Why It's a Good Idea to Indulge in a Modest Splurge

Time for the next episode of  “Happier with Gretchen Rubin.“

Back in episode 2, Elizabeth vowed that she would start setting an alarm to help her get to bed earlier, and in this episode she reports on her progress. Nutshell: she’s not perfect, but she’s doing better than before. To read more about the Strategy of Other People, go here.

Here’s what Elizabeth and I discuss in today’s episode:

Try This at Home: Sometimes, it’s nice to indulge in a modest splurge. Even for under-buyers. Here’s a photo of Elizabeth’s podcast notebook. Have you ever indulged in a modest splurge, that made you happier?

Happiness Stumbling Block: Other people’s bad moods or perpetual crabbiness or chronic negativity. Also known as the Tigger vs. Eeyore problem. (I discuss this at length in Happier at Home.) Note: if you listen to the very last minute of the podcast, you’ll find a fun little reference to Tigger and Eeyore.

Listener Question: “How can we avoid road rage?”

Gretchen’s Demerit: The failed April Fool’s Day tradition. Here’s a photo from yesteryear’s April Fool’s green milk.

Elizabeth’s Gold Star: Kansas City, City of Fountains.

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Want to get in touch? Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com. Twitter: @gretchenrubin and @elizabethcraft. Call: 774-277-9336 (774 HAPPY 336).  Facebook Page. Or comment right here.

And we would love to hear from you — whether you tried to “indulge in a modest splurge,” whether you’re a Tigger or an Eeyore,  your questions, and any other comments. I’d also love to get ideas for future family April Fool’s Day pranks.

To listen to this episode, just zip to the bottom of this post and hit the red “play” button.

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Want to know what to expect from other episodes of the podcast, when you listen to“Happier with Gretchen Rubin?” We talk about how to build happier habits into everyday life, as we draw from cutting-edge science, ancient wisdom, lessons from pop culture—and our own experiences (and mistakes).

Each week, we give  a “Try This at Home” suggestion, post questions to help you “Know Yourself Better,” and explore “Happiness Stumbling Blocks.” We “Grill the Guest” (well, we plan to — we haven’t had a guest yet), consider “Listener Questions,” and finally, we get even more personal, and each of us either gives ourselves a “Demerit” or a “Gold Star.”  We’re sisters, so we don’t let each other get away with much!

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Happy listening! Or I should say, HAPPIER listening!

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Gretchen Rubin is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook, facebook.com/GretchenRubin.

Photo: Google