#244: Small Ways to Improve Your Everyday Life Right Now | Gretchen Rubin

I call Gretchen Rubin the "Swiss Army Knife for Happiness." Present her with a problem, and she will flood you with practical, customized solutions. I love having Gretchen on this show not only because she's smart and funny and we're friends, but also because she provides some compelling counterprogramming. Most of our guests come from the meditation world, but Gretchen approaches happiness from a very different angle. She's a lawyer by training - she began her career clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor - who went on to write a series of books that examine small, doable ways to boost our happiness in everyday life. Her books include her breakout memoir The Happiness Project, and then follow-on bestsellers such as The Four Tendencies (which is a fascinating look at how different kinds of people form habits). In this interview, we explore a bunch of ways to improve your day-to-day life in this pandemic. We talk about: family relationships, decluttering, setting priorities, managing your relationship to technology, treating yourself without overindulging, and going easy on yourself versus expecting more from yourself.

Where to find Gretchen Rubin online:
Website: https://gretchenrubin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GretchenRubin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchenrubin/

Book Mentioned:
Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin / https://gretchenrubin.com/books/outer-order-inner-calm/about-the-book

We've been nominated for two Webby awards. If you love and want to support our work, please vote for us via links in the episode description.
Vote for us in the health & fitness app category. / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/apps-mobile-sites-general/health-fitness
Vote for us in the voice category. / https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2020/apps-mobile-and-voice/general-voice/health-fitness-lifestyle

Other Resources Mentioned:
Susan Kaiser Greenland / https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/
Some Good News / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGug
The Four Tendencies Quiz / https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/

Additional Resources:
Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live
Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide
We want to deeply thank and recognize teachers, warehouse workers, grocery and food delivery workers, and healthcare workers for the essential role that they play in our lives. For FREE access to the app and hundreds of meditations and resources visit https://tenpercent.com/care

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/gretchen-rubin-244