Ep. 525: Should I Get a Dog? Plus Using Podcasts to Get Tasks Done & Listener Insights

Summary

Happier with Gretchen Rubin - Episode 525 Summary: "Should I Get a Dog? Plus Using Podcasts to Get Tasks Done & Listener Insights"

Release Date: March 12, 2025

In Episode 525 of "Happier with Gretchen Rubin," titled "Should I Get a Dog? Plus Using Podcasts to Get Tasks Done & Listener Insights," Gretchen Rubin delves into the profound impact that adding a canine companion can have on personal happiness and family dynamics. Joined by her sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer based in Los Angeles, Gretchen navigates the decision-making process of expanding their family to include a new dog while also exploring innovative ways to enhance productivity through podcasting. The episode is enriched with heartfelt listener contributions that offer diverse perspectives on happiness and habit formation.

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Deciding to Add a New Dog to the Family

Gretchen Rubin opens the discussion by introducing a significant personal decision: the potential addition of a new dog to her family. She shares insights from a poll she conducted, revealing that 80% of respondents encouraged her to get another dog. This overwhelming support underscores the perceived benefits of canine companionship.

"I did a poll and 80% of people said that they thought that I should get a dog." [03:13]

Gretchen reflects on the possible challenges, humorously recounting listener comments about the difficulties of managing multiple dogs and addressing concerns about Barnaby, their current dog, adapting to a new family member.

Elizabeth Craft adds depth to the conversation by sharing her own experience with multiple dogs, emphasizing the joy and companionship they bring to the household.

"Our dogs play together constantly, chase each other, wrestle. So both are true. It's easier and harder, right?" [05:16]

Benefits of Dog Ownership on Happiness

The sisters explore the multifaceted benefits of owning a dog, supported by research:

1. Companionship: Dogs alleviate loneliness and depression by providing unconditional love and a sense of purpose.

   "Dogs need regular exercise, and that encourages owners to get regular exercise, which can give better cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure." [06:38]

2. Physical Activity: Regular walks and playtime promote physical health and increase serotonin and dopamine levels, contributing to overall well-being.

3. Social Interaction: Dog ownership facilitates social connections, whether through interactions at dog parks or casual conversations with neighbors.

Gretchen shares personal anecdotes about how walking Barnaby has become a cherished routine that enhances her mornings with light exercise and quality time.

"Walking Barnaby means that I get out into that early morning light every single day." [06:38]

Overcoming Challenges of Adding a New Dog

Gretchen candidly discusses the apprehensions associated with adding a new dog, such as the increased responsibility and the potential strain on Barnaby. However, she balances these concerns with the anticipated joy and enriched family life a new dog would bring.

"I have a little bit of a sense of dread." [10:39]

Elizabeth reassures by highlighting the positive transformations they've experienced with previous additions to their pet family, reinforcing the emotional and social benefits.

Happiness Hack: Using Podcasts to Boost Productivity

Transitioning from pet ownership, Gretchen and Elizabeth introduce a "Happiness Hack" focused on enhancing productivity through podcasting. Elizabeth shares her strategy of pairing short podcasts with mundane tasks, turning chores into engaging challenges.

"Whenever I have a number of menial tasks to do, I put on a very short podcast and make it a game." [16:18]

Gretchen elaborates on this method, emphasizing the effectiveness of pairing enjoyable activities with necessary tasks to make them more manageable and fulfilling.

"It's pairing something that you want to do with something that you love to do. It's gamifying, which is like racing against the clock." [16:54]

They recommend podcasts like "A Little Happier" and "Side Hustle School" as excellent choices for this productivity-enhancing approach.

Listener Insights: Diverse Perspectives on Happiness and Habits

The episode features a listener roundup where Gretchen and Elizabeth share and discuss various listener contributions, offering a diverse array of insights and personal stories related to happiness, habits, and personal growth.

1. Caring for Personal Artifacts: Angela discusses archival tips for preserving family photos and documents, critiquing Gretchen's use of Sharpies and advocating for graphite pencils to prevent damage.

   "The best way to label your family papers and photographs is on the reverse side with a soft or medium graphite pencil." [19:50]

2. Emotional Reflections: Kaylee shares a poignant story about visiting a cemetery during her honeymoon, drawing parallels to Gretchen's reflections on legacy and memory.

