• A Little Happier: A True Story About Friendship at the Olympics—and We’re More Free Than We Think
    Jul 28 2025

    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 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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    2 mins
  • More Happier: A New Barbie, Quality Screen Time & the Joy of Working on a Porch
    Jul 26 2025

    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.

    Resources & links related to this episode:

    • Design Your Summer worksheet
    • Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham (Amazon, Bookshop)
    • Too Much on Netflix


    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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    23 mins
  • Ep. 544: ”25 for ’25 List” Mid-Year Check-In—How Are We Doing?
    Jul 23 2025

    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 Secrets of Adulthood newsletter on Substack
    • Check out the sale in The Happiness Project Shop
    • Elizabeth is reading: Rivals by Jilly Cooper (Amazon, Bookshop)
    • Gretchen is reading: The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (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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    36 mins
  • A Little Happier: The Parable of the Raft, or, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
    Jul 21 2025

    Important truths endure. Three different teachers across the centuries have commented, in their own way, on an important aspect of the human experience.

    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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    4 mins
  • More Happier: Traveling Soon? 30 Hacks for a Happier Trip [Revisited]
    Jul 19 2025

    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 & 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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    33 mins
  • Ep. 543: Make a Decision and Make It Work, a Text-Scheduling Hack & Following Up on Mean "Jokes"
    Jul 16 2025

    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.

    Resources & links related to this episode:

    • Take the Four Tendencies quiz to find out whether you're an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel
    • Order your copy of Secrets of Adulthood
    • Sign up for Bookshop's summer reading challenge on the homepage at gretchenrubin.com
    • Download the Happier app
    • Elizabeth is reading: The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon (Amazon, Bookshop)
    • Gretchen is reading: Round the Bend by Neville 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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    35 mins
  • A Little Happier: What Happened When Steve Jobs’s Question Was Dismissed.
    Jul 14 2025

    In the “Four Tendencies” personality framework, tech legend Steve Jobs was a Questioner. At a crucial moment, his question was ignored—with profound consequences.

    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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    5 mins
  • More Happier: Watercoloring, Novel-Writing & 80’s Bestsellers
    Jul 12 2025

    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'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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    26 mins