The Happiness Project

A chronicle of my attempts to test-drive every tip, principle and scientific study that promotes happiness.

Gretchen Rubin is working on THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, a book and a blog about her adventures learning to be happier. See full bio

September 19, 2009

Why "Having a (Playful) Mission" Can Make You Happier.

Writer Jean Stafford scoffed, “Happy people don’t need to have fun,” but in fact, studies show that the absence of feeling bad isn’t enough to make you feel good; you must strive to find sources of feeling good. Research shows that regularly having fun is a key factor in having a happy life; people who have fun are twenty times more likely to feel happy. Read More

September 18, 2009

Ten Tips for Getting Along with Your Mother-in-Law.

I’m extremely lucky with fate as it relates to my mother-in-law and father-in-law. We get along very well, which is fortunate, because we live right around the corner from my in-laws, and I mean right around the corner. You don’t even have to cross the street; one lone skinny townhouse separates our apartment buildings. I see my in-laws many times each month.

Obviously, though, many people aren’t in such a happy circumstance. I’ve noticed that relationship problems with in-laws are among the most common issues that people raise. Read More

September 8, 2009

Twelve Tips to Create a Happier (and More Productive) Workplace

I just finished First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. I’d heard about it for years, but I didn’t actually pick up a copy until a smart friend told me to read it. The authors did a study with the Gallup Organization to find a way, among other things, to measure strong workplaces, ones that would attract and retain the most productive employees. Read More

August 23, 2009

Learn from the Past.

We all make mistakes, and have things go wrong, but one resolution I try very hard to keep is to “Learn from the past.” Many of my most significant happiness-boosting actions – large and small – have come in reaction to things that went wrong. Read More

August 21, 2009

Exercise, Weight Loss, and Happiness.

I was very interested to read John Cloud’s recent Time cover story about exercise and weight loss, Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin. This is a very complicated issue, and the article’s argument has sparked many debates – but from a strictly happiness perspective, two points jumped out at me. Read More

August 20, 2009

Twenty-Three Phrases to Help You Fight Right.

Almost all couples fight; the secret is to fight right. Read More

August 7, 2009

A New, Quick, Easy Way to Keep a Non-Journal

My happiness project has convinced me of the tremendous value of reminders that help prompt happy memories. Studies show that recalling happy times helps boost happiness in the present. Read More

July 31, 2009

How Do You Ask For Help? Why Bother?

One of my Secrets of Adulthood is “It’s okay to ask for help,” and one of my resolutions is to “Ask for help.” Why I find this simple act so difficult, I don’t know. Read More

July 29, 2009

How Do You Remember to Count to Ten?

I'm quick-tempered, and one of my greatest happiness-project challenges is to bite my tongue; an excellent way to boost my happiness is to keep my resolution to "Leave things unsaid." In the end, I'm always happier when I don't make some angry or snarky comment. But easier said than done. Read More

July 24, 2009

Quiz: Are You Drifting?

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the problem of “drift” – the decision you make by not deciding, or by making a decision that unleashes consequences for which you don’t take responsibility. The responses I got – comments on my blog, in my email, and on the Facebook Page – showed me that a lot of people have also suffered from drift. Read More

Books by Gretchen Rubin

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

Happiness Basics

Research on how to increase positive moods and capitalize on your strengths has proliferated lately thanks to the positive psychology movement, and has shed light on ongoing insights into personality, mood, and cognition.

Go to the Happiness Basics page for more on Happiness including:

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Books by Gretchen Rubin

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