   "The way we can express love for our beloved long after death is a beautiful part of the human experience." [20:57]

3. Culinary Habits: Shelby relates her experience with plate rotation in fine dining, connecting it to Gretchen's discussion on eating habits and satisfaction.

   "When we brought plates of food out to customers, we were always told to rotate the so that the meat or the protein of the course was closest to the customer." [21:06]

4. Creative Pursuits and Family Dynamics: Karen opens up about her mother's lack of interest in her creative work, finding solace in hearing that this sentiment is not uncommon.

   "That might be normal if my mom doesn't like my creative career. Well, I'm glad that was useful to hear." [21:43]

5. Innovative Habit Pairing: Rachel describes her experiment with combining tooth brushing and balance exercises, leading to significant improvements in her physical health.

   "A few months into my brush and balance experiment, I was thrilled when my physical therapist told me there was significant improvement in my balance on both legs in just four minutes a day." [22:26]

6. Building Friendships: Liz shares a heartfelt account of forming new friendships following the tragic loss of a close friend, highlighting the importance of reaching out and the mutual benefits of new connections.

   "If people are feeling hesitant or shy about making that first initiative toward friendship, scheduling the walk or coffee or mountain bike ride, they can imagine that the potential new friend really needs someone at that very moment." [25:01]

Demerits and Gold Stars: Maintaining Accountability and Celebrating Wins

In the Demerits and Gold Stars segment, Gretchen admits to her occasional clumsiness, recounting a mishap where she spilled coffee on her desk, leading to a ruined laptop and a morning of unexpected cleanup.

"I had to spend 20 minutes cleaning up a mess that I did not need to make." [31:41]

Conversely, Elizabeth bestows a Gold Star on Los Angeles for its resilient spirit despite recent challenges like wildfires and earthquakes, celebrating a rare stretch of beautiful weather that uplifted her spirits.

"Nothing makes me happier. I love going to Fryman Canyon and having a blue sky and 72 in a breeze." [33:16]

Resources and Closing Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Gretchen and Elizabeth promote resources related to the episode's themes:

• Happier App Jumpstart: A new feature focused on spring organization.

• Recommended Reading: Elizabeth is reading "Code Girls" by Liza Mundy, and Gretchen recommends "Legendborn" by Tracy Dion.

They encourage listeners to share their experiences with getting a dog and utilizing podcasts for productivity, fostering a community of shared growth and happiness.

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Key Takeaways:

• Companionship with Dogs: Adding a dog can significantly enhance happiness through increased companionship, physical activity, and social interactions, despite the accompanying responsibilities.

• Innovative Productivity: Leveraging short, engaging podcasts can transform mundane tasks into enjoyable and productive activities, blending entertainment with efficiency.

• Community Insights: Listener stories offer valuable perspectives on preserving memories, overcoming creative challenges, enhancing physical health, and building meaningful friendships.

Episode 525 of "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" masterfully intertwines personal anecdotes with actionable advice, enriched by listener contributions that collectively emphasize the nuanced pathways to a happier, more fulfilling life.

