Hello, This year, Labor Day falls on September 4, and for many of us, that holiday signals the post-summer return to the regular routine of work and school—and even though autumn doesn’t really start until September 23, Labor Day marks the shift from “end of summer” to “beginning of fall.”
So, to help people get ready for the new beginning of September, my sister Elizabeth and I devoted episode 443 of the Happier podcast to a “Clear the Decks” exercise. During the episode, as we read a list of 24 useful one-minute tasks, we invite listeners to listen, stop the podcast and tackle the task, then listen again to hear the next assignment, etc. The idea: without much time or energy, we all could clear the decks to be ready for the fall. Suggestions include deleting unused apps, tackling a tricky email, signing up for a library card, etc.
I’ve been astonished by the enthusiasm inspired by this exercise! Listeners found it so satisfying to “clear the decks” that they have asked us to repeat the exercise, and to do a special version for the holidays.
I’m always surprised by how much energy and cheer can be unlocked by tackling a relatively minor task; small improvements can yield big benefits. In my case, moving some bills to auto-pay gave me an inordinate feeling of satisfaction.
If you’d like to try the “Clear the Decks” exercise yourself, you can find it here—it’s organized into a bingo card, to make it more fun to do. | | 5 Things Making Me Happy 
Is “unscented” a scent? Often, it is; manufacturers add scent to mask other scents. Is silence a sound? New research reported in the New York Times suggests that it is; our brains perceive silence as its own type of “sound,” not just a blank space between noises. | |
I enjoyed the Barbie movie, and I especially enjoyed the hoopla around it. I find it very satisfying when many people are talking about the same cultural phenomenon—whether that’s the Super Bowl, the Taylor Swift tour, or the re-appearance of Pumpkin Spice Latte. In the past, I’ve often missed out on these moments, so I’ve decided to make more effort to participate myself, in a timely way. For instance, I didn’t watch Mad Men until many years after it aired, and I regret missing the fun of discussing each episode as it aired for the first time. I still haven’t watched the final season of Succession, because I’ve been catching up on Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul. Lesson learned. I made sure to see Barbie when it was still in theaters.
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On my recent trip to Kansas City, my family and I watched some old home videos that I’d never seen before. One showed Christmas morning when I was two years old, where one of my gifts was this Playskool wooden giraffe riding toy. It still stands in the corner of my parents’ guest room, and it has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s battered and worn now, and it gave me a strange feeling to see it in the video—fresh and new, with a festive bow sitting on the giraffe’s long nose.
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The magical elixir of life? Exercise. Over and over, research shows that exercise is good for our physical, mental, and emotional health. And even a little exercise helps! Many people aim for 10,000 steps each day, but research suggests that just 4,000 steps will make a big difference. And as we add more steps, we get more benefit. One reason I love living in New York City is that it’s so fun to walk around here. | | Updates - Next month, I’m hosting a live, virtual workshop about applying the Four Tendencies at work. We’ll examine common scenarios of conflict and challenge, and how you can use the Four Tendencies to find solutions. We’ll also have a Q&A conversation to cover any additional scenarios or questions. The workshop will be held via Zoom, on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET. Click here to learn more and register.
| | This week on Happier with Gretchen Rubin PODCAST EPISODE: 444 We talk about why and how we might try to get more benefit from a tool we already use, and share an idea for a gift that’s very valuable to the recipient, but doesn’t cost any money. We also share listeners’ traditions to prepare for the other “new year” of September. Listen now > | | | | ARTICLE 25 Tips to Boost Your Productivity
| | PODCAST More Happier: A Surprising Benefit of Daily Visits to the Met, a Funny Sign from the Hollywood Picket Line, and a Same-Day Book
| | Looking for more strategies for happiness and good habits? Subscribe to receive bi-weekly tips for practical ways to make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. Click here to subscribe > | | | | |
