5 Things from the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast
Obligers, this one’s for you
People with the Obliger Tendency reliably meet expectations placed on them by others, but struggle to meet their own. In this “Revisited” episode, Gretchen and Elizabeth talk about how to navigate three big challenges Obligers sometimes face: shame, exploitation, and rebellion.
Get moving with Michelle Obama
As part of the Move 26 in ’26 Challenge, we’re sharing a listen-along episode to pair with your 26 minutes of daily movement. Last month, Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson joined to explore the the benefits of movement and share some of their favorite podcast clips from IMO and The Second Opinion.
Make progress when you feel stuck
Around Determination Day, on February 28, many people look back at their New Year’s resolutions and wonder: Why isn’t this working for me? Gretchen talked with Mimi Bouchard, founder of the Activations app, about what to do when effort alone isn’t enough—and how to course-correct before you give up altogether.
Happier turns 11
The podcast turns 11! To celebrate their “Steel” anniversary, Gretchen and Elizabeth share their favorite insights, hacks, and highlights from the past year.
A decision-making epiphany
A question about Gretchen’s dog Barnaby leads to a conversation that reveals a surprising insight about how we make hard decisions.
An Alternative To Meditation
No need to sit still or “clear your mind.” Activations are guided audios for real life—just press play in everyday moments: walking, getting ready, commuting, or beyond. Instead of calming you, these unique tracks will energize you. Try it today for free.
INTERVIEW
Blythe Harris and Mallory May
Artists Blythe Harris and Mallory May are cofounders of the online creativity resource The Daily Creative. Their new book, Daily Creative, offers 5-minute creative practices to boost happiness and lower stress.
Q: Can you suggest something we might try to help ourselves to become happier, healthier, more productive, or more creative?
MALLORY: Try a five-minute creative reset every day. Not to make something good, just to show up. Get in touch with your unique voice — the one that’s always been there, beneath years of learned habits and expectations. Five minutes lowers resistance, quiets perfectionism, and creates forward motion. Think of it as an open-eye meditation.
BLYTHE: Build a tiny daily creative practice—something so small it feels almost effortless. Five minutes of playful making, noticing, or reflecting can interrupt autopilot thinking and gently shift your mood and energy. The key isn’t intensity; it’s consistency. Over time, those small moments add up to greater clarity, flexibility, and joy—very much in the spirit of how habits shape happiness.
Q: Do you have a Secret of Adulthood? A lesson you’ve learned from life the hard way; something you’d tell your younger self?
BLYTHE: You don’t need to force yourself to like something just because you think you should. Pursue things that genuinely feel interesting or fun. I’d tell my younger self: pay attention to what lights you up—even quietly—and return to it often. Consistency matters more than discipline.
MALLORY: I would add that readiness and perfection are overrated. Clarity comes from action, not thought. Waiting until you feel confident, inspired, or “creative enough” is usually just disguised fear. I’d tell my younger self to start messy, start small, start anyway. Momentum is kinder than motivation. Also, if you are feeling stuck, creativity loves constraints. The blank page can be intimidating and constraints are the banks upon which the current builds force. Draw without picking up your pencil, limit yourself to one color, or write a poem using only 5 words — fewer choices mean less pressure.
This is a concept we cover in our book.
Q: What simple habit boosts your happiness or energy?
MALLORY: Doing something analog with my hands, especially first thing in the day — before screens, before input, before other people’s ideas. I try to make a small mark on paper, like a doodle, a color palette, or even photographing weird things I notice on my morning walk. That shift from consumption to creation is surprisingly energizing.
BLYTHE: Pairing creativity with something I already love—like my morning coffee. I’ll do a short, low-pressure creative exercise while the coffee brews or as I take the first sip. It’s a simple form of habit-stacking, and it reliably helps me start the day feeling calmer, more open, and more energized.
Q: Is there a particular motto that you’ve found very helpful?
BLYTHE: “Follow what feels fun.”
MALLORY: We come back to this one again and again: “process over perfection.” It’s not just freeing, it’s productive — creativity isn’t magic, it’s a practice.
Q: Has a book ever changed your life? If so, which one and why?
BLYTHE: Art Work: On the Creative Life by Sally Mann. Her description of the creative process, following intuition and the thread of what speaks to you without self-editing or planning really resonated.
MALLORY: Josef Albers Interaction of Color — Blythe and I took a class together based on the teachings in the book, and it not only transformed my work, but how I process things in the world – what I notice, think about, experiment with and appreciate – and that has made me happier and more inspired!
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