Ep. 522: Tenth Anniversary! Best Try-This-At-Home Ideas, Happiness Hacks, and Highlights
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the podcast, we highlight our favorite ideas, hacks, and moments from the last decade. Everything from the “one-minute rule” to “clear the decks” to “give yourself a derby name” to Elizabeth’s famous recommendation of the Ped Egg. Resources and links related to this episode: Pre-order my new book, Secrets of Adulthood Better Than Before, my book about habit change Follow the one-minute rule Observe the family “update” Identify your signature anything: color, scent, personal symbol. Go to the doctor Celebrate minor holidays Start a side hustle “Identify your Happiness 911 song” Give yourself a “derby name” Create a five-senses portrait Organize trinkets Outer Order, Inner Calm book Packing cubes Share a podcast episode Closet-clearing montage Cleaning Elizabeth's office Hacks for reading more Hacks for making entertaining easier and more fun Hacks for performance Thank-you note debate Happiness lessons from teachers in episodes 324 and 326 Object sacrificing itself “Unplugged Episode” Clear the Decks Sweep the Decks Deck the Halls Voice memos from England Ped Egg “Have you ever been upset by a well-intentioned gift?” Happier in Hollywood podcast We made merchandise! Buy your merch! 10th Anniversary Celebration Sale Find the resources here 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.
19 Feb 37min
Little Happier: The Efforts Made That Allow a Grandmother’s Love to Speak Across Time
The inscription on an ancient Greek grave marker illustrates the purpose of preserving art across millennia. A grandmother's words about holding her beloved grandchild, both in life and death, bridge more than two thousand years. 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.
17 Feb 2min
More Happier: The “More Happier” Debate, Do You Eat Before You Pay & Advice For Creative People
We review the great debate among listeners about whether our ungrammatical jokes about “More Happier” are fun—or annoying. We also discuss whether, as creative people, we expect our friends and family to read, watch, or listen to what we create. Plus we explore a silly question about whether we’d start to eat an item before we’d pay for it. Resources and links related to this episode: 5 Things Making Me Happy Newsletter The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr (Amazon, Bookshop) Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (Amazon, Bookshop) After Hours with Jamie Rubin podcast Eliza Starting at 16 podcast People My Age podcast 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.
15 Feb 25min
Ep. 521: Very Special Episode! Ask Us Anything, Part II
For this Very Special Episode, we answer questions from listeners about our relationships, happiness, watercolor, celebrities, our reading habits, and more. Resources and links related to this episode: Bookshop Quiz: Fall In Love With Your Next Novel Happier in Hollywood Substack Simon Haisell's slow read of War and Peace Five-Senses Journal Dabble Writer Elizabeth is reading: Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: The Many Lives of Anne Frank by Ruth Franklin (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.
12 Feb 38min
Little Happier: It’s Right to Do the Right Thing, Even When It Makes No Difference
Three distinct voices—Leonard Woolf, Gerald Heard, and Thomas Merton—point to the same truth world: The value of right action lies not in the results we achieve for others, but in the rightness of the action itself, and its significance for ourselves. 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.
10 Feb 4min
More Happier: Happiness Lessons from Evacuation: When We Have to Leave Home Fast
We talk about the unexpected lessons Elizabeth learned during her family’s emergency evacuation from their home, from the practical (“know your zone”) to the emotional (dogs can provide comfort in displacement). We discuss how information networks proved crucial, the reality of evacuation traffic, and how different people react in crisis. We also explore how to maintain productivity during disruption and the importance of advance preparation, including the value of a well-planned "go bag" and a pre-made list of irreplaceable items. Resources & Links Related to this episode: Habits for Happiness Quiz 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.
8 Feb 26min
Ep. 520: Very Special Episode! Ask Us Anything, Part I
For this Very Special Episode, we answer questions from listeners about relationships, happiness, habits, reading, writing, and working together as sisters. Resources and links related to this episode: Super-Fan Sign-Up Elizabeth is reading: Colored Television by Danzy Senna (Amazon, Bookshop) Gretchen is reading: A Stitch in Time by Penelope Lively (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.
5 Feb 36min
Little Happier: The Power of Telling the Truth: What Nebraska’s and Oslo’s Tourists Know
Through two brilliant tourism campaigns—Nebraska's "Honestly, it's not for everyone" and Oslo's “Is it even a city?”--we discover the surprising power of embracing what others might see as flaws. These campaigns reveal a liberating truth: What some see as drawbacks, others may view as advantages. It's a reminder that we're often at our most appealing when we tell truth. 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.
3 Feb 3min
