Happier with Gretchen Rubin

A viral clip shows two NBA stars turning a painful mistake into a moment of friendship through humor. We also discuss a surprisingly divisive topic: coasters.

Episode highlights:

Something Making Us Happier: Running a mile in under 12 minutes, and weird soda flavors [00:41]

I've Been Meaning to Tell You: How "joshing" and affectionate teasing helped two Knicks teammates reframe a painful playoff moment [03:57]

Spotlight on a Tool: Sign up for my free newsletter for "Five Things to Try" [10:31]

Are Coasters Still Useful? A listener argues coasters are outdated. [11:21]

Mentioned in this episode:

Jalen Brunson Trolls Josh Hart Missing Dunk Before OG's Tip-In - Bleacher Report

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Connect with Us:

Email: [email protected]

Website: gretchenrubin.com

Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft

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

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Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
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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: [email protected]

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

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: [email protected]


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

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: [email protected]

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

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: [email protected]

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