We explore the big question of whether to get a dog, sharing results from our listener poll, research on how pets boost happiness, and hilarious "worst-case scenarios.” We share a hack for getting tasks done more quickly and pleasantly. Plus we feature a rich collection of listener insights on restaurant plate-rotating secrets, balance-building while tooth-brushing, how grief can lead to new friendships, and more.

Resources & Links Related to this episode:

• Pre-order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood
• Join me on book tour starting April 1, 2025
• We mention the podcast Side Hustle School
• The Library of Congress
• National Archives
• A Little Happier: The Efforts that Allow a Grandmother's Love to Speak Across Time
• Elizabeth is reading: Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Gretchen is reading: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (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.

Through my "Operation Knicks Knowledge" experiment, I've discovered that basketball rules evolve constantly—and one particular change reveals a profound truth about human nature. We manage what we monitor, and we encourage what we reward.

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.

In honor of our tenth anniversary, we revisit a fan-favorite episode: The one where Elizabeth talks about giving a Ped Egg to her mother-in-law. Many listeners cited this segment as one of the all-time funniest discussions on the show. We also discuss Gretchen’s travel hack, the “Bowl of Requirement,” and our favorite wedding readings.

Resources & Links Related to this episode:

• Collection of Wedding Readings

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.

We explore a helpful approach for handling important tasks that can’t be dealt with at present, by stashing them in the metaphorical "messy closet" without guilt. Our happiness hack offers expert advice for managing social situations with difficult people. We also feature a special interview with legendary author Judy Blume about fostering a love of reading, her experiences with book banning, and insights from owning an indie bookstore.

Resources & Links Related to this episode:

• Pre-order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood
• Join me on book tour starting April 1, 2025
• Take the Four Tendencies quiz
• Elizabeth is reading: Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Gretchen is reading: Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood (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.

During my family’s trip to Normandy, reading the D-Day guide for soldiers gave me the “America feeling.” Its plain words, aimed at soldiers headed to France, captured my dream for America.

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.

We share what's making us happier: Survivor Fantasy League and teachers herding middle schoolers on the subway. We discuss whether reading is having a cultural moment (we think so) and explore the differences between club soda, sparkling water, and seltzer.

Resources & Links Related to this episode:

• Take the 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.

We explore the powerful practice of distilling your hard-earned observations into concise "Secrets of Adulthood,” such as "Working is one of the most dangerous forms of procrastination" and "The more I write, the more I write." We also talk about the simple pleasure of physical magazines, and we tackle a complex Four Tendencies question about supporting an Obliger mother-in-law whose helpfulness contributed to her health problems.

Resources and links related to this episode:

• A Little Happier: The Power of Telling the Truth--What Nebraska's and Oslo's Tourists Know
• Pre-order my new book, Secrets of Adulthood
• Take the Next Novel quiz
• Take the Four Tendencies quiz
• Elizabeth is reading: Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon (Amazon, Bookshop)
• Gretchen is reading: Give War and Peace a Chance: Tolstoyan Wisdom for Troubled Times by Andrew Kaufman (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.

Three distinct childhood memories—from an art-carnival creator, a food writer, and a horror master—illuminate how the “luna parks” of our childhoods can live in our imaginations for our entire 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.