Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project
Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
4 snips
Mar 28, 2026 • 33min
How to Reduce Relationship Conflict with the Four Tendencies
Dr. Becky Kennedy, clinical psychologist and parenting expert behind the Good Inside approach, joins to explore relationship conflict through the Four Tendencies. Short, actionable conversations show how expectations drive repeat fights. Learn how different tendencies respond to rules, accountability, choice, and identity. Practical tactics for obligers and strategies for parenting rebels are highlighted.
Mar 25, 2026 • 31min
Ep. 579: Do You Have Trouble Making Plans with Friends? And How to Question a Questioner
They explain how proposing an anchor date makes scheduling with friends much easier. Practical tips include offering specific dates and doing the scheduling work for others. A segment explores why people who probe questions resist simple queries and how statements or context get better responses. The show also shares compassionate rituals and pacing strategies for coping with grief.
Mar 23, 2026 • 3min
A Little Happier: Why Lady Gaga Matters for My One-Word Theme for 2026
She shares three yearly exercises for designing 2026 and explains why a single word can shape your year. She announces her one-word theme "neighbor" and why neighborliness matters. She describes being moved by Lady Gaga’s cover of Mister Rogers’ theme and how that song stirs feelings about community and American ideals.
Mar 21, 2026 • 28min
More Happier: Do You Expect Too Much? Plus, How to Finish an Important Project
A lively conversation about whether we expect too much from work, marriage, schools, and friendships. A look at realistic expectations for parenting and relationships to avoid disappointment. Practical talk about why big projects stall and simple strategies to start, restart, and push through to finish. Short anecdotes about libraries, reading, and everyday conveniences.
Mar 18, 2026 • 31min
Ep. 578: Do You Dread Giving a Toast? And You Probably Want the Same Snack
They explore why proposing a toast can lift moods and when to offer one. Practical do's and don'ts for preparing, timing, and calming nerves come up. Funny research about diversification bias explains why you may prefer the same snack repeatedly. Creative accountability strategies and relatable listener stories round out the conversation.
Mar 16, 2026 • 2min
A Little Happier: A Happy Story about Queen Elizabeth II and the American Tourists
A charming tale about two American hikers who did not recognize a playful royal during a Balmoral walk. Stories of witty replies, a surprise photograph swap, and the royal's amused prediction about when her identity would be revealed. Brief reflections on staying grounded through life transitions with quick self-reflection prompts.
32 snips
Mar 14, 2026 • 29min
More Happier: How to Stick to an Exercise Habit with the Four Tendencies [Revisited]
They explore why exercise habits fail and practical habit strategies that actually help. Learn different approaches based on personality tendencies and real listener hacks. Hear creative accountability methods, from dogs and social groups to simple prep routines. Walks, efficient workouts, and everyday convenience get highlighted as ways to make movement stick.
12 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 30min
Ep. 577: How Well Do You Know Yourself? Plus Hacks for Staying Warm & Putting Down Your Phone
They explore self-knowledge through personality quizzes and frameworks like the Four Tendencies, Big Five, Enneagram, and Values Bridge. They mention practical uses of quizzes for relationships and decision-making. Listeners share clever hacks for staying warm, including electric mattress pads. They discuss strategies to curb doomscrolling and ways to add accountability for habits.
Mar 9, 2026 • 3min
A Little Happier: Is There Anything Special About Human Beings?
A lively run-through of traits that set humans apart, from language creativity and precision thumbs to the odd rarity of chins. Everyday behaviors like cooking, emotional tears, and complex shame get quick attention. Social inventions such as trade, laws, stories, art, and marriage rituals are highlighted. The conversation ends by asking which human qualities will stay distinct in the age of AI.
Mar 8, 2026 • 40min
Move Happier: How Do You Move On After College Drop-Off? with Author Ben Markovits
Ben Markovits, novelist and author of The Rest of Our Lives, reads from his book and reflects on a cross-country drive that became a narrative frame. He talks about illness shaping the story, why he writes about family and marriage, and his daily two-hour writing ritual. He also shares influences, road-trip structure, and a simple physical practice for focus.
