A Guide to Happiness, Health, & Lifestyle
A collection of practical advice covering personal happiness, health, safety, and lifestyle has been compiled from various experts, including author and podcast host Gretchen Rubin. The guidance touches on topics from making summer more memorable to managing finances and health.
Techniques for a Memorable Summer
Author of "The Happiness Project" and host of the podcast "Happier With Gretchen Rubin," Gretchen Rubin has proposed four exercises designed to make the summer season more satisfying, as shared on her podcast and social media.
"Will this make me happier?" — Gretchen Rubin's guiding question for everyday decisions.
Thematic Summer: Rubin suggests giving the summer a theme to guide activities. Her personal theme for the season is "ketchup," which she uses as a metaphor for adding excitement to ordinary routines.
Bucket List: Creating a summer bucket list is recommended. Rubin notes that such lists can be composed of numerous simple tasks or a few ambitious goals, but advises that they should be realistic to achieve.
Fun Challenge: Setting a small, enjoyable challenge, such as trying a new ice cream flavor each Friday or learning to swim, is another suggestion.
Five-Senses Portrait: This exercise involves reflecting on the sensory experiences of summer—what it looks, smells, tastes, sounds, and feels like—to capture and preserve memories.
Health and Safety Guidelines
A separate compilation of tips from NPR's most-read self-help stories offers advice from field experts across several domains.
Motor Vehicle Safety
Officer Hector Carias of the California Highway Patrol advises against speeding to improve hazard avoidance and reduce crash severity. In situations involving a tailgater, he recommends changing lanes to allow the other vehicle to pass.
Pelvic Floor Health
Physical therapist Sara Reardon recommends relaxing the pelvic floor during urination to allow natural bladder function, specifically advising against forceful expulsion.
Sleep Quality
Nutrition scientist Marie-Pierre St-Onge notes that foods rich in tryptophan—an amino acid converted to serotonin and melatonin—can support sleep. Examples include:
- Almonds, barley, brown rice
- Chia seeds, lentils, oats
- Pumpkin seeds, salmon, tofu
- Turkey, walnuts, white beans, and yogurt
Pain Management
Clinical pharmacist Candy Tsourounis states that acetaminophen is generally a preferred choice for fevers and minor pains due to its milder effect on the body compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine supports the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy to treat fever and pain, citing potential harms from untreated fever.
Social and Emotional Well-being
Accepting Praise
Social psychologist Erica Boothby and behavioral scientist Xuan Zhao suggest that accepting sincere praise is an act of kindness, as it recognizes the positive intent of the person giving the compliment.
Addressing Limerence
Academic and author Tom Bellamy proposes a technique for managing limerence, a state of romantic obsession. The method involves reframing positive fantasies ("daydreams") into negative scenarios ("daymares") to reduce the intensity of the romantic attachment.
Enhancing Social Interaction
Conflict resolution facilitator Priya Parker recommends using "magical questions"—queries that generate interest from all participants—to foster deeper conversations. Examples include:
- "What's the weirdest thing you've ever found in your pocket?"
- "What topic could you give a 20-minute talk about with no preparation?"
Personal Happiness
Instead of defining happiness abstractly, ask yourself: "Will this make me happier?"
Gretchen Rubin suggests that rather than defining happiness abstractly, individuals should ask themselves this question when making choices, to guide decisions toward greater contentment.
Travel and Home Efficiency
Budget Travel
Travel journalist Brittney Oliver recommends seeking more affordable alternative destinations that offer similar experiences to high-cost locations. For example, exploring New York's Finger Lakes region instead of California's Napa Valley for wine tourism.
Home Energy Efficiency
Daniel Barber, a historian of architecture and environment, advises installing external window shades in hot climates. He notes that this placement prevents sunlight from entering and heating interior spaces more effectively than internal blinds or curtains.