Ask, “What Happens If I Ignore This?” and a Conversation with Whole30’s Melissa Hartwig

It’s time for the next installment of  “Happier with Gretchen Rubin.”

Update: In episode 14 and elsewhere, Elizabeth has spoken about her love of mugs, and for that reason, we decided to do a Happier mug! If you want to order one for yourself, order one here (scroll down).

Try This at Home: Ask yourself, “What would happen if I ignore this?” I give credit for this terrific question to my friend, the brilliant Michael Melcher (I can’t resist giving a plug for his book, The Creative Lawyer: A Practical Guide to Authentic Professional Satisfaction, which is an invaluable resource about achieving career happiness as a lawyer.) If you want to read about our group MGM, I talk about it in The Happiness Project.

Interview: Melissa Hartwig. Melissa is co-creator of the Whole30 program, which, for many people, is a super-powerful tool for changing eating habits. Melissa describes the program as “pushing the re-set button with your health, your habits, and your relationship with food” — for 30 days, you eliminate foods that many people have trouble with.  We talk about the difference between Abstainers and Moderators here and in episode 2; we also talk about the Four Tendencies here and in episode 43.

Gretchen’s Demerit: Let’s just say I didn’t deal well with Jamie’s desire to get a new duvet cover for our bed. I mention being an under-buyer.

Elizabeth’s Gold Star: Elizabeth gives gold stars to her favorite reality-TV-related podcasts: Emma Gray and Claire Fallon’s Here to Make Friends: A Bachelor Recap Show; Casey Wilson and Danielle Schneider’s Bitch Sesh: A Real Housewives Breakdown; and Heather Dubrow’s World.

As always, thanks to our terrific sponsors

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Want to know what to expect from other episodes of the podcast, when you listen to â€œHappier with Gretchen Rubin?” We talk about how to build happier habits into everyday life, as we draw from cutting-edge science, ancient wisdom, lessons from pop culture—and our own experiences (and mistakes).  We’re sisters, so we don’t let each other get away with much!

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Gretchen Rubin is the author of the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation at gretchenrubin.com. Follow her here by clicking the yellow FOLLOW button, on Twitter, @gretchenrubin, on Facebook,  facebook.com/ GretchenRubin. Or listen to her popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin.