Podcast Episodes

Little Happier: Nebraska’s Tourist Slogan Offers a Valuable—and Hilarious—Lesson in Happiness

Nebraska’s hilarious tourist slogan demonstrates that it’s often most effective to admit the truth, even when that truth might not be terribly flattering or impressive. Have a sense of humor, be will…

Published on 4 years, 2 months ago

Ep. 345: Escape from Zombie Mode, Help People Say “No,” and What Do You Want to Be Known For?

Episode 345

We discuss strategies for escaping “zombie mode,” share a hack to make it easy for people to say “no,” and talk to Crystal Ellefsen about the know-yourself-better question of “What do you want to be …

Published on 4 years, 2 months ago

Little Happier: Mindy Kaling’s “Rules for Writing” Show That We Can Be Funny Without Being Mean

Mindy Kaling is a successful and productive writer, actor, and director. She’s hilarious and brilliant. In her “Rules for Writing,” she explains how to be funny—without being mean.

Get in touch: @gret…

Published on 4 years, 2 months ago

Ep. 344: How to Do a Quick Good Deed that Could Have Big Consequences, a Hack for Cutting Ourselves Some Slack, and an Interview with Anderson Cooper

Episode 344

We discuss a listener’s suggestion for an important way to help others, we talk about giving ourselves a “mercy week” during particularly busy or stressful times, and we talk to CNN anchor Anderson C…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Little Happier: A Father Ate the Bananas Intended for His Children, and His Son Never Viewed Him the Same Way

Writer Auberon Waugh tells the story of how his father, novelist Evelyn Waugh, ate the bananas—at that time, a very rare treat--intended for him and his sisters. “It would be absurd to say that I nev…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Ep. 343: Keep a Journal in the Way That’s Right for You, Check in with #Read21in21, and Health Hacks from Cassy Joy Garcia

Episode 343

We talk about why you should keep a journal in the way that’s right for you—and discuss several different journal options, depending on what kind of journal you want to keep. We also hear hacks for h…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Little Happier: Writer Ann Patchett Describes How Sometimes, We Can Minister to the Spirit through the Body

In her brilliant memoir Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett recalls how she helps a troubled friend by tapping into the power of the five senses: “Even if I couldn’t make Lucy deeply happy, I could provid…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Ep. 342: Join the Work Happier Challenge, Use a Rubber Duck to Tackle a Tough Problem, and How to Fight Against Falling into Zombie Mode

Episode 342

We suggest taking the free “Work Happier Challenge” by text as we head into the “other January” of September, explain why talking to a rubber duck can help us tackle difficult problems, explore the c…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Little Happier: Actor Andrew McCarthy Faces the Question of How, as a Parent, to Acknowledge a Child’s Pain

When the young son of actor and writer Andrew McCarthy raised a tough issue, his father found the right words to respond.

Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Get in touch on Instagr…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Ep. 341: Find Something Unconventional to Celebrate, How to Deal with a Happiness Regret, and Listeners Suggest Ways to Deal with a Talkative Co-worker

Episode 341

Inspired by “Garbage Eve,” we discuss about why we might find something unconventional to celebrate, we talk about listeners’ suggestions for dealing with a co-worker who interrupts constantly, and l…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago