Ep. 606: What We Learned from “Do-Spend September,” Plus What’s Safe in the Microwave & Try a Day Pass

More from Happier with Gretchen Rubin All episodes →

1. 

   E60702 · 12 Oct 2026 · 5 minNew

   Little Happier: What Seems Important Isn't Always What Is Important

   Aphorisms are short, sharp, and easy to remember, and here are four surprising examples of one of my own: "What seems important isn't always what is important." 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

2. 

   E60701 · 10 Oct 2026 · 31 minNew

   More Happier: Lean into Fall with the Five Senses

   We revisit some of our favorite try-this-at-home tips for tapping into our five senses this fall. Some ideas might turn into new annual traditions; others might be fun for this year as a way to make the most of the season. Episode Highlights: Choose a signature color for little bursts of happiness [01:20] Celebrate a minor holiday with a fast, low-effort breakfast [06:38] Make a five senses portrait to notice what's familiar [11:10] Organize a tasting for whiskey, tea, chocolate, or vanilla ice cream [22:56] Collect gratitude leaves each Thanksgiving [24:07] Mentioned in this Episode: Better…

3. 

   E607 · 7 Oct 2026 · 34 min

   Ep. 607: Do You Love Whimsy? Celebrate a New Holiday with Us

   We discuss how we’re using whimsy to find the right date to celebrate our “How do we learn what everyone knows?” day, and listeners share their brilliant tips for elevating your home and how to stop working against yourself (or others). Episode highlights: Try this at home: Listeners propose imaginative dates for "What People Know" day [05:10] Four Tendencies Tips for Rebels: Personal policies, identity, and choosing instead of being told [15:55] Treat Your House like a Hotel—Add an outdoor shower or a backyard garden [01:35] Demerits and Gold Stars: Gretchen’s Demerit: stopped a health…

4. 

   E60602 · 5 Oct 2026 · 5 min

   Little Happier: A New Moral for An Old Fable

   I've always loved Aesop's fables, but I've come to think the accepted morals don't always fit the stories. 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

5. 

   E60601 · 3 Oct 2026 · 30 min

   More Happier: Embrace a Party Theme, Plus a Lesson About How to Fight Right

   Turn party-planning stress into fun with a theme, and why one person downplaying can lead the other to overreact. Episode highlights: Something Making Us Happier: Embrace a party theme. [00:40] I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: Gretchen’s Perfume Party [10:42] I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Gretchen’s insight on a comment that Elizabeth’s son, Jack, made about communication [19:41] Mentioned in this episode: Move 26 in '26 bingo card in The Happier app PLOT TWIST by Harlan Coben (⁠Amazon⁠, ⁠Bookshop⁠) Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram:…

6. 

   E60502 · 28 Sep 2026 · 4 min

   Little Happier: Dolly Parton Always Knew Just What to Say

   Remembering the gracious words Dolly Parton used to decline a statue in her honor—and how that moment captured her humility, her love for Tennessee, and her commitment to doing good. 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…

7. 

   E60501 · 26 Sep 2026 · 40 min

   More Happier: Helping Rebel Kids with School—and Other Rebel Questions Answered

   We revisit some of our most useful Four Tendencies conversations about Rebels, including listener advice for navigating school and ADHD, what actually motivates Rebels, and practical habit strategies shared by Rebels themselves. Mentioned in This Episode: The Four Tendencies in Action Workbook The Four Tendencies Quiz 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!…

8. 

   E605 · 23 Sep 2026 · 34 min

   Ep. 605: Why You Should Leave the House, Plus Why Sometimes You Don’t Need to Have an Opinion

   We discuss why we should make an effort to leave the house. Plus, a stumbling block related to “having a take,” and a simple hack for reconnecting with people. Episode highlights: Try This At Home—Why leaving the house, even briefly, has a big effect on happiness [06:42] Happiness Hack: a tip for reconnecting with people you haven't talked to in a while [15:30] Happiness Stumbling Block— We don't have to have an opinion on everything [21:00] Demerits and Gold Stars: Gretchen’s Demerit: Leaving her shoe in a cab—Gold Star to the cab company! Elizabeth’s Gold Star: Dinner at the Garland Hotel…

9. 

   E60402 · 21 Sep 2026 · 8 min

   Little Happier: Some of My Favorite Rules, Paradoxes, Laws, and Razors

   Whether through science, personal observation, or humor, short statements of these human “laws” help us understand that world we live in. 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

10. 

    E60401 · 19 Sep 2026 · 31 min

    More Happier: A Lesson from the Real Housewives, Plus a Tool for Dealing with Shared Work

    What reality TV can teach us about miscommunication, plus a simple tool for dealing with shared work based on your tendency. Episode highlights: Something Making Us Happier: Elizabeth's first-ever September getaway to Nantucket, and Gretchen's trusty sweatshirt [00:33] I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: A grammar rule Gretchen’s been pondering [08:33] Spotlight on a Tool: 13 strategies for handling shared work based on the Four Tendencies [17:09] A Lesson from Reality TV— How often are conflicts a simple miscommunication? [18:15] Mentioned in this Episode: 13 strategies for splitting chores by…