Gretchen Rubin's Blog, page 275

Make Sure the "Fun" is Fun for YOU.

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

One of my Secrets of Adulthood is "What's fun for other people may not be fun for you -- and vice versa." This sounds simple, but it actually was a huge breakthrough for me. So many things that other people consider...

Ten Reasons Why Using Twitter Will Boost Your Happiness.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or List Day.

I'm a huge fan of Twitter, and last night I was trying to persuade some friends, and later my sister, to give it a try. I think there are many ways in which Twitter can boost your happiness.

As a side note, it's very appropriate to talk about happiness and Twitter, because the blue bird is the symbol for both. In fact, the blue bird on the cover of my soon-to-be-published book

"A Non-Addictive Form of Vicodin, Non-Fattening Cheese Fries...or Writing."

From time to time, I post short interviews with interesting people about their insights on happiness. During my study of happiness, I've noticed that I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. I'm much more likely to be convinced to try a piece of advice urged by a specific person who tells me that it worked for him or her, than by any other kind of argument.

I love it when I get...

A Little-Known Occupational Hazard Affecting Writers.

There's a very common occupational hazard that affects writers, but I've never heard anyone talk about it: the desire to write outside your main field.

I know a journalist who took a sabbatical to write a novel, which turned into a short story. I know a science writer who is writing a play. I know a novelist who is writing a memoir.

This change can be exhilarating and fun, because it's a new creative challenge – and that contributes to a happy life.

It can also be a bit of a pain...

"The Truest Mark of Being Born with Great Qualities Is..." -- What?

"The truest mark of being born with great qualities is to be born without envy."
--François de La Rochefoucauld

* I spent a lot of time cruising around the great site Parenthacks this morning. Good stuff!

* Check out the Happiness Project Toolbox -- it lets you track your own happiness project, online. And you can see what other people are doing, which is fascinating.

Try Fun, Quick Exercises to Boost Your Creativity.

I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday's post will help you think about your own happiness project.

One of my favorite resolutions, because it's so much fun to keep, is Read at whim. Instead of trying to be very targeted about my reading, as I once tried to be, I let myself read whatever I want to read.

The other...

In Which I Get Teary Reading My Own Book.

This week, I finished the audiobook for The Happiness Project. As I'd expected, it made me very happy to learn to do something new and to get a glimpse into the unfamiliar world of sound recording.

It was also thrilling to learn that none other than Jim Dale had sat in the very same seat that I was using, when he was recording Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It took him three weeks! And they had top, top security.

What surprised me most about the recording process was how...

Fifteen Tips to Avoid Nagging.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.

This Wednesday: Back by popular demand...fifteen tips to avoid nagging.

I've posted this list before, but I'm posting it again, because the issue of nagging is something that people raise with me frequently in discussions of happiness. It turns out that being a nag is just as unpleasant as being nagged -- so figuring out how to end nagging brings a real happiness boost to a relationship.

But even though no one enjoys an atmosphere of nagging, in marriage, or...

"Learn New Skills, Ask Questions, Practice Yoga--and Only Travel Carry-On."

From time to time, I post short interviews with interesting people about their insights on happiness. During my study of happiness, I've noticed that I often learn more from one person's highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. I'm much more likely to be convinced to try a piece of advice urged by a specific person who tells me that it worked for him or her, than by any other kind of argument.

Sometimes, in ways...

Some Counter-Intuitive Facts about Loneliness.

Sometimes people ask, "If you had to pick just one thing, what would be the one secret to a happy life?" The answer is clear: strong bonds with other people. If I had to pick one thing, that's it. The wisdom of the ages and the current scientific studies agree on this point.

On that subject, I just finished a fascinating book by John Cacioppo and William Patrick, Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. The book underscores the conclusion that few things will challenge...