Ep. 594: Try Becoming a Fan, Plus Tips for Dealing with Travel Bores
Hosted by
Gretchen Rubin
Becoming a fan—of sports or anything—can improve your happiness. We share listener tips for dealing with people who share every boring detail of their latest trip.
Episode highlights:
- Try This at Home: Become a fan— Research shows that fandom reduces loneliness and gives your life more structure, connection, and ritual [04:37]
- Happiness Hack: Cross off the common denominator—When you're anxious about a decision, ask yourself: does this worry apply to every option? [14:45]
- Listener strategies for dealing with travel bores: How to redirect the conversation and ask targeted questions that make travel stories actually interesting. [17:41]
- Demerits & Gold Stars: Elizabeth's demerit: return timing regret; Gretchen's gold star: a perfect souvenir find. [25:03]
Mentioned in this Episode:
- "Why Watching Sports Makes People Happy" — Time Magazine
- Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John (Amazon, Bookshop)
- There's Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson (Amazon, Bookshop)
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (Amazon, Bookshop)
- Summer Bingo card + Design Your Summer tool — Happier App
Connect with Us:
- Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
- Website: gretchenrubin.com
- Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
- Take the free Four Tendencies quiz
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Find the transcript for this episode on the episode details page in the Apple Podcasts app.
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