Key Takeaways
- The "Read 25 in '25" challenge helped thousands re-engage with reading and build community.
- The 2026 annual challenge, "Move 26 in '26," encourages 26 minutes of daily movement.
- New "Happier" app features will support the 2026 challenge with tracking and creative ideas.
- Movement, tailored to personal preference, offers benefits for physical and mental health.
- Podcast listeners applied advice for personal growth, from divorce recovery to hosting events.
- A science-based method suggests rubbing skin near an itch to inhibit the sensation.
Deep Dive
- Darcy reported that listening to the podcast helped her through a divorce and rebuilding her life, making daily walks happier.
- Taylor overcame hosting insecurities to successfully throw a happy hour for kindergarten moms, inspired by podcast advice.
- Participants joined a 'silent read' event on June 25th in indie bookstores and at home.
- Hosts held a two-day reading retreat in Los Olivos, California, near Santa Barbara.
- Amanda visited the Hotel Sylvia in Newport, Oregon, for a reading retreat with her 17-year-old son.
- Stephanie decluttered 100 books and reached her goal of reading 25 by Labor Day, aiming for 25 more.
- Tens of thousands of participants logged entries for the challenge in the Happier app.
- The annual challenge for 2026 is "Move 26 in '26," which involves moving 26 minutes daily.
- New "Happier" app features will support the challenge, including a bingo card with creative movement ideas.
- Bonus audio content will be released in January to accompany movement activities.
- Gretchen Rubin plans to incorporate 12 squats multiple times a day and dedicate 10 minutes to walking in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Elizabeth Craft aims to re-engage with her treadmill desk and integrate movement with Orange Theory and dog walking for her type 1 diabetes.
- Movement aids digestion, blood sugar, creativity, mental health, stress reduction, and boosts energy.
- Hosts encouraged listeners to share their plans and creative approaches for the "Move 26 in '26" challenge on social media, email, or show notes.
- They also teased an upcoming "science-based happiness hack" for a future segment.
- One host received a demerit for allowing her treadmill desk to become cluttered, hindering 'Move 26 in '26' participation.
- Gold stars were awarded to nurses for their considerate, thoughtful, gentle, informative, and patient care provided to a hospitalized father.