Transcript

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

The Freestyle Libre 3 sensor can help you live life with diabetes on your terms. This is progress. You can try it for free at Freestyle Libre US. Offer available for people who qualify. Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply for for prescription only Safety info found @freestylelibre us. Hello and welcome to Happier, a podcast where we talk about strategies and suggestions for building happier habits into our everyday lives. This week we'll talk about a very big decision that can influence our happiness and I will get very personal. Plus, we have a smorgasbord of interesting responses from listeners to various questions and comments. I'm Gretchen Rubin, a writer who studies happiness, good habits, Secrets of Adulthood. I'm in my little home office here in New York City and joining me today from Los Angeles is my sister, Elizabeth Craft. My sister the sage, that's me, Elizabeth.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Craft, a TV writer and producer living in la. And Gretch, I can't wait to hear about you. Your big happiness decision. Very exciting.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, before we jump in, my book tour is coming up. If you live on the east coast, the west coast or in the Midwest, I may be coming to a city near you for my Secrets of Adulthood book Tour. It starts April 1, 2025. You can find out all the tour details, the pre order information. You can learn all about the book Secrets of [e-mail] Secrets I really love getting to talk to listeners and readers face to face. So this is I'm really looking forward to. So I hope I get to meet a lot of people along the way.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, and Gretch, you always get content. You always get ideas for meeting people. So that's fun too.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I do. It's funny, a writer friend of mine said the most important thing you do on your book tour is Q and A because that's how you know what people are really thinking about and it's extremely valuable. So that's very true.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, so this week's Try this At home tip is to get a dog. If that is right for you. This is not the right suggestion for everybody, but this can be a good. Try this at home for many.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. So, Gretchen, this is the very personal thing you were mentioning. So does this make us believe you are getting a dog? Another dog?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, I think people probably suspect the answer from the fact that we're having this conversation. But first I will say I did a poll and 80% of people said that they thought that I should get a dog. I said, what do you think is the worst that could happen? You know, that's sometimes helpful when you're thinking about a big decision. It's like, well, what's the worst that can happen? And people have had very interesting and often funny responses. One thing that people said was, how is Barnaby gonna manage this? Okay. Because he's 10 years old, he's been the one dog. We are thinking a lot about that and doing a lot of research into how to make this a really great experience for him. Even from the time he was not even a year old. He's a very dog oriented dog. I think some dogs don't care that much about other dogs, but Barnaby really loves other dogs. So we're hoping that he'll be super excited.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. And what are some of the other things people mentioned as possible worse scenarios?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, well, this is just some of the comments. Harder work than human babies. You share your home with a tiny, adorable land shark with the sharpest teeth known to man. I remember Barnaby, he chawed up some stuff that I did not think he would be able to. They are like a very mobile, destructive toddler without diapers. And then here, completely different is you could become a puppy obsessed person who shows pictures of the puppy to everyone. That's right, you could. A tiresome boar. This is a good point. Having a puppy is awful and wonderful. Just surrender to the idea that they will chew up something valuable. That's just a fact. And then, Elizabeth, I want to know about your thoughts about this. One, somebody said two dogs act differently together. They operate as a pack and egg each other on. One plus one equals three. What do you say to that?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I think that is true. I think they do egg each other on and certainly the barking. They egg each other on with barking, but on and one plus one means they amuse each other. Our dogs play together constantly, chase each other, wrestle. So both are true. It's easier and harder, right?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Exactly. That's interesting. Well, and then everybody wrote down all the good things that would follow which is just. It's more love, you know, it's more joy, it's more happiness, it's more laughter. It's just more energy in your life. And it must be noted that the research about having a pet. Do pets tend to make us happier? There's very clear research and kind of on a number of different levels. One is companionship. We talk often about how relationships are a key to happiness. And owning a dog is a very special companionship. So they will often alleviate loneliness and depression. Having a dog can increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are the neurotransmitters associated with happiness and tranquility. They give us physical activity. Dogs need regular exercise, and that encourages owners to get regular exercise, which can give better cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure. For me, walking Barnaby means that I get out into that early morning light every single day. And now that we're in the open door phase, Jamie does the last walk. But often now I'll go with him. It's just part of our new thing. So that's another little bit of exercise for me, as well as time with Jamie and Barnaby. And then, you know, it just gives this social interaction with other people. We're relating to our dog, but often you're chatting with your neighbors or I know people who have made friends with people at the dog parks or Elizabeth, you're part of Corgi Nation, and that's a social connection with other people.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, absolutely. I mean, if I see somebody out in the world with a corgi, I stop them and I say, I have a corgi. And yeah, we'll talk about, you know, do your corgis bark? Do your corgis jump on people? Answer yes and yes. So, yeah, I do get a lot of social interaction from that and could get more if I tried.

[Gretchen Rubin]

