Portrait of Gretchen in the library

We can accept ourselves and also expect more from ourselves.

In my work, I investigate unexpected truths about everyday life—and identify ways we can take happiness from the transcendent to the concrete.

Life in five senses paperback cover

Life in Five Senses available in paperback April 30th!

Pre-order the paperback and get access to a “secret chapter” that’s not in the book.

FEATURED

“Of all the things that wisdom provides for living one’s entire life in happiness, the greatest by far is the possession of friendship.” —Epicurus

FEATURED CHALLENGE

Join Paper Source and me for National Card and Letter Writing Month

I’ve teamed up with Paper Source to create daily letter-writing prompts for National Card and Letter Writing Month. Join the challenge to receive a prompt in your inbox every day for the month of April, as well as a 10% discount for papersource.com to stock up on stationery.

FEATURED QUIZ

The Gift-Giving Quiz

Struggling to find the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or graduation? Learn your recipient’s gift-appreciation profile–whether that person is an Easy-to-Please, a Tried-and-True, an Enthusiast, or a Connoisseur–and get ideas and inspiration for gifts they’ll love.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Quick, Easy Ways to Build Friendships

Ancient philosophers and contemporary scientists agree: strong relationships are a key—perhaps the key—to a happy life. But one of the most common challenges of adulthood is making and maintaining friendships.

FEATURED BOOK

Happier at Home

Kiss more, jump more, abandon self-control—Discover what I learned from my experiments to become happier at home, concentrating on factors such as possessions, marriage, time, parenthood, body, and neighborhood.

FEATURED PODCAST EPISODE

473: Schedule a “Loose-Ends Day,” Have an Adventurous Milestone Birthday, and Happier Parenting

We talk about why it can be helpful to schedule a “loose-ends day,” and we share a hack about an imaginative way to celebrate a milestone birthday with adventure and connection. We also talk to Aliza Pressman about ways to become a happier, more effective parent.

FEATURED TOOL

Build connections with the Happier™ app

Want to build the habits that help you stay in touch and strengthen friendships? This month in the Happier app, get daily prompts for National Letter Writing Month, tips and ideas for connecting with others, and useful self-knowledge questions to reflect on your relationships.

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WHAT'S NEW

Discover the latest articles and podcast episodes.

CURATED COLLECTIONS

Explore Gretchen Rubin’s work on these popular topics.

Life in five senses cover painting

Tap in to the power of your five senses as a path to a happier, more mindful life.

Smiley Faces

Unexpected insights and concrete suggestions about how to create a happier life.

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Helpful tips, tools, and strategies for building (and breaking) habits.

Four Tendencies colored folders

Understand yourself and others with Gretchen Rubin’s personality framework.

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ABOUT GRETCHEN

Gretchen in the garden against brick wall

About Gretchen

Hi, I’m Gretchen Rubin. For more than a decade, I’ve been studying human nature—the science of the soul. My happiness project is to understand myself, the people around me, and how we can move from good intentions to concrete actions to build happier lives.