Podcast Episodes

Little Happier: For Writer Isabel Allende, January 8 Is the Right Day to Begin.

In remembrance of her grandfather’s death, writer Isabel Allende starts all her new books on January 8, which for her is the right day to begin.

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

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Ep. 340: Very Special Episode! Ask Us Anything

Episode 340

Every tenth episode is a Very Special Episode, and this episode is an “Ask Us Anything.” We answer listener questions about our parents, career insights, our favorite hacks, why Gretchen calls Elizab…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Little Happier: Ordinary Belongings Become Precious as They Persist—Like My Parents’ Brown Bowl

Ordinary belongings become precious as they persist. They make us feel rooted in our own existence, with the comforting feeling that “Some things will never change.” Things will change, of course—but…

Published on 4 years, 3 months ago

Ep. 339: Why It’s More Helpful to Ask for Help than to Show Anger, a Listener Struggles with a Talkative Co-Worker, and What Textures Do You Enjoy Most?

Episode 339

We discuss why, if we’re facing a challenge, it can be more helpful to focus on need than anger, explore a know-yourself-better question related to textures, and a listener asks: I’m back in the offi…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Little Happier: Musician Rosanne Cash Reminds Me of a Paradox: Love Is Unconditional, and Love Is Demanding

Musician and writer Rosanne Cash tells the story of a conversation she had with her husband, which was a terrific illustration of a paradox of love.

Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenrubin…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Bonus Episode: Fantasy Island! We Explore the Making of the New FOX TV Drama

In this bonus episode, we dive deep into questions about the making of the new FOX TV drama “Fantasy Island” and Elizabeth’s role as showrunner.

Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; podcast@…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Ep. 338: If You’re Under Pressure, Give Yourself Less Time, an Easy Hack for Listening to Podcasts, and an Interview with Ramit Sethi about Money and Couples.

Episode 338

We talk about why, when under pressure, you might consider giving yourself less time, we suggest a hack that makes podcast-listening more convenient, and Ramit Sethi discusses his new podcast about t…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Little Happier: A Single Letter Reverses the Meaning of This Quotation from Leonardo da Vinci

I’d long been haunted by a line from Leonardo da Vinci’s “Notebooks,” but I learned that I’d mistyped a single letter, and had utterly transformed the meaning of the quotation. (I like my version bet…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Ep. 337: Take a Nap, an Easy Hack for Lowering Frustration, a New Way to Use Gold Stars—and Are You a “Song” Lover or a “Music” Lover?

Episode 337

We explore the many benefits of taking a nap (if schedules permit), one listener suggests a simple organization hack and another listener finds a way to use demerits and gold stars in a hospital, and…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago

Little Happier: After Enron’s Downfall, a Massive Trove of Private Emails Were Made Public. Researchers Learned a Lot, and So Did I.

The fascinating history of the “Enron Corpus,” the trove of private emails that were made public in the wake of the collapse of the energy company Enron, reminds me never to write anything in an emai…

Published on 4 years, 4 months ago