Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Latest Episodes:

Are You Asking Too Much–of This Person, or This Job, or This School? Nov 04, 2026

Show notes

Why lowering your standards isn’t the answer, how to call friends without making it weird, and does it matter if everyone orders the same thing at a restaurant?

Episode highlights

Try This at Home: Right-size your expectations. [00:14]
Know Yourself Better: Do you split dishes with your dining partner, or order the same thing? Plus, a few restaurant hacks [00:24]
Demerits & Gold Stars: Gretchen left her backpack in an Uber [00:50]

Mentioned in this Episode

Notarize, an online notary service
Ep. 602, on spending money at home instead of on a vacation
Take the Five-Senses Quiz
Take the Gift-Giving Quiz
Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin (Amazon, Bookshop)
Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob Greene (Amazon, Bookshop)
1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World by Liaquat Ahamed (Amazon, Bookshop)
Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick (Amazon, Bookshop)

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

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Do You Replay Your Mistakes? Remember the “Coffee Cup” Nov 02, 2026

Show notes

When I can’t let go of a mistake I made, I take comfort in the stories of highly skilled teams who made mistakes of their own.

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone’s Talking About the Same Movie, and We Love It Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

The fun of monoculture, a secret theme behind Steven Spielberg’s movies, and Jeff Probst visits a Survivor Fantasy League.

Episode highlights

Something Making Us Happier: Halloween decorations and a special Survivor Fantasy League guest visit [00:36]
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Why seeing a movie in a theater beats watching at home [09:42]
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: Gretchen reveals Steven Spielberg’s secret theme [18:39]

Mentioned in this Episode

Youglish

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

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Blockbuster Author Harlan Coben on Why Memory Is Partly Fiction Oct 28, 2026

Show notes

Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy first drafts, how fiction is memoir, and the simple trick that leaves him with no excuses.

Episode highlights

Why bestselling novelist, Harlan Coben, wrote a memoir about the writing life, and how the process differed from his other books. [04:33]
“Fiction is memoir, and memoir is fiction.” [06:27]
Whether you want to pursue writing, sculpting, or painting, it’s never too late. [16:38]
Why characters don’t have to be likeable, and how “incremental ambition” helps you keep going. [32:00]
Listener questions (and Harlan Coben’s answers) about modern technology in plotting, working with Reese Witherspoon, and book cover art [22:12]

Mentioned in this Episode

Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (Amazon, Bookshop)
Harlan Coben’s novels
Evaporated: Gone with the Gods podcast, about Japan’s “johatsu” (people who deliberately vanish)
NYT profile of Harlan Coben
Haruki Murakami and the baseball game where he decided to write a novel

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Little Happier: The Paradox at the Heart of the Open-Door Stage Oct 26, 2026

Show notes

I've come to see a great paradox at the heart of the "Open Door" stage: I want my daughters to know they're essential to my happiness, and also that my happiness doesn't depend on them.

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Use Daylight Savings to Rethink Your Morning Routine Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

A round-up of ideas for creating new morning habits, how to help your family form better morning habits, and why rethinking your daily routines can add more happiness and energy to your life.

Episode highlights

Get early morning light to reset your body clock (01:11)
Set a bedtime alarm (04:49)
Stop the morning snooze battle (09:42)
Build a rest ritual of 3-5 calming actions done before bed(22:38)

Mentioned in this Episode:

Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes (Amazon, Bookshop)
Better Than Before (Amazon, Bookshop)
Alarmy alarm clock app

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Secret to Creativity? Cultivate a Magpie Mind Oct 21, 2026

Show notes

A brilliant hack for getting more help with dinner, why a quest is more fun than a jaunt, and how we feel about desks.

Episode highlights:

Try This At Home: Cultivate a magpie mind [07:10]
Happiness Hack—Rename a chore to make it more appealing[16:00]
Know Yourself Better— How do you like to work? [26:00]
Demerits and Gold Stars: A sisterly trip to Dollywood [30:00]

Mentioned in this Episode:

Download the Creativity Bingo here
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (Amazon, Bookshop)
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (Amazon, Bookshop)
SongTeller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton (Amazon, Bookshop)

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Little Happier: A Superstar's Unforgettable Thank-You Oct 19, 2026

Show notes

I get such pleasure of thinking about iconic super-star Brad Pitt paying tribute to Chuck Palahniuk, and realizing what a gift he’d been given for his work.

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exercise Tips from NPR’s LifeKit: Could Watching TV Actually Help You Get Moving? Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

For “Move Happier,” Gretchen talks with Marielle Segarra, host of NPR’s Life Kit, about ditching the all-or-nothing rule, making the most of everyday activities, and the importance of smell and lighting.

Episode highlights:

Reduce friction: set out your gear the night before [00:00]
The five-minute rule: tell yourself you only have to move for five minutes, and momentum carries you [00:00]
Strength training basics: bodyweight moves like air squats and wall push-ups, no equipment needed [00:00]
Why strength work matters for bone density, brain function, and joint health [00:00]

Mentioned in this Episode:

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
Website: gretchenrubin.com
Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More Happier: Do you “Get to” or do you “Have to?” Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

We discuss the happiness of a trip with old friends, a way to reframe the task of taking our pills, and a surprising fact about GLP-1s.

Episode highlights

Something Making Us Happier—Say “I’ve made this plan, come if you can,” & reframe prescriptions as “I’m lucky to live when my health issues can be fixed,” not “I have to take lots of pills”[00:00]
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Perfume sales and GLP-1s[00:00]
Spotlight on a Tool—Find the full collection of Darker Secrets of Adulthood: Uncomfortable Truths for Our Complex Lives on Substack [00:00]

Mentioned in this Episode

NYT: “Rise of GLP-1s Leaves Food Industry Holding Party-Size Bag” [Insert Link]
Secrets of Adulthood (Gretchen’s Substack, including the Darker Secrets of Adulthood collection, Oct 21) [Insert Link]
Secrets of Adulthood book [Insert Link]

Connect with Us: