Over the last decade, she has taken her approach to creating a happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative life off those pages and into the daily lives of her readers and listeners through her books, blog, podcast, online courses, and weekly newsletter. I ran in his honor and raised funds for the hospital.In 2009, Gretchen Rubin’s breakout book, The Happiness Project, became a New York Times #1 bestseller and revolutionized the way people approach personal development. I joined up with the charity running team from Mass Eye and Ear, where my late father was an ophthalmologist. After participating in two half-marathons last fall, I decided to take on a greater challenge: the Boston Marathon, the most prestigious of them all. So I enlisted the help of a private coach and a dietitian and joined a local running club to stay motivated.Īs I got fitter and faster, I lost 25 pounds, and my cholesterol levels dropped to those of a healthy 19-year-old. I was younger and managed to finish through pure adrenaline. I'd completed a few half-marathons in the past - or rather, I'd survived them. I did have one semi-ambitious goal in mind: to become a more serious runner. With my nose to the grindstone, it was harder to maintain those relationships. Instead, I wanted to tackle some long-overdue organizational projects around my house and spend time with my friends and family, including my elderly mother, my brothers and sisters-in-law, and my niece and nephews. I wasn't interested in traveling the world or writing the next great American novel. In April, I left my job without any concrete ideas of how I wanted to spend my newfound free time. Besides, I didn't think I was going to be out of the workforce long - six months tops. I have sources of passive income, and I can buy health insurance from my state. I'm lucky to be in a position of financial security. The decision to take a professional break wasn't one that required a great deal of planning on my part. Though my employer didn't offer sabbaticals, I remembered colleagues from past jobs who'd taken leaves of absence for personal reasons, and I knew I needed to do the same. The numbers spoke for themselves: My cholesterol and blood pressure had skyrocketed, and I was dangerously close to being classified as obese. When I went for a checkup in the winter of 2022, my doctor didn't need to say a word. I ate poorly, slept too little, and rarely exercised. It was rewarding, but I was neglecting my health. We were launching a breakthrough product, and the work needed to get done. I was putting in 60- to 70-hour weeks, including nights and weekends.

Last year, my job - I'm an engineer who worked at a medical-device company - had become very stressful. I can be an intense person and fall into periods of workaholism. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

The happiness project com