
4 oktober 2025 · 29 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb & Gretchen Rubin podcast
Sign up for my free weekly "Five Things Making Me Happy" newsletter
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 554: Take the Trip, Get Something Valuable for Free, and Listeners Talk about Their “One Big Thing”
1 oktober 2025 · 33 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
Use NewsBank, PressReader, or the Libby app to get access to digital newspapers
Elizabeth is reading: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: Good Idea or Bad Idea? Do I Regret My Experience, or Not? I Can’t Decide.
29 september 2025 · 4 min
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 page in the Apple Podcasts app.
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More Happier: Introducing “Since You Asked with Gretchen Rubin and Lori Gottlieb”
27 september 2025 · 38 min
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 feed.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
Have a question or advice to share? Leave a voicemail or write to us at thesinceyouaskedpodcast.com.
Follow along with Gretchen (@gretchenrubin) and Lori (@lorigottlieb_author) on Instagram for the latest on the show.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 553: Ask for Clarification, an Easy Way to Unclutter & a “Use It Up” Epiphany
24 september 2025 · 35 min
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.”
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin
Elizabeth is reading: A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: Andy Warhol, Woolworth’s, Air Conditioning, and Roasted Peanuts
22 september 2025 · 4 min
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: For Travel, Familiarity or Novelty? Plus a Flossing Hack & the Pleasure of Routine
20 september 2025 · 27 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode: Lees meerLearn your Tendency and learn more about the "Four Tendencies" framework
"Dentists know you hate flossing. Try this instead."
GUM soft-picks
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 552: Start Your 100-Day Countdown, Try Substack & the Power of Engaging
17 september 2025 · 36 min
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.
Resources & links related to this episode:
For the Happier Podcast Book Club: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert (Amazon, Bookshop)
Joshua Rothman's New Yorker article "A.I. Is Coming for Culture"
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Lees meerHappier in Hollywood Substack
Secrets of Adulthood Substack
"Fall in Love with Your Next Novel" Quiz
Elizabeth is reading: Actress of a Certain Age by Jeff Hiller (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: A Surprising and Subtle Way to Change Your Habits: Consider Texas
15 september 2025 · 5 min
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 episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Returning to Routine? 7 Strategies to Make it Easier [Revisited]
13 september 2025 · 31 min
Feeling the end-of-summer slump? In this revisited episode, we share 7 practical strategies that can help you rebuild your routine for fall—especially if you're dragging your feet. September is the other January, and this “starter kit” for habit change will help you reset without forcing it.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Better Than Before
21 strategies
Episode 360
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 551: Question Assumptions, College Drop-Off Hacks & Rebelling Against an Unappreciative Family
10 september 2025 · 35 min
We talk about why it can be very valuable to question our assumptions, and we also share hacks for helping a child moving into a college dorm. Plus we discuss a listener’s feelings of Obliger-rebellion due to the unacknowledged work she does for her family.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen Rubin Lees meerLove Life by Rob Lowe (Amazon, Bookshop)
Four Tendencies quiz
"Clear the Decks” bingo card
Elizabeth is reading: We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Space by Elyce Arons (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Marry Him by Lori Gottlieb (Amazon, Bookshop)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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: Why Is Making Partner in a Law Firm Like Winning a Pie-Eating Contest?
8 september 2025 · 4 min
A teaching joke from the legal world captures an important lesson: Sometimes the reward for an achievement is simply a bigger helping of the same challenge.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Listen In! Recording from Our Reading Retreat (and Closet Clearing)
6 september 2025 · 39 min
During our recent Reading Retreat 2025, we made voice memos to record our sisterly adventure. We talk about our reading, plus we also report on the evening we spent clearing out a very crowded closet. Listen in and follow along as we report from Los Olivos and Encinco, California.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Read 25 in '25
Elizabeth's same-day book: James by Percival Everett (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen's same-day book: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (Amazon, Bookshop)
Happier in Hollywood Substack
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 550: Very Special Episode: Now Is the Time to Tackle That One, Big, Hard Thing
3 september 2025 · 35 min
Sometimes, to be happier, we need to confront one enormous, daunting goal that we would really prefer to avoid. We discuss what those kinds of intimidating goals might be, offer suggestions for how to approach them, and share many encouraging examples from listeners.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Are you a marathoner or a sprinter, in your work pace?
Quiz for the Four Tendencies personality framework
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: Sometimes, Life Feels Like Art. Recently I Felt Like Reciting Poetry to a Crowd
1 september 2025 · 5 min
Sometimes life achieves the formal perfection of art, or a moment can seem so transcendent that only art can allow us to express what we feel.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Get Ready for Fall in Just 30 Minutes [Revisited]
30 augustus 2025 · 27 min
Clear the Decks! We revisit one of our most popular episodes to help you prepare for the return to routine after summer—or anytime you’re gearing up for a change.
Resources & links related to this episode: Lees meerSign up for the "5 Things Making Me Happy" newsletter.
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ep. 549: Make a Love List, Back-to-School Hacks & How to Learn Someone’s Real Opinion
27 augustus 2025 · 33 min
We explore the power of creating a "love list" to help us stay connected with the people who matter most. We share a clever way for getting someone’s honest opinions, plus, we dive into listeners' most practical back-to-school tips.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Order my new book Secrets of Adulthood Lees meerRequest a signed bookplate here
Elizabeth is reading: Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Pied Piper by Nevil Shute (Amazon, Bookshop)
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Little Happier: A Happiness Lesson from the Friends’ Central Perk Coffee Shop
25 augustus 2025 · 4 min
A touch of levity can help us navigate awkward or painful situations by making it easier for people to hear difficult things—as illustrated by a funny moment from the popular TV show Friends.
Resources & links related to this episode:
The One Where Monica and Richard Are Friends Lees meerGet 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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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More Happier: Talking Romance Writing with Stacey Abrams and Lori Gottlieb
23 augustus 2025 · 38 min
In this Roundtable discussion, we explore the role of romance in fiction and real life. Author and political leader Stacey Abrams explains how she weaves it into her suspense novels by focusing on authentic human connection, while therapist Lori Gottlieb brings her perspective on love off the page. Together, we look at how romance is imagined, experienced, and sustained today.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Stacey Abrams
Lori Gottlieb
Gretchen Rubin
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.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Lees meer