A Day in the Life of Happiness Expert Arthur C. Brooks

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard professor, columnist at The Atlantic, and bestselling author of books such as “The Happiness Files.” This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

For about 12 years, I was a French horn player in Barcelona. At 28, I went back to school and got my bachelor’s degree through distance learning.

Then, I became a behavioral scientist. First, I got my master’s in economics. For my Ph.D., I focused on public policy analysis and human behavior, learning what makes people tick. I thought: “Where’s this stuff been my whole life?”

I was a professor at two universities before becoming the president of a think tank for just over 10 years. When I left, I saw a world that was growing unhappier, lonelier, and more polarized, and I wanted to do something about it.

I became a professor of practice at Harvard, but everything I do is teaching: my podcasts, my column, my books. I’m just a college professor, but I’m using these means to reach millions and millions.

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Given that I have to do a lot in a day, I stack everything so my brain chemistry is optimized for work.

I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to work out

I have two objectives every morning. No. 1 is creativity and focus, because I write every day. No. 2 is managing negative affect, or mood. Like a quarter of the population, I’m above average in both positive and negative affect.

I get up at 4:30 am. There’s a lot of research that shows creativity and productivity are heightened if you get up before dawn. It’s also neurocognitively good for you to see the sunrise.

I take a multivitamin, electrolytes, and creatine before getting to the gym at 4:45 a.m. I work out hard for an hour every day, and I don’t work while working out. I’m not listening to neuroscience podcasts because I’ll be depleting dopamine, a neuromodulator of focus.

My workout combines zone 2 cardio and resistance training. I’ve been doing this routine for 25 years.

I attend Catholic mass

I attend Catholic mass every day at 6:30 a.m.

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When I’m at home, I go with my wife, Ester. If I’m on the road, I have an app on my phone that tells me where the closest mass is. The great thing about being Catholic is that it’s like Starbucks—it’s like a franchise system, with the same product in every place.

I’m an authentically religious person, but mass is also important to me as a scientist, because I know that meditative focus is good for managing negative affect down and managing creativity and focus up.

I eat a protein bomb for breakfast

Around 7:30 a.m., I eat a protein bomb that’s high in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps with muscle growth. I have Greek yogurt, protein powder, nuts, and berries. This gives me around 60 grams of protein.

Then I’m good to go. From 8 a.m. to noon, I’ve got the best concentration.

I write for 3 to 4 hours

When I’m writing, nobody gets in. I don’t take calls or look at social media.

About two and a half of my work windows are dedicated to “How to Build a Life,” the Atlantic column. I’m always 10 weeks ahead of publication, because I’m often a guinea pig for the techniques I’m writing about. If something doesn’t work, I don’t publish a column.

I also work on books, which are harder. I don’t usually throw away five paragraphs unless I’m trashing the whole column, but writing a book, I’ll write five paragraphs and say, “This is garbage, this is a dog’s breakfast.” Books can bring out just the absolute depths of despair.

I teach the rest of the day

Around noon, I eat another bolus of protein, usually something with cottage cheese or a salad with salmon.

For the rest of the day, I focus on teaching, whether I’m instructing courses or recording podcast episodes. This requires less dopamine than writing since I’m being asked questions instead of coming up with big ideas.

I teach leadership and happiness science classes at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. The key to not burning out is making sure that you still have a life; I work with a lot of people who keep me organized, so I don’t have to work 12 hours a day over the weekend.

I spend time in my multigenerational household

I’m on the road 48 weeks a year, but I’m almost always home on the weekends.

I have homes in Boston, where I teach, and northern Virginia, where my family is. When I’m in Virginia, I finish work at 6 p.m. and spend the rest of the evening with my family.

We have a multigenerational household. We asked our three kids where they wanted to raise their families so that we could help. They chose to be near the DC area, where they were also raised. It’s hard for me to commute to my job in Boston, but it’s a lot worse to commute to your grandkids.

My oldest son, 27, lives on the first floor of our house with his wife and son. Our 25-year-old son is expecting his second child; his family lives up the street. And our 22-year-old daughter is in the Marine Corps, 45 minutes away.

This arrangement is great for everybody. We eat supper as a family. I do a lot of the cooking and usually make some lean protein and vegetables. Then we all go do our own thing.

I go on 40-minute walks with my wife

I’m super in love with my wife. We’ve been married for 34 years.

We always go for a 40-minute walk after dinner because it’s a good way to metabolize calories. My wife works in Catholic theology for Spanish-speaking audiences. We talk about something she read or something that I’m working on. For us, it’s go deep or go home.

We end the day by praying the rosary together, which is an ancient Catholic meditation.

I wind down without screens

My wife and I go to bed around 9 p.m., and we try not to look at screens.

I can’t afford not to be structured. I have terrible longevity in my family. I’m 61 years old; at my age, my mom had severe severe dementia, and I’m not much younger than when my dad died at 66. I don’t smoke, drink alcohol, or do any euphoric substances because they’re neurotoxic.

It’s a joy to focus on the things that I love, which are my family, my faith, and my work that lifts people up. The least I can do is design my life so I’m good at it.