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1351 episodes

Ep. 596: How Do People Learn the Things Everyone Already Knows? Plus a Ladder Warning
2026/07/22 | 35 mins.
Listeners share the "everyone knows that" facts they learned the hard way and we share an important warning about falls.

Episode highlights:

Listener Follow-Up: Remember that even a small fall can lead to a big injury. [00:57]

Lessons Learned the Hard Way—spare tires, elevator exit stars, gas tank arrows, and more [02:42]

Try This at Home: We share listeners' examples of facts everyone else seemed to know--but they didn't. [15:05]

Demerits & Gold Stars: Elizabeth’s demerit: late to fill out school health forms; Gretchen’s gold star: to Elizabeth’s family for making the long trip for the 4th of July [27:35]

Mentioned in this episode:

Food & Wine: What the Color of Your Bread Tag Really Means

Gretchen's Reading Retreat guide: happiercast.com/readingretreat

Who Needs Friends by Andrew McCarthy (Amazon, Bookshop)

Virginia Woolf's Diary, Vol. 3 (Amazon, Bookshop)

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Little Happier: The Challenge of the “Help-Rejecting Complainer”
2026/07/20 | 4 mins.
It’s very draining to deal with someone who complains and rejects any help that’s offered—but effective responses exist.

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

Learn more about Gretchen's Four Tendencies personality framework and take the free quiz.

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More Happier: Reading Hacks, Book Recommendations, and Finding Your Perfect Summer Read
2026/07/18 | 34 mins.
We revisit a favorite Try This at Home tip for getting more reading done, share listener hacks for building a happier reading life, and discuss how to discover books you'll love. Plus: recommendations for fascinating books about how things work.

Revisited Highlights:

Try This at Home: Read More (episode 121)

Happiness Hacks:

Listener Question: How to Find Good Books to Read (episode 428)

Listener Recommendations: Books on How Things Work (episode 481)

Mentioned in This Episode:

Tips for Reading More from “Better Than Before”

Gretchen’s Favorite Children’s and Young-Adult Books

The New York Times Book Review Podcast

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz → gretchenrubin.com/quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep. 595: Always RSVP, & Why We Should Stop Over-delivering
2026/07/15 | 31 mins.
Gretchen and Elizabeth discuss why we should always RSVP, and how to stop a simple gathering from, over time, becoming too much work.

Episode Highlights:

Try This at Home: Always RSVP — Why responding promptly (even with a "no") makes us a better guest [05:49]

Happiness Hack: Try a bag organizer insert — A simple way to keep a carry-on, tote, or structureless bag tidy and travel-ready. [14:22]

Happiness Stumbling Block: Presentation Creep — How over-delivering can gradually turn a casual get-together into something burdensome. [16:00]

Listener Update: Hearing Aids — Listeners share how hearing aids changed their lives, plus a practical tip on using Apple AirPods Pro as a starter hearing test. [01:44]

Demerits & Gold Stars — Gretchen’s demerit: not enough watercoloring; Elizabeth’s gold star: for the friend who created "Trail and Talk" [21:29]

Mentioned in This Episode:

Bag organizer insert: [https://amzn.to/4oc1oPO]

Five-Senses Journal (20% off with code HAPPIER20):

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen (Amazon, Bookshop)

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout (Amazon, Bookshop)

Listen to our Bookclub interview with Elizabeth Strout here!

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

Take the free Four Tendencies quiz

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify — it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Little Happier: Why the King Paid Just as Much for Three Books as He Would Have Paid for Nine
2026/07/13 | 3 mins.
A haunting story from ancient Rome remains relevant to our lives today.

Connect with Us:

Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

Learn more about Gretchen's Four Tendencies personality framework and take the free quiz.

Enjoyed this episode? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or rate us on Spotify—it helps other listeners find the show!

Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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About Happier with Gretchen Rubin

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/

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