Podcast Episodes

Little Happier: Why Is It So Hard to See and Hear the World from Someone Else’s Perspective?

Despite all good intentions, an accomplished architect built a house with lousy acoustics, even though the owner—the writer Ved Mehta, who was blind--emphasized that the acoustical environment was th…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

EP. 330: Very Special Episode: Best Advice for Recent College Graduates, for Career, Finance, Roommates, and a Warning About Drift

Episode 330

Listeners contributed their best advice for people graduating from college, in areas including job search, finances, roommates, and life, and we also explore the dangers of “drift.”

Get in touch: @gre…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Little Happier: What a Set of 3D “Magic Eye” Postcards Taught Me About Myself

Just because something isn’t often used doesn’t mean that it’s useless. My 3D “Magic Eye” postcards are fun to look at, and they also tie me to my own past.

Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretc…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Bonus Episode: Mad Men

In this bonus episode, we talk about the TV show “Mad Men.” We discuss our favorite moments, questions, and listeners’ favorite scenes.

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

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Ep. 329: Explore the Five Senses of Summer, a Hack for Boosting Focus, and a Deep Dive into Solutions for Obliger-Rebellion

Episode 329

We talk about you might explore the five senses of summer, suggest a simple hack that makes it easier to focus, and review listeners’ suggestions about how to ward off growing Obliger-rebellion.

Get i…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Little Happier: Re-Framing the Situation Can Mean that Someone Unexpected Wins a Prize

Rebecca Caudill’s 1962 picture book “The Best-Loved Doll” tells the story of a little girl and her shabby, beloved doll, and the medal her doll won, when the truth was framed in a new way.

Get in touc…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Ep. 328: Eat Something You Saw on the Screen or Page, a Reading Hack, and Annie Murphy Paul Talks About the Extended Mind

Episode 328

Why you might eat something you saw on the screen or on the page, a clutter-clearing hack that makes reading more fun, and a conversation with Annie Murphy Paul about how to think outside the brain.

G…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Little Happier: My Brilliant Insight About the Title's Meaning for "The Phantom Tollbooth," Norton Juster's Classic Novel.

 I have a tremendous insight that springs from my love of Norton Juster’s novel “The Phantom Tollbooth” and my longstanding fascinating with Zen koans.

Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; podcast@gretchenru…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Ep. 327: Something to Remember: Gretchen Passed Out on Live TV! Plus a Hand-Holding Hack, and Are You in an Age of Expansion or Concentration?

Episode 327

We talk about why it’s helpful to remember that the things that go wrong often make the best memories—for example, I passed out on live TV! Plus a hack about holding hands, and we ask the know-yourse…

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago

Little: Grover of Sesame Street and Arya of Game of Thrones Teach Me the Same Lesson.

Two characters from two very different kinds of stories—Sesame Street’s Grover and Game of Thrones’s Arya—illustrate the important reminder that sometimes, when we feel trapped, we can remember that …

Published on 4 years, 6 months ago