Ep. 604: Clear Clutter With a Courtroom Hack, Plus How to Decline a Request for Accountability

More from Happier with Gretchen Rubin All episodes →

1. 

   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…

2. 

   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!…

3. 

   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…

4. 

   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

5. 

   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…

6. 

   E60302 · 14 Sep 2026 · 4 min

   Little Happier: A Lesson from the World Cup: Danger and Temptation Don’t Always Appear When We Expect

   As the World Cup illustrated, in the happy moments of scoring a goal or celebrating, we may find it hard to stay focused on our aims. 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

7. 

   E60303 · 13 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

   Move Happier: Getting Unstuck: A Fresh Start for Your Move 26 Habit

   Not sticking to a habit that’s important to you? Dan Harris and Laurie Santos join Gretchen to share how to spot what's holding you back — and get moving again. Mentioned in This Episode: 10% Happier podcast 10% with Dan Harris app The Happiness Lab podcast Move 26 challenge & seasonal bingo card in the Happier app The Move 26 in ‘26 Challenge 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…

8. 

   E60301 · 12 Sep 2026 · 39 min

   More Happier: Four Tendencies Solutions to Real-Life Problems

   We revisit some of our most useful Four Tendencies listener questions, including how to help a Rebel stick to exercise, work with a Questioner boss, and keep Obliger people-pleasing from getting in the way of dating. Revisited Highlights: Episode 43: Listener Round-Up of the Four Tendencies Episode 120: Listener Questions about the Four Tendencies Episode 280: Questions from Listeners about the Four Tendencies Mentioned in This Episode: The Four Tendencies in Action Workbook The Four Tendencies Quiz Connect with Us: Email: [email protected] Website: gretchenrubin.com Instagram:…

9. 

   E603 · 9 Sep 2026 · 33 min

   Ep. 603: Avoid the Sunk-Cost Fallacy, and Why it’s Hard to Plan for Emergencies

   We talk about how to avoid the mental trap of the “sunk-cost fallacy.” Plus, why it’s so hard to plan for emergencies and the biases that keep us from preparing for risk. Episode highlights: Try This at Home: Avoid the sunk-cost fallacy—the mental trap that keeps us committed because of the time, money, or energy we’ve already spent [04:57] Happiness Hack: Create a personal reading syllabus with deadlines to help you read more [12:58] Happiness Stumbling Block: Six common biases that make it difficult to assess and prepare for rare but serious emergencies [16:03] Demerits and Gold Stars:…

10. 

    E60202 · 7 Sep 2026 · 3 min

    Little Happier: After His Death, I Can Still Learn More About My Beloved Father

    Even after a person has died, we can continue to understand them in new ways. 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