Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Seeing my beloved father as a patient in the hospital reminded me of looking at class photos of young children. Among a sea of faces, it’s my love that makes one face stand out from the anonymous crowd.
Reminder: as an exclusive offer for “Happier” listeners, you can get 2 weeks FREE plus a special discount to the Activations app at activations.com/happier. These guided audios are designed to help you feel motivated, confident, and in charge of your life.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some people have no trouble meeting expectations for others but struggle to follow through on what they want for themselves. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. We revisit the Four Tendencies to explore the three biggest challenges Obligers face—shame, exploitation, and rebellion—and what actually helps.
Reminder: as an exclusive offer for “Happier” listeners, you can get 2 weeks FREE plus a special discount to the Activations app at activations.com/happier. These guided audios are designed to help you feel motivated, confident, and in charge of your life.
Resources & links related to this episode:
To identify your Tendency, take the free quiz at gretchenrubin.com/quiz.

Get in touch: [email protected]
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Struggling to make progress on a habit? This episode offers a different approach—get a 14-day free trial of Activations (plus a big discount) at activations.com/happier.
Determination Day, February 28, is a useful time to take stock of your progress (or lack of it) on any change you’re trying to make. In this bonus episode, we talk with Mimi Bouchard, creator of the Activations app, about a practical, science-backed way to adjust your approach when progress feels harder than expected.
Get in touch: [email protected]
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
Reminder: as an exclusive offer for “Happier” listeners, you can get 2 weeks FREE plus a special discount to the Activations app at activations.com/happier. These guided audios are designed to help you feel motivated, confident, and in charge of your life.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of our “Steel” anniversary, we share some of our favorite suggestions, insights, hacks, and highlights from the previous year.
Resources & links related to this episode:
Listen to my Audible Original Get It Done
Very Special Episode 540 on Whimsy
Design Your Summer
Simon Haisell's Footnotes and Tangents newsletter
Understanding Obliger-Rebellion
How to Question a Questioner
Solving Rebel Resistance to Something Desirable
Electric throw blanket
Accountability Hacks
Parenting Hacks
Our Father’s Obituary - Little Happier
Secrets of Adulthood
Talking to Liz Gilbert about All the Way to the River
College drop-off hacks
The Since You Asked podcast
Very Special Episode "What secrets your therapist wish they could tell you"
Happier in Hollywood Substack
Secrets of Adulthood Substack
Elizabeth is reading: The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg (Amazon, Bookshop)
Gretchen is reading: Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt (Amazon, Bookshop)

Get in touch: [email protected]
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I learned something surprising in law school: To a great extent, we can’t be forced to follow the law; we must decide to follow the law.
Resources & links related to this episode:


Get in touch: [email protected]
Visit Gretchen's website to learn more about Gretchen's best-selling books, products from The Happiness Project Collection, and the Happier app.
Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.