If you were seeking, for sure. So all these ways, and then it's just the love. And I think. I think for us, it's sort of the family adventure of it, this thing that we're doing together. When we got barn to be, it was just this big thing that drew us together. Now, Elizabeth, you astonished me first when you got a dog, because I didn't think you'd get a dog. Remind me how long it was before you got two dogs?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I think it was like three to six months.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. So very quickly.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So not long. We just. We had Nacho. We adore him, but we saw how much he likes other dogs and how he really came to life when there were other dogs around. And so we felt he needed a friend, and we got Daisy. And I will say, from the moment we got Daisy, he has been focused on Daisy. He used to play soccer with us. Really was like, playing soccer. And the minute Daisy came, he lost complete interest in that, or he lost interest in fetch, because he really just wants to play with Daisy, which is great. That's what we wanted. The other thing about having two dogs, Gretchen, is it's so fun to watch them together and observe their relationship. It's so sweet to see them lying down together or sitting in the sun together, or in the morning, Daisy will always go over and, like, lick Nacho's face to say, hey, dude, get up for breakfast.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Because she's the morning dog of the two of them. So that's another benefit, is just observing their relationship, which I think is what a lot of people love about having two kids or more is observing them together. So I love that.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, this just reminds me of something that's funny about Barnaby, is it's just funny for me to, like, see him get an idea. He has this toy that is, like his favorite toy. And sometimes you'll just see him, like, get up and he kind of looks in, like, where is that toy? And then he'll go off and then he'll bring it back. You're just like, there he is. He's having a little idea. Or he'll get up and get a drink of water. I'm like, look, he's got Will. He's like, what's going on in there? I don't know. It is. There's just something so sweet. Well, so I don't think that there's any debate. I think the fact that we're even having this conversation is sort of giving it away that we are going to get a dog. We just decided. Yeah, we're going to decide to get a dog.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Can I point out one other benefit, Gretchen?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, what? Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

It's going to draw your children home.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes. Oh, yes, it definitely will. It is. They really. They beg, beg, beg for Barnaby, and then they've begged and begged and begged for this dog. And, you know, it is part of the empty nest, or open door, as I'm calling it. It is such a cliche. This is right there with travel as one of the things that they recomm or get a hobby that they recommend that people do. But I can see why, because with every person or life force that comes into a home, you feel that difference. And then when each person leaves you feel that drop. And so I just feel like we're ready for a little bit of an element of that life force. And it is something that Eliza and Eleanor are so excited about. That it just feels like a really good family decision because it's just gonna bring that energy that'll be exciting. And it is a ton of responsibility and hassle. And so of course, for me, because I basically don't like responsibility and hassle. That's where I had to. That's where I had to think about. Well, think about the research and think about the future me and think about how I felt about Barnaby and just trust. And also, you know how this is, Elizabeth, where you feel like there's no time, but then something happens and then time just expands. If you all of a sudden have a new responsibility, somehow you just find time for it. Sometimes you feel like, oh, there is no time, but then you find the time. So anyway, so we're trusting to the future. I do have a little bit of a sense of dread.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Of course.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. And we won't have the girls here when we. Barnaby, both girls were home to help with the walking and everything. Because when you're in New York City, like, that's a little bit of a thing every time. Yeah. Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I think you're gonna love it. I think you're gonna be excited and filled with love for the new dog. And I think all of that will fall away compared to the joy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yeah. And so, Gretchen, you mentioned the open door of it all. How did that fit into your decision making?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, of course, I am thinking so much about how is my life, what's getting better, what is there more of, what is there less of? On the one hand, we have more freedom, and that's really good. And getting a new dog cuts against the freedom because you have more responsibility and especially with a young dog. But then on the other hand, it's just more life and more life force and more fun. And so I was like, overall, what do we feel that we want more of? And what do we feel like we want less of? And I can imagine that for another family or another person, they might be like, now that I'm not worried about my kids, I want to be more free. I want to have less responsibility. This would be the wrong thing for them. I was talking to a friend of mine who's. She's divorced. And so her agreement with her ex husband is the dog travels with the children. And I said, oh, well, maybe would you wanna get a dog? So you have A dog to keep you company when everybody else is gone. And she said, oh, no, no, no, this is great for me because I either have everybody to worry about and that's wonderful, or then I have nobody and I don't have to worry about coming home at all. And so she felt like this way, she got the best of both worlds. But I could see how. And we all have to decide what we want and what we want more of and what we. And so, again, no tool fits every hand. We all have to figure it out for ourselves. But Jamie's a softy. His love language, his physical touch. And Barnaby's a pretty independent dog. He's not the kind of dog that jumps up into your lap or snuggles up to you. And who knows what the personality of this new dog will be. But I think if we had a snuglier dog would be nice, especially for Jamie. So we'll see.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, on the open door of it all, Gretchen, I also think your kids leave and then you're looking at their accomplishments or their interests, and it's like, oh, this one's in this club, or this one got this internship and this one's doing this. You're kind of focused on what they're doing out in the world, and this is something you're doing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And I think that's important. Right. It's like we're still these individual beings who need to evolve and grow. And so this is something you're doing.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right. You want to have your own adventures and your own atmosphere of growth.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Well, let us know what you think of the idea of getting a dog, how getting a dog has worked for you. Might you get a dog in the future? I so appreciate everybody weighing in on this. Once again, it's a lot of responsibility, but I'm sure it'll make us happier. Let us know on social media, Instagram threads, TikTok, Facebook. Drop us an [e-mail] or as always, you can go to the show notes. This is happiercast.com525.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Coming up, we've got a happiness hack that will help you be more productive in a small amount of time. But first, this break.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Elizabeth, after all of the busyness of the holidays, I had a real urge to clear clutter. You know how I am. I really like to have things clear and put away. I definitely love great storage systems. Well, I went to Wayfair, and what I love about Wayfair is that it's so convenient to get anything you need and One thing I realized really helped me are shelf spinners. So I got two shelf spinners. I got this great tabletop set of drawers which I'm going to use for office supplies. Just like those little things that go missing if you if you put them in a big drawer. They're really attractive. And it was really hard to pick out because I wanted everything. I love storage stuff.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, there is something for every style in every home at Wayfair, no matter your space or budget. And they have free and easy delivery even on the big stuff. They'll even help you set it up. Up Give your home the refresh it needs with wayfair. Head to wayfair.com right now. That's W A Y-F A I R.com wayfair every style, every home this episode.

[Gretchen Rubin]

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[Elizabeth Craft]

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[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay Elizabeth, this week's Happiness hack is about productivity and podcasts. Two things that we are big fans of.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, this comes from pa. Here's a happiness hack that makes me happier and productive. Whenever I have a number of menial tasks to do, I put on a very short podcast and make it a game. How many of these tasks can I finish before the end of the podcast episode? The A Little Happier podcast is one of my go to pods for this very purpose. In less than 5 minutes I can make my bed declutter my side table. The combination of getting started, being entertained and racing against a clock I love. The podcast gives me the energy I need to keep going.

[Gretchen Rubin]

First of all, this is pairing. So you pair something that you want to do with something that you love to do. It's gamifying, which is like racing against the clock, which I think is a kind of game that a lot of people like to have. It feels manageable because you know how long these podcasts tend to do it so you don't feel like it's a big imposition on yourself. If there's a podcast that you like, you do want to keep up with it. So then you're also kind of staying up with the podcast that you love. So I think this is a really fun and great solution.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. I love this idea. A podcast that would be great for this is side Hustle School because he does short daily.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, yes.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Under 10 minutes. So it could be a perfect thing for this.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yeah. And they're very upbeat. Yeah. And you would want to have them at the ready so that when you felt like, okay, now I'm ready to knock some tasks off my list, that you'd be ready to do it. So great idea. A new way to listen to podcasts and get things done. That's so fun. It kind of reminds me of our deck episodes. Elizabeth, clear the deck. Deck the halls. It's adjacent to that kind of getting things done while listening.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And now for a listener roundup. We've got sort of a bunch of different listener responses to various episodes. And so rather than sort them out into different updates and by category, we thought let's just do it as a smorgasbord. Let's just race through some of these really interesting ideas and observations.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, Gretch, I have to say that is a word I don't dare say. I can never pronounce it correctly.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I don't know that I am. Now that you say that, I think I better look it up. But we'll just go with it for now.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay. Angela says I wanted to share some information with you and your listeners about caring for your personal papers, photos, and, yes, your photo books. I appreciate Gretchen's method of adding handwritten captions to her photo books. When I am creating a photo book, it is usually the thought of adding captions during the design process that makes the tab task feel more onerous to me. However, as a library and archives conservator for over 20 years, I can attest to the damage that Sharpies and other so called permanent inks do to documents and photographs. Over time, these inks can become very unstable, bleeding through many layers of paper, photographs, causing discoloration, or transferring to neighboring pages or items, et cetera. The same can be true for many types of inks, even those marketed as archival, the best way to label your family papers and photographs is on the reverse side with a soft or medium graphite pencil. Tried True, simple and less damaging to artifacts. The Library of Congress and National Archives both have great information on their websites for caring for family collections. What's funny about this, Gretchen, is I can think of so many photos we have from mom and Dad's childhood that on the back in pencil have something written on them and it's still intact.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And it hasn't bled through the front.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Absolutely.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, so that's really good information. I am extremely deep into my Sharpie approach, but now I know better. Okay, that's excellent. Kaylee wrote. I just listened to your little happier episode today about the plaque of the gravestone at the Met and wanted to share a similar experience. Last year I got married and for our honeymoon we traveled to Savannah, Georgia where we explored the Bonaventure Summit Cemetery. Near the end of our visit we came across a little statue, a small lamb curled up fast asleep. It was obvious this was a piece to honor a child who passed, and the concept of the little lamb at eternal rest weighed so heavily on my heart. It has had a profound impact on my view of life and the legacy we leave. In the same way the words of the peace at the Met spoke to you. The statue is something I will never forget. The way we can express love for our beloved long after death is a beautiful part of the human experience. Well, that was so moving. I'll post a link to the episode where I talk about the steely that I visit whenever I go to the Met about the grandmother and the grandchild.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And Shelby says, I recently listened to your episode where you posed the question, do you rotate your plate when you eat? A small question, but interesting.

