Happier with Gretchen Rubin

“Treat yourself like…a person of interest” and try a month-long “self-stakeout” to track your habits. We also share an easy way to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit in your head. Plus we discuss three broad categories of empty nesters.

Episode highlights:


Try This At Home— Do a "self-stakeout": Imagine you're a detective and tail yourself for a month. What will you find? [06:43]

Happiness Hack— An easy trick for converting Celsius to Fahrenheit [12:08]

Know Yourself Better: We discuss three "empty nester" types: Relaxers, Rekindlers, and Reinventors [13:44]

Demerits & Gold Stars: Elizabeth’s Demerit: not reading as much this summer as planned; Gretchen’s Gold Star: staying calm during a keyboard malfunction [20:23]

Mentioned in this Episode:

This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life by Lyz Lenz (Amazon, Bookshop)

The Diary of Virginia Woolf, Vol. 3 by Virginia Woolf (Amazon, Bookshop)

Free bingo cards and other 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

George Orwell’s observation about work performed by machines is very relevant to our discussions of AI.

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

We revisit listener-favorite hacks for cultivating summer fun. If you want to make the most of the weeks ahead, these practical ideas can help you add more fun, adventure, and whimsy to everyday life.

Revisited Highlights:

Episode 146: Introduce a note of whimsy

Episode 178: Schedule a weekly playdate with yourself

Episode 98: Give yourself a quest

Episode 477: Embrace fun plans

Mentioned in This Episode:

Share your Summer Recap in the Happier App

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

August is “Dogust,” so we talk about celebrating the dogs in our lives. Plus, we answer a listener question about our reading habits.

Episode Highlights:

Try This at Home: Celebrate "Dogust" with five easy ways to celebrate your dog [06:10]

Four Tendencies Tip: We share strategies for helping a parent Upholder who is struggling to maintain her habits [15:23]

Happiness Hack: Why a backpacking pack might be a better travel alternative to your roller bag [12:48]

Listener Question: How do we get so much reading done? [19:57]

Demerits & Gold Stars: Gretchen’s demerit: stalling out on family timeline project; Elizabeth’s Gold Star: all the monoculture events this summer [25:00]

Mentioned in This Episode:

Dog cave bed

Patagonia Black Hole Convertible Carry-On Backpack

This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended My Marriage and Started My Life by Lyz Lenz (Amazon, Bookshop)

Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh (Amazon, Bookshop)

Secrets of Adulthood Substack

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 classic children’s fable is very relevant to the work of adults.

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