• 31 minutes 27 seconds
    How to Have Happier Relationships During the Holidays

    Whether you’re facing a full social calendar, interacting with challenging relatives, or missing a loved one, we share our favorite insights on navigating this sometimes-difficult season.

    Episode Highlights:

    • Say yes to holiday invitations when you can [01:14]
    • Make room for grief during the holidays[05:28]
    • Why doing what’s right doesn’t always feel happy [09:26]
    • Try This at Home: set a realistic holiday intention [11:49]

    Mentioned in this episode:

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    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. 

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    7 November 2026, 8:00 am
  • 35 minutes 53 seconds
    Are You Asking Too Much–of This Person, or This Job, or This School?

    Why lowering your standards isn’t the answer, how to call friends without making it weird, and does it matter if everyone orders the same thing at a restaurant?


    Episode highlights

    • Try This at Home: Right-size your expectations. [00:14]

    • Know Yourself Better: Do you split dishes with your dining partner, or order the same thing? Plus, a few restaurant hacks [00:24]

    • Demerits & Gold Stars: Gretchen left her backpack in an Uber [00:50]

    Mentioned in this Episode


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    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. 

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    4 November 2026, 8:00 am
  • 5 minutes 2 seconds
    Do You Replay Your Mistakes? Remember the “Coffee Cup”

    When I can’t let go of a mistake I made, I take comfort in the stories of highly skilled teams who made mistakes of their own.

     

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    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. 

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    2 November 2026, 8:00 am
  • 27 minutes 39 seconds
    Everyone’s Talking About the Same Movie, and We Love It

    The fun of monoculture, a secret theme behind Steven Spielberg’s movies, and Jeff Probst visits a Survivor Fantasy League.

    Episode highlights

    • Something Making Us Happier: Halloween decorations and a special Survivor Fantasy League guest visit [00:36]

    • I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Why seeing a movie in a theater beats watching at home [09:42]

    • I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You: Gretchen reveals Steven Spielberg’s secret theme [18:39]

    Mentioned in this Episode

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    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. 

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    31 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 36 minutes 6 seconds
    Blockbuster Author Harlan Coben on Why Memory Is Partly Fiction

    Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy first drafts, how fiction is memoir, and the simple trick that leaves him with no excuses.


    Episode highlights

    • Why bestselling novelist, Harlan Coben, wrote a memoir about the writing life, and how the process differed from his other books. [04:33]

    • “Fiction is memoir, and memoir is fiction.” [06:27]

    • Whether you want to pursue writing, sculpting, or painting, it’s never too late. [16:38]

    • Why characters don’t have to be likeable, and how “incremental ambition” helps you keep going. [32:00]

    • Listener questions (and Harlan Coben’s answers) about modern technology in plotting, working with Reese Witherspoon, and book cover art [22:12]

    Mentioned in this Episode

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    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. 

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    28 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 3 minutes 1 second
    Little Happier: The Paradox at the Heart of the Open-Door Stage

    I've come to see a great paradox at the heart of the "Open Door" stage: I want my daughters to know they're essential to my happiness, and also that my happiness doesn't depend on them.


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    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. 

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    26 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 30 minutes 39 seconds
    Use Daylight Savings to Rethink Your Morning Routine

    A round-up of ideas for creating new morning habits, how to help your family form better morning habits, and why rethinking your daily routines can add more happiness and energy to your life.


    Episode highlights

    • Get early morning light to reset your body clock (01:11)
    • Set a bedtime alarm (04:49)
    • Stop the morning snooze battle (09:42)
    • Build a rest ritual of 3-5 calming actions done before bed(22:38)

    Mentioned in this Episode:

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    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. 

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    24 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 35 minutes 49 seconds
    A Secret to Creativity? Cultivate a Magpie Mind

    A brilliant hack for getting more help with dinner, why a quest is more fun than a jaunt, and how we feel about desks.


    Episode highlights:

    • Try This At Home: Cultivate a magpie mind [07:10]
    • Happiness Hack—Rename a chore to make it more appealing[16:00]
    • Know Yourself Better— How do you like to work? [26:00]
    • Demerits and Gold Stars: A sisterly trip to Dollywood [30:00]

    Mentioned in this Episode:

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    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. 

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    21 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 3 minutes 38 seconds
    Little Happier: A Superstar's Unforgettable Thank-You

    I get such pleasure of thinking about iconic super-star Brad Pitt paying tribute to Chuck Palahniuk, and realizing what a gift he’d been given for his work.


    Connect with Us:

    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. 

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    19 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 32 minutes 42 seconds
    Exercise Tips from NPR’s LifeKit: Could Watching TV Actually Help You Get Moving?

    For “Move Happier,” Gretchen talks with Marielle Segarra, host of NPR’s Life Kit, about ditching the all-or-nothing rule, making the most of everyday activities, and the importance of smell and lighting.


    Episode highlights:

    • Reduce friction: set out your gear the night before [00:00]
    • The five-minute rule: tell yourself you only have to move for five minutes, and momentum carries you [00:00]
    • Strength training basics: bodyweight moves like air squats and wall push-ups, no equipment needed [00:00]
    • Why strength work matters for bone density, brain function, and joint health [00:00]


    Mentioned in this Episode:

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    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. 

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    18 October 2026, 7:00 am
  • 29 minutes 20 seconds
    More Happier: Do you “Get to” or do you “Have to?”

    We discuss the happiness of a trip with old friends, a way to reframe the task of taking our pills, and a surprising fact about GLP-1s.


    Episode highlights

    • Something Making Us Happier—Say “I’ve made this plan, come if you can,” & reframe prescriptions as “I’m lucky to live when my health issues can be fixed,” not “I have to take lots of pills”[00:00]

    • I’ve Been Meaning to Ask You: Perfume sales and GLP-1s[00:00]

    • Spotlight on a Tool—Find the full collection of Darker Secrets of Adulthood: Uncomfortable Truths for Our Complex Lives on Substack [00:00]

    Mentioned in this Episode

    • NYT: “Rise of GLP-1s Leaves Food Industry Holding Party-Size Bag” [Insert Link]

    • Secrets of Adulthood (Gretchen’s Substack, including the Darker Secrets of Adulthood collection, Oct 21) [Insert Link]

    • Secrets of Adulthood book [Insert Link]

    Connect with Us:

    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. 

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    17 October 2026, 7:00 am
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