[Gretchen Rubin]

You and I were interested and others were also interested. Who knew?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I used to be a server at a fine dining restaurant in Chicago, and when we brought plates of food out to customers, we were always told to rotate the so that the meat or the protein of the course was closest to the customer. This way the meat not only looked bigger visually, but customers could ensure they got what they paid for. Especially important for a ribeye or a filet mignon. Of course, customers could rotate their own plates after they were set on the table, but I'm sure many servers across the world received this protein closest training as well.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Isn't that interesting? Yes, interesting, Karen wrote. What a valuable insight that family is often not a fan of what we create. I'm a photographer, and it's always bothered me that my mom isn't a fan. It's almost a cliche that moms will be your fan club, but my mom doesn't follow me on socials, listen to my podcast interviews, or generally comment on or follow what I create. I'm lucky that my husband is a huge fan, as are my dad and stepmom. Anyway, it was a valuable insight to hear that it might be normal if my mom doesn't like my creative career. Well, I'm glad that was useful to hear. I think some people are comforted by hearing that. That's just not uncommon.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes, it's not just you.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It's not just you, Rachel says.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I'm writing to tell you about a quirky habit pairing with great results. I was listening to an episode of the Happier Podcast when someone shared the idea of pairing practicing their balance with brushing their teeth one minute on each leg during the two minute brushes. I thought it sounded weird, perhaps because I had the frame of mind to pair something you don't like to do with something you do like to do. In this case, it was a pairing of something I automatically do with something that would be good to do. I rejected it as odd and went about the rest of my day. However, later that night as I brushed my teeth, I felt curious. What would it feel like to balance on one leg while I brushed? I tried it and it felt weird, but I kind of liked it. Taking care of the skin, this extra thing that would also help my early onset osteoporosis while I did a boring task. I have tried doing squats in the past while I brushed my teeth, but ended up dribbling toothpaste on my clothes so that pairing failed. I happen to be in physical therapy and working on my hip strength, so a few months into my brush and balance experiment, I was thrilled when my physical therapist told me there was significant improvement in my balance on both legs in just four minutes a day. Over three months, I decreased my chances of falling significantly. Wow.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Wow. Well, I like this Brush and balance. That's a good name for it. Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a thing. I'm gonna try that.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I think doctors need to start spreading.

[Gretchen Rubin]

The word on this brush and balance. Yeah, it seems like maybe it makes your balance a little more challenging. That's probably good. Yeah. Excellent. Allison wrote your question about how different people eat in a recent episode of More Happier reminded me of the children's book Bread Jam for Francis. Oh my gosh. One of my favorite books of all time. Love all the Francis books. Oh, Bread and Jam for Francis is so good. You discussed how some people eat all of one food on their plates before moving on to the next food. In the book, Albert takes a bite of each food, goes around again and says, I like a nice lunch. By the end of the story, Francis is taking a bite of everything to make it come out even. I have thought of this for years after reading the story to my now teenage son. I like to eat like Francis, making it all come out. Even the description of Albert eating lunch, I think stands as one of the great masterpieces of describing a satisfying meal. You know, he's got his salt and pepper and the way he lays it out. I'm so happy that she brought a bread and jam for Frances.

