Happiness expert Brooks, 61, was revved to return to teaching in 2019 after a decade of nonprofit work. But when he got to Harvard, no “rev” met him back: Students radiated emptiness. Research into what was going on evolved into his new book, The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. Here, how he finds meaning in his.
4:30 a.m.
Get Up and Hydrate
“You have to live by protocols if you’re going to be as effective as you could possibly be,” he says. That’s 10 grams of creatine and a multi, chased (over an hour) with 32 ounces of water with electrolytes.
4:45–5:45 a.m.
Hit the Gym
“It’s easy for me to go to the gym for an hour a day. I’ve been doing that for 30 years, and I love it.” It’s not just physical: “Picking up heavy things is a great way to deal with negative affect.”
6:30 a.m.
Mass
Every day, he attends a service with his wife. “It’s really important that the first big connection I have with my soulmate has to do with the soul.” Transcending yourself, he says, is essential for meaning.
7:30 a.m.
Coffee
Caffeine doesn’t actually wake you up, he explains. It blocks adenosine, a drowsiness chemical. He lets that chemical clear a bit, then drinks a cup to promote focus. Greek yogurt mixed with whey protein, nuts, and berries gives him a start on his daily 150 to 200 grams of protein.
8:00 a.m.
Focus Time…
“Timing my creative work is the most important thing I can do,” