Podcast Episodes

Little Happier: Who’s Happier? My Husband, Who Got His iPod Back, or Me, Who Retrieved It for Him?

One of the best ways to make ourselves happier is to make other people happier. I was made happier by my gesture of loving in tracking down my husband’s iPod than he was made happy by getting it back…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Ep. 316: What Valuable Lessons Have We Learned from the Pandemic, a Hack to Fight Morning Grogginess, and a Question about a Rebel Teacher Who Doesn’t Read Emails

Episode 316

We discuss why we might ask ourselves, “What valuable lessons have I learned from the pandemic, now that a year has passed?” We also suggest an easy hack to shake off sleep inertia, tackle a listener…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Little Happier: The Memory of a Delicious Night of Sleep, Four Hundred Years Later

In the 1600s, Samuel Pepys kept a diary, and of everything he wrote about, including the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London fair, one thing that is remembered, so many hundreds of ye…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Ep. 315: Sixth Anniversary! Our Most Popular Try-This-at-Home Tips, Happiness Hacks & Favorite Moments

Episode 315

In honor of our sixth anniversary—an unusual year, due to the pandemic—we look back at the previous year and highlight our favorite try-this-at-homes, happiness hacks, and favorite moments. 

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Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Little Happier: Yogi Berra Was Funny, and He Also Hit on Some Profound Truths

Baseball legend Yogi Berra was famous for the hilarious things he said. And in his own inimitable way, he captured some profound truths.

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

Get in t…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Ep. 314: Re-Engage with Your Resolutions, A Hack for Helping People to Give Gifts, an Outdoors Demerit, and Why Humor Is Such a Powerful Tool at Work and in Life.

Episode 314

We talk about the 21 strategies that can help us re-engage with our resolutions, discuss a hack about helping people to give gifts (to avoid disappointment), and talk to Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagd…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Little Happier: How a Loose Piece of Popcorn in a Museum Inspired a Masterpiece

The brilliant children’s book From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was inspired when writer E. L. Konigsburg spotted a piece of popcorn on a chair in a period room at the Metropolitan…

Published on 4 years, 9 months ago

Ep. 313: Help People Not Disappoint You, a Hack for Reading More, a Talk with Deepa Iyer about Different Roles to Play in Social Change

Episode 313

We talk about how and why it’s a good idea to help people not disappoint us, share a reader suggestion about how to read more, and Deepa Iyer explains her map for social change.

Get in touch: @gretche…

Published on 4 years, 10 months ago

Little Happier: It’s a Lot of Work to Make Friendly Gestures, But We All Have to Try.

Whenever I think about the work that it takes to try to be friendly, I remember a funny story from my daughter’s childhood.

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

Get in touch on Insta…

Published on 4 years, 10 months ago

Ep. 312: Confront a Clutter-Related Conflict, a Hack for Having Fun, and Using the Four Tendencies Framework to Get Chores Done

Episode 312

We discuss why you might confront a clutter-related conflict, how to use the Four Tendencies personality framework to help tackle clutter and chores, and talk Anne Mercogliano about a fun acvtivity w…

Published on 4 years, 10 months ago