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/
Site
RSS
Apple
Data updated on 08/11/2026
Recent rankings
Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
Discover shows related to Happier with Gretchen Rubin, based on actual content similarities. Explore podcasts with similar topics, themes, and formats, backed by real data.
How to Have Happier Relationships During the Holidays
Episode 61101
Saturday, November 7, 2026 • Duration 31:27
Whether you’re facing a full social calendar, interacting with challenging relatives, or missing a loved one, we share our favorite insights on navigating this sometimes-difficult season.
Episode Highlights:
Say yes to holiday invitations when you can [01:14]
Make room for grief during the holidays[05:28]
Why doing what’s right doesn’t always feel happy [09:26]
Try This at Home: set a realistic holiday intention [11:49]
Mentioned in this episode:
The Eight Splendid Truths of Happiness
The Strategy of Safeguards
Write your own Personal Commandments
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
Are You Asking Too Much–of This Person, or This Job, or This School?
Episode 611
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 • Duration 35:53
Why lowering your standards isn’t the answer, how to call friends without making it weird, and does it matter if everyone orders the same thing at a restaurant?
Episode highlights
Try This at Home: Right-size your expectations. [00:14]
Know Yourself Better: Do you split dishes with your dining partner, or order the same thing? Plus, a few restaurant hacks [00:24]
Demerits & Gold Stars: Gretchen left her backpack in an Uber [00:50]
Mentioned in this Episode
Notarize, an online notary service
Ep. 602, on spending money at home instead of on a vacation
Take the Five-Senses Quiz
Take the Gift-Giving Quiz
Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin (Amazon, Bookshop)
Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen by Bob Greene (Amazon, Bookshop)
1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World by Liaquat Ahamed (Amazon, Bookshop)
Dad, Love, Me by Matthew Quick (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
Do You Replay Your Mistakes? Remember the “Coffee Cup”
Episode 61002
Monday, November 2, 2026 • Duration 05:02
When I can’t let go of a mistake I made, I take comfort in the stories of highly skilled teams who made mistakes of their own.
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
Everyone’s Talking About the Same Movie, and We Love It
Episode 61001
Saturday, October 31, 2026 • Duration 27:39
The fun of monoculture, a secret theme behind Steven Spielberg’s movies, and Jeff Probst visits a Survivor Fantasy League.
Episode highlights
Something Making Us Happier: Halloween decorations and a special Survivor Fantasy League guest visit [00:36]
I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Why seeing a movie in a theater beats watching at home [09:42]
I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: Gretchen reveals Steven Spielberg’s secret theme [18:39]
Mentioned in this Episode
Youglish
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
Blockbuster Author Harlan Coben on Why Memory Is Partly Fiction
Episode 610
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 • Duration 36:06
Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy first drafts, how fiction is memoir, and the simple trick that leaves him with no excuses.
Episode highlights
Why bestselling novelist, Harlan Coben, wrote a memoir about the writing life, and how the process differed from his other books. [04:33]
“Fiction is memoir, and memoir is fiction.” [06:27]
Whether you want to pursue writing, sculpting, or painting, it’s never too late. [16:38]
Why characters don’t have to be likeable, and how “incremental ambition” helps you keep going. [32:00]
Listener questions (and Harlan Coben’s answers) about modern technology in plotting, working with Reese Witherspoon, and book cover art [22:12]
Mentioned in this Episode
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (Amazon, Bookshop)
Harlan Coben’s novels
Evaporated: Gone with the Gods podcast, about Japan’s “johatsu” (people who deliberately vanish)
NYT profile of Harlan Coben
Haruki Murakami and the baseball game where he decided to write a novel
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 Paradox at the Heart of the Open-Door Stage
Episode 60902
Monday, October 26, 2026 • Duration 03:01
I've come to see a great paradox at the heart of the "Open Door" stage: I want my daughters to know they're essential to my happiness, and also that my happiness doesn't depend on them.
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
Use Daylight Savings to Rethink Your Morning Routine
Episode 60901
Saturday, October 24, 2026 • Duration 30:39
A round-up of ideas for creating new morning habits, how to help your family form better morning habits, and why rethinking your daily routines can add more happiness and energy to your life.
Episode highlights
Get early morning light to reset your body clock (01:11)
Set a bedtime alarm (04:49)
Stop the morning snooze battle (09:42)
Build a rest ritual of 3-5 calming actions done before bed(22:38)
Mentioned in this Episode:
Chasing the Sun by Linda Geddes (Amazon, Bookshop)
Better Than Before (Amazon, Bookshop)
Alarmy alarm clock app
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
A Secret to Creativity? Cultivate a Magpie Mind
Episode 609
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Duration 35:49
A brilliant hack for getting more help with dinner, why a quest is more fun than a jaunt, and how we feel about desks.
Episode highlights:
Try This At Home: Cultivate a magpie mind [07:10]
Happiness Hack—Rename a chore to make it more appealing[16:00]
Know Yourself Better— How do you like to work? [26:00]
Demerits and Gold Stars: A sisterly trip to Dollywood [30:00]
Mentioned in this Episode:
Download the Creativity Bingo here
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (Amazon, Bookshop)
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (Amazon, Bookshop)
SongTeller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton (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: A Superstar's Unforgettable Thank-You
Episode 60802
Monday, October 19, 2026 • Duration 03:38
I get such pleasure of thinking about iconic super-star Brad Pitt paying tribute to Chuck Palahniuk, and realizing what a gift he’d been given for his work.
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
Exercise Tips from NPR’s LifeKit: Could Watching TV Actually Help You Get Moving?
Episode 60803
Sunday, October 18, 2026 • Duration 32:42
For “Move Happier,” Gretchen talks with Marielle Segarra, host of NPR’s Life Kit, about ditching the all-or-nothing rule, making the most of everyday activities, and the importance of smell and lighting.
Episode highlights:
Reduce friction: set out your gear the night before [00:00]
The five-minute rule: tell yourself you only have to move for five minutes, and momentum carries you [00:00]
Strength training basics: bodyweight moves like air squats and wall push-ups, no equipment needed [00:00]
Why strength work matters for bone density, brain function, and joint health [00:00]
Mentioned in this Episode:
NPR Life Kit: How to move more this year, featuring Michelle Segarra and Katy Bowman
NPR Life Kit: It’s ok to run slow AF, featuring Martinus Evans
NPR Life Kit: Get into strength training
NPR Life Kit: How to stop procrastinating and start exercising
Move 26 in ‘26 resources
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
Happier with Gretchen Rubin, a podcast by Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project - Stats, Episodes and Rankings - My Podcast Data