Happier with Gretchen Rubin

The touch of another person can be powerful. In Kate Bowler’s thought-provoking memoir, “Everything Happens for a Reason,” she tells a doctor that if he’s going to deliver bad news, he needs to be holding her hand.Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; …

We talk about how and why we might rest our senses, discuss an easy hack for making family vacation time more pleasant, and talk to author Laura Vanderkam about concrete strategies for getting more done—including getting more fun.Get in touch: …

Paul McCartney describes himself as a “Beatles fan.” Perhaps, after so many years, he’s experiencing the band from the outside as well as from the inside. It’s interesting to consider that perhaps we, as devoted fans, experience some piece of …

We talk about the happiness of spending the weekend with our parents in our hometown of Kansas City, reminisce about “Flower Fridays,” and discuss the question whether we want to wear shoes.Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] in touch on …

We talk about why we should stop “phubbing” (phone snubbing) people during conversations. We also share suggestions from listeners about simple ways to get more organized, clear clutter, and take medication consistently. Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] in touch …

Fashion icon Diana Vreeland said of her husband, “I can remember always pulling myself up, thinking, ‘I must be at my very best.’” Her observation points to a tension within love: love is unconditional, and love is demanding.Get in touch: …

We talk about why we observe the birthday of our spiritual teachers, discuss the challenge of the “arrival fallacy,” share a hack about creating more kitchen counter space, and tackle a listener question about being a happiness bully.Get in touch: …

A story from ancient Greece reminded me how much we humans value literature in all its forms.Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] in touch on Instagram: @GretchenRubin & @LizCraftGet the podcast show notes by email every week here: http://gretchenrubin.com/#newsletterLeave a …

We talk about the special quality of childhood friendships, why it’s nice to be back in a routine after the summer, and ask the question, “Do we have a mall in our life?”Get in touch: @gretchenrubin; @elizabethcraft; [email protected] in touch …

We talk about why we should stay aware of STUFF, and also how to nudge ourselves to rest even when it’s hard to stop away from the to-do list. We also discuss a terrific conversational hack discussed on a comedy …