Happier with Gretchen Rubin

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: Learn your TendencyDentists know you hate flossing. Try this insteadGUM 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.

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: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss and LiberationAmazonBookshopNew YorkerA.I. Is Coming for CultureListen to the new podcast Since You Asked with Lori Gottlieb and Gretchen RubinHappier in HollywoodSecrets of Adulthood"Fall in Love with Your Next Novel" QuizActress of a Certain AgeAmazonBookshopThe Secret Commonwealth AmazonBookshop 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.

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.

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 Before21 strategiesEpisode 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.

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 RubinLove LifeAmazonBookshopFour Tendencies quiz"Clear the Decks” bingo cardWe Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Space AmazonBookshopMarry HimAmazonBookshop 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.

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.

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 '25JamesAmazonBookshopA Town Like AliceAmazonBookshopHappier 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.

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: 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.

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.

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: Sign 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.

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: Secrets of Adulthoodsigned bookplate hereSummer in SonomaAmazonBookshopPied PiperAmazonBookshop 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.

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 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 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 AbramsLori GottliebGretchen 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.

We explore how we can signal dedication to an aim by putting our money where our mouth is—though it’s important to note that merely spending money isn’t enough. We also share listeners' delightfully surprising answers about what they do for fun. Plus we tackle a fascinating Rebel dilemma: having a spirit of resistance against something she actually really does want to do. Resources & links related to this episode: Wheel of NamesPuppy Potty LogA Little Happier: How Teachers Changed the Lives of Steve Carrell and Adrienne Kennedy"5-Things" newsletter hereFull HouseAmazonBookshopLiving with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas MertonAmazon 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.

Super-star musician Taylor Swift has three categories of imaginary pens that she uses to write her songs. Having the right tools helps to make work a joy—and in Taylor Swift’s case, even imaginary tools help to make work a joy. 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.

From Dan Harris’s podcast, 10% Happier—a conversation about how to remember and use what truly makes us happier. We talk about why it’s so easy to forget helpful ideas, what to notice when you’re hiding something, and a simple habit that can strengthen your relationships. Resources & links related to this episode: Dan and I talk Secrets of Adulthood on Substack10% Happier with Dan Harris 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 discuss why we should beware of the impulse to disengage when we feel lonely, purposeless, or overwhelmed by bad news. We also share listener responses about creative themed-retreat ideas, such as a heal-the-heartache getaway. Plus we discuss an interesting know-yourself-better question. Resources & links related to this episode: Listen to episode 110 hereZoom.us/testMuse Machine, Know Yourself Better Journal, and Don't Break the Chain Tracker herewww.monarchmoney.com/HAPPYEat Pray Love AmazonBookshopOngoingness: The End of a DiaryAmazonBookshop 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.

Creating an orderly environment can be surprisingly energizing and mood-boosting. And while an empty shelf holds invitation and promise, so does a junk drawer. 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.

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: the Happier app 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.

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. Try it yourself at https://RadioOptimism.LG.com 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.