[Elizabeth Craft]

I know those illustrations, Gretch, are my favorites.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh my God. Oh, and the Champo bar and. Oh, don't even get me started. Started.

[Elizabeth Craft]

And finally, Liz said, I loved your idea about bringing people into friendship from your outer circle of acquaintances. A year ago, one of my best friends died suddenly and tragically and far before her time. In fact, today is her Yarzate, which in Jewish tradition is the anniversary of a person's death. She was one of my rare LA friends who could be counted on to schedule regular social plans. However busy she was, Elizabeth can maybe attest that among working moms in LA and other large geographically challenged cities, I'm sure this quality is rare. I can attest to that. So in the months after her death, when two people from my outer circle started making efforts toward friendship, neither having any idea what I was going through, I felt like it was a gift from my dear friend. One was a colleague who started scheduling workday walks with me in which we didn't talk about work. The other was a new mom on our kids mountain bike team. She has even become my mountain bike buddy, which is all the more special and valuable because my friend who died was my only friend who would bike with me. Maybe a lesson here is that if people are feeling hesitant or shy about making that first initiative toward friendship, scheduling the walk or coffee or mountain bike ride, they can imagine that the potential new friend really needs someone at that very moment. Moment.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I think this is so profound. It's beautiful to think about the old friend and these new friendships being tied in this way. But I also think this is really helpful, like if you're feeling shy or awkward, because we often do feel uncomfortable to sort of reach out and like, do you want to be my friend? But to think like, yeah, you're doing it because you want a friend. But think about the person on the other side. That person might be so eager to make a friend or really feeling some pain or loss. And so to think it's not just for you and your desire for friendship. Everybody is happier with friendship and relationships are key to everyone. And there is research showing that usually people are welcoming of this. We value relationships and if you feel a liking towards somebody, they probably feel a liking towards you. And so I think that this can be helpful if you're feeling very self conscious to think. But it's not just for me who will benefit. There's another person who will also benefit from friendship. And so this is just a really beautiful framing of those kinds of encounters which can be challenging even though we know they're so worthwhile, while sometimes it's hard to give ourselves that push.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. And I'm glad Liz has a new mountain bike friend.

[Gretchen Rubin]

That's wonderful. The mountain bike buddy. Love it.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Okay, Gretch, coming up, you give yourself a demerit that comes up at least probably once every two years. But first, this break.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Are you still quoting 30 year old movies? Have you said cool beans in the past 90 days? Do you think Discover isn't widely accepted? If this sounds like you, you're stuck in the past. Discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide and every time you make a purchase with your card, you automatically earn cash back. Welcome to the now it pays to Discover. Learn [e-mail] credit card based on the February 2024 Nielsen report for the new year.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Why not expand your life by listening on Audible? I listen to Audible every single day of my life. It is one of my great joys in Life. Explore over 1 million audiobooks, podcasts and exclusive Audible Originals all in one easy action app. Tap into your well being with titles that will inspire and motivate you. You can find insight and expert advice on health, relationships, career, finance and so much more.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right now I'm listening to an audiobook by Dan Pink that I love called the Power of Regret and it is just giving me so many ideas and I love that I can listen to it on the go. I love listening and learning just while I'm out and about about. So start positive habits and reach the goals you set for yourself. Start listening today. Sign up for a free 30 day trial at audible.com happier okay Gretch, we.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Are back with demerits and gold stars and you're up this week with a happiness demerit.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay, so this is the kind of demerit where I screw up, I learn my lesson, I do better, then I forget the lesson, then I screw up again, and then I'm like, oh, my goodness, I remember that lesson. Let me never do that again. And then I forget again. Okay, so I work at my desk. I drink coffee all day long. Okay, you know where this is going. And one day, the other morning, I set down my full cup of coffee on the edge of the desk, just slightly out of balance, and it fell over. And one time I did this, and I was working on a laptop, and it destroyed my laptop. Like, slowly, slowly, slowly, all the keys stopped working. And so, of course, I panicked. I jumped up. I have a removable keyboard on my desktop. So I flipped it over so that if there was any liquid, it would drain out. And I was like. And it went all against the wall. It went all over the floor. Fortunately, I do keep a rag in my office because if I spill something, so I'm quickly trying to mop everything up. Some papers got wet. Ink bled all over everything. It was a whole to do. And of course, it was six in the morning, so I was, like, shocked me awake. And the thing that is really annoying about this is this is not a subtle thing. I mean, should you put a cup of coffee anywhere near the edge? No, you should not. And I even have, like, a coaster that I have on my desk. Like, put the cup on the coaster. And I just got sloppy, and I wasn't paying attention, and I was looking at something in my lap, and I just set it down, and I felt it hit the surface. So I let go, not realizing, okay, half of it was on the surface, but the other half was just hanging out, ready to fall, which it did. And so now I have learned this lesson. We could time it, And I bet 24 months from now, I'll be like, okay, there I went again. But back to this. Now I do know what to do to try to offset the damage. I have the rag. I flipped the keyboard, so it's better than it has been in the past. But I was very annoyed with myself.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes.

