Podcast 275: Choose a Magic Number, How an Ironing Board Can Make Working from Home Easier, and a Pandemic-Time Question to Ask Yourself.

Update

We won the Webby Award for excellent on the internet! Gold star to everyone who voted—we so appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and support.

Attention book-lovers! The latest book for our “Happier Podcast Book Club” is The Dutch House, the brilliant, page-turning novel by Ann Patchett. We’ll be talking with her on July 8th, so dive in and send us your questions by posting to social media using the hashtag #happierpodcastbookclub. And follow me on Goodreads to join the discussion there!

We’re going to do a Very Special Episode of questions and answers about the Four Tendencies. So ask your questions in the comments or on social media.

Don’t know what your Tendency is? Take the quiz to find out if you’re an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel, take the quiz here.

Try This at Home

Choose a magic number.

A listener suggested that choosing a magic number can eliminate decision fatigue and help us create structure and order.

Happiness Hack

To create a standing desk for working at home, use an ironing board.

Bonus: you can also use an ironing board to create more counter space in a hotel room.

Know Yourself Better

What’s your approach: to cut yourself more slack, or have more expectations for yourself?

It’s one of my aphorisms: We can accept ourselves, and expect more from ourselves.

During this time, we can show compassion for ourselves, and we can also look for ways to make it possible to grow.

Listener Question

This week, rather than discuss a question, we discuss an email from a listener, about how creating a manifesto is helping her to get through these difficult, uncertain times.

Gretchen’s Demerit: Unlike the other members of my family, I make no effort to look nice for the day.

Elizabeth’s Gold Star: Elizabeth gives Adam a gold star for tackling their frustrating internet situation.

Resources

  • The latest book for our “Happier Podcast Book Club” is The Dutch House, the brilliant, page-turning novel by Ann Patchett. We’ll be talking with her on July 8th, so dive in and send us your questions by posting to social media using the hashtag #happierpodcastbookclub. And follow me on Goodreads to join the discussion there!

DISCOVER MORE

Like what you see? Explore more about this topic.

Subscribe to Gretchen’s newsletter.

Every Friday, Gretchen Rubin shares 5 things that are making her happier, asks readers and listeners questions, and includes exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes material.