Modern Wisdom #1043 — Arthur Brooks: 14 Habits for an Optimised Morning & Evening Routine

Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Chris Williamson
Guest: Arthur Brooks

Overview

In this episode, Chris Williamson sits down with social scientist and author Arthur Brooks to explore the science and practice behind optimizing your mornings and evenings for greater happiness, productivity, and well-being. Drawing from psychology, biology, evolutionary theory, and both ancient and modern wisdom, Arthur lays out actionable strategies—what he calls the “14 Habits”—that set the foundation for a fulfilling life. The conversation moves from the biology of emotion to the pitfalls of success addiction, the role of suffering in meaning-making, relationship dynamics, practical health routines, and how to respond to life’s inevitable challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Intertwining of Psychology and Biology

• Main Point: Psychological states and well-being are deeply rooted in biology.
• Arthur Brooks [00:20]: "The answer is yes, because psychology is biology. Fundamentally, psychology is biology."
• Insight: Positive and negative emotions arise from ancient brain structures evolved to keep us alert to danger and opportunity. Negative emotions are not to be expunged—they're vital evolutionary signals.

2. The Four Temperaments of Affect

• Breakdown of Emotional Profiles:
  • Mad Scientists: High positive & high negative affect (creative, intense, often anxious).
  • Judges: Low positive & low negative affect (calm, reliable, good in critical roles).
  • Cheerleaders: High positive & low negative affect (happy, upbeat, struggle giving criticism).
  • Poets: Low positive & high negative affect (creative, romantic, prone to depression).
• Arthur Brooks [05:19]: "No bad vibes, man... the poets, they're the unhappiest, but they're unbelievably creative and romantic. It's the same part of the brain."
• Application: Understanding your own affective profile helps tailor happiness strategies (whether to reduce unhappiness or increase happiness).

3. Success Addiction & Modern Pathologies

• Workaholism as Coping:
  • Many high-achievers equate love with achievement, developing a dopamine-driven addiction to external success.
  • Arthur Brooks [16:26]: "They get the attention and affection of adults when they do stuff... so they make the connection as children that love is something that's earned."
  • Memorable Moment: Brooks jokes that most people aren't afflicted by success addiction, "But by the way, they become billionaires." [17:24]
• Workaholism & Alcohol: Two common (and praised) escapes for negative emotions, but not healthy or sustainable.

4. The Four Idols: What Drives Us?

• Arthur's "Game": Identifying your personal idol among money, power, pleasure (including comfort/security), and honor (fame/admiration).
• Process: Eliminate the least important one for you, working toward your core motivator.
• Key insight [20:10]: "When you know what it is, you'll say, oh, yeah, that's why I always do the things that I regret later. This will be the source of your future regret."
• Chris’ Choice Path: Eliminates power and money early; recognizes a longing for comfort/security over fame, sparking a discussion about how our wants and ideals often misalign.

5. Right Desire & Self-Knowledge

• Arthur Brooks [32:03]: "The problem is not what you want. The problem is that your desires aren't right. You don't want the right things."
• Chris [32:42]: “If you can get yourself to want what you want to want, then you get to row with the tide.”
• Metacognition: A recurring theme—reflecting on and adjusting not just our behaviors, but our foundational desires.

6. Suffering, Meaning & Growth

• Embracing Suffering:
  • The most meaningful personal growth comes through facing, not fleeing, pain and adversity.
  • Arthur Brooks [51:24]: "One of the greatest ways for you to miss the meaning of your life is for you to try to avoid your suffering."
  • Memorable Quote (Peterson via Chris, [48:10]): "The only way out is through. You take more of the thing that poisons you until you turn it into a tonic."
• Aging and Happiness: Happiness often dips through midlife but rises again after 50, partly from learning to sit with and grow from suffering.

7. Anxiety, Uncertainty, and the Modern World

• Risk vs. Uncertainty: We can insure against risks, but not uncertainty. Chronic uncertainty triggers hypervigilance and negative emotions.
• Arthur Brooks [37:37]: "You're vigilant against threat. And it's the possibility of threat when you're uncertain."
• Life Advice: Greater simplicity, routine, and "chop wood, carry water" activities lessen modern overstimulation.

8. Practical Morning Routine: The 14 Habits (Condensed)

Arthur Brooks' evidence-based routine blends wisdom from science, religion, and practical habit formation:

"Creator’s Time" (Brahma Muhurta)

• Up Before Dawn [59:34]: Better focus, mood, and creativity.
• Physical Activity: Hard workout first thing, prioritizing resistance training (about 75%) and zone 2 cardio (about 25%). For the less active: at least a one-hour walk outdoors before devices.
• Spiritual/Transcendent Practice: Brooks attends Mass daily—emphasizes the importance of some form of transcendence, be it religious or meditative.
• Protein-Heavy First Meal: ~60-70g protein from Greek yogurt, berries, nuts, and whey powder.
• Delay Caffeine: Don't drink caffeine immediately on waking; wait until after activity and spirituality for sharpened focus.
• Hydration & Supplements: Creatine, electrolytes, and a multivitamin.
• Continuous NEAT: Five miles of walking over the course of the day (10,000 steps).
• Productivity Block: Use the post-morning period for creative, deep work.

9. Evening Routine for Mood & Recovery

• Dinner: Eat early (about 6:00 pm), lighter meal. No caffeine or alcohol.
• Walk: 30-40 minutes after dinner for glucose and mood management.
• Connection: Go to bed early, but spend time in intimacy—long eye contact, hand holding, reading to/with partner (activates oxytocin & deepens bonds).
• Gender-Specific Tactics: Women benefit particularly from eye contact, men from touch.
• Relaxation: No screens or stressful activity before bed; focus on winding down together.

10. Avoid Over-Optimization & Health Anxiety

• Wearables Caution: Devices like Whoop or Oura can drive neuroticism rather than health if used excessively or obsessively.
• Arthur [84:31]: “When I just turn it into what I do when I wake up... when I go to bed, my life is better.”

11. Handling Negative Emotions & Breakups

• Best "Treatments": Metacognition (understanding one’s feelings), religious/spiritual rituals, and regular exercise ("Jacked guys are sad guys" [58:26]).
• Breakup Protocol:
  • Distraction (do things you enjoy with people you love)
  • Focus on what you don’t miss about the former partner
  • Sad music can help process emotions
  • Tylenol (paracetamol) can reduce the affective pain of heartbreak ([91:52])
• On Suffering: Don't suppress or reject suffering; use it as a teacher for growth.

12. Modern Freedom vs. Ancient Wisdom

• Decline in Happiness: Linking the fall in happiness in western societies to the erosion of faith, family, community, and meaningful work.
• Brooks’s Prescription: Intentionally cultivate these four areas to buffer against the storms of modernity—screens, polarization, and isolation.
• Motivation for Good: Speak truth "in love," not as a weapon ([104:11–107:27]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Psychology is biology." — Arthur Brooks [00:20]
• On suffering: "Nobody ever said I really figured out what I was made of that week at the beach in Ibiza." [51:49]
• On right desire: "You don't need to do something differently, you need to want something differently." [32:37]
• On breakups: "You're not afraid of the breakup. You're afraid of the pain from the breakup." [93:03]
• On marriage/relationships: “You can save most marriages... by holding hands more and always looking at each other in the eyes when you talk.” [83:32]
• On the modern dilemma: "Modern wisdom actually is ancient wisdom. That's the twist." [102:03]
• On truth: “Do you bring the truth in love or... to score a point?... Motive matters a lot. People know your motive.” [104:53]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Psychology as Biology — [00:20]
• Affective Temperaments — [04:02]
• Workaholism & Success Addiction — [16:23]
• The Four Idols Game — [20:10–30:20]
• Right Desire vs. Desire — [32:03]
• Suffering as Meaning — [48:10, 51:24]
• Anxiety and Modern Overstimulation — [36:44]
• Arthur’s Morning Routine (Habits 1–7) — [59:14–67:43]
• Arthur’s Evening Routine (Habits 8–14) — [78:51–84:31]
• Over-optimization & Wearables — [84:36]
• Breakup Advice & Heartbreak — [89:45–97:32]
• Modern Freedom & Ancient Wisdom — [100:05–104:09]
• On Speaking Hard Truths — [104:17–107:27]

Tone and Style

The conversation is lively, candid, and reflective, blending deep intellectual curiosity with playful banter, personal storytelling, and a dash of self-deprecating humor. Both Chris and Arthur share personal anecdotes, pop culture references, and academic insights for a practical (and often funny) guide to living a better life. The language is direct, with Arthur Brooks frequently weaving in pithy aphorisms and classic wisdom.

Summary for the Listener

If you’re looking for a science-backed, no-nonsense (but warm and compassionate) roadmap for optimizing your mornings, evenings, and emotional life, this episode is a must-listen. Arthur Brooks demystifies happiness, strips away toxic self-improvement dogmas, and gives you routines and reflections that promise not just productivity, but also a more meaningful, loving, and resilient life.

For More:

• Arthur Brooks’ next book: The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness [107:33]
• Podcast: “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks”

Recommended Reading:

• Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson (“Read it tonight!”) [53:28]

“Love and do what you will.” — St. Augustine, via Arthur Brooks