[Gretchen Rubin]

I had to spend 20 minutes cleaning up a mess that I did not need to make.

[Elizabeth Craft]

We've all done it, Gretch.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Mm. Yeah. Okay. But, Elizabeth, cheer us up. What's your gold star?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Well, Gretch, I am giving a gold star to Los Angeles because poor Los Angeles has been through it recently. We had the fires, which was just so devastating and led to a lot of conversation about why do we live here? There's so much natural disaster between wildfires, earthquakes, there's the cost of living, you know, is through the roof. The entertainment business is in tumult. What is happening? There's just a lot of negativity about Los Angeles. Angeles. And then we had a stretch in February of about five days at least where it was in the 70s, the low 80s. It was so gorgeous while the rest of the country was experiencing bitter cold, sleet, snow. And I just thought, I mean, it just doesn't get better than this. This is the peak. So gold star to Los Angeles for reminding us why we love her so much.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Just the glorious weather.

[Elizabeth Craft]

It's great.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Here's my question to you, Elizabeth. Do you think you stay grateful? I mean, this time you really were grateful for the weather, but do you think people start to take it for granted and they just assume, oh, it's always going to be good weather and it doesn't really give them a lift? Or do you think a beautiful day is a beautiful day and if you step outside on a beautiful day, it always gives you a lift? You personally?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Me personally, it always gives me a lift. But I also grew up in the Midwest, so it's always, you know, notable to me.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Right, right. That it's not incredibly hot or incredibly cold or very icy. Yeah, Rainy.

[Elizabeth Craft]

So, yeah, I always enjoy it. I'm always happy. I love going to Fryman Canyon and having a blue sky and 72 in a breeze. Nothing makes me happier.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, well. Wonderful. Beautiful. LA and the resource for this week, there is a new jumpstart in the happier app. This week in the happier app, we're running a jumpstart on getting organized for spring. Yes. Unbelievably, we are heading into spring cleaning season. So you can download the app or if you're already have the happier app, you can log in for daily tips and suggestions. That'[e-mail] and Elizabeth, what are we reading this week? What are you reading?

[Elizabeth Craft]

I am reading Code Girls, the untold story of the American women Code breakers of World War II 2 by Liza Mundy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And I am reading Legendborn by Tracy Dion. And that's it for this episode of Happier. Remember to try this at home. Consider getting a dog. Let us know if you tried it and if it worked for you. Or maybe you got a dog in the past. How did that work out for you?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Or maybe you need another dog.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Or maybe you need another dog. How many, how many dogs does Sarah have now?

[Elizabeth Craft]

Three.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Okay. All right.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Thank you to Chuck and everyone at Lemonada.

[Gretchen Rubin]

So remember to rate us, review us, follow us. And here's your rhyming reminder. If you love the show, leave a review to let everyone know.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Until next week. I'm Elizabeth Craft.

[Gretchen Rubin]

And I'm Gretchen Rubin. Thanks for joining us. Onward and upward.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Gretchen. Of course, now that you're getting a dog, the big question is, what is the dog's name gonna be?

[Gretchen Rubin]

Oh, yes. Yeah. Now we still remember all of our long, long, long debates before we got to Barnaby. It's fun to think about dog names. It's like band names. They're just fun to think about.

[Elizabeth Craft]

Yes. I can't wait to hear.

[Gretchen Rubin]

It's a flourishing day debate from the onward Project.