14 Habits for an Optimised Morning & Evening Routine - Arthur Brooks

Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, and an author. What does it really take to live a fulfilling life? With endless advice on how to boost or sabotage happiness, what does science actually say about feeling better and living well? Expect to learn whether psychological or physical elements contribute to wellbeing more, if most people need more happiness or less unhappiness, what the most reliable lever is to lower negative feelings, what the gold standard is for how people should deal with a breakup, the most underrated happiness intervention in daily life, why reading aloud or being read to calms the brain so much, and much more… - 0:00 Is Wellbeing Built in the Body or the Mind? 8:37 Why Privilege Can Fuel Addiction 18:30 The Key To Managing Yourself More Effectively 35:51 Rewiring Anxiety and Uncertainty 42:25 How Biology Affects Our Relationships 50:33 Why Growth Stems From Pain 59:08 Designing the Optimal Morning Routine 01:08:55 The Physiology of Staying Fit as You Age 01:18:49 Engineering the Optimal Evening Routine 01:24:31 Is There a Risk of Over-Optimising Wellbeing? 01:29:45 What Causes Us the Most Pain? 01:33:01 The Neuroscience of Heartbreak 01:39:57 Has Modern Freedom Backfired on Happiness? 01:47:27 Where to Find Arthur - Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostArthur Brooksguest

Jan 8, 20261h 48mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 8, 2026
Duration: 1h 48m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Arthur Brooks is a social scientist, professor at Harvard University, and an author. What does it really take to live a fulfilling life? With endless advice on how to boost or sabotage happiness, what does science actually say about feeling better and living well? Expect to learn whether psychological or physical elements contribute to wellbeing more, if most people need more happiness or less unhappiness, what the most reliable lever is to lower negative feelings, what the gold standard is for how people should deal with a breakup, the most underrated happiness intervention in daily life, why reading aloud or being read to calms the brain so much, and much more… - 0:00 Is Wellbeing Built in the Body or the Mind? 8:37 Why Privilege Can Fuel Addiction 18:30 The Key To Managing Yourself More Effectively 35:51 Rewiring Anxiety and Uncertainty 42:25 How Biology Affects Our Relationships 50:33 Why Growth Stems From Pain 59:08 Designing the Optimal Morning Routine 01:08:55 The Physiology of Staying Fit as You Age 01:18:49 Engineering the Optimal Evening Routine 01:24:31 Is There a Risk of Over-Optimising Wellbeing? 01:29:45 What Causes Us the Most Pain? 01:33:01 The Neuroscience of Heartbreak 01:39:57 Has Modern Freedom Backfired on Happiness? 01:47:27 Where to Find Arthur - Get a free bottle of D3K2, an AG1 Welcome Kit, and more when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Arthur Brooks
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Arthur Brooks, 14 Habits for an Optimised Morning & Evening Routine - Arthur Brooks explores designing Mornings, Evenings, And Mindsets That Turn Suffering Into Strength Arthur Brooks and Chris Williamson explore how biology and psychology intertwine to shape happiness, suffering, and our daily routines. Brooks explains that emotions are biological signals, not moral verdicts, and that happiness and unhappiness run on separate circuits, meaning you can be both very happy and very unhappy. They discuss temperament types, addiction to success, workaholism, anxiety, relationships, breakups, and why suffering is often the teacher of life's meaning. The conversation culminates in Brooks’ evidence-based morning and evening routines designed to optimize mood, productivity, and long-term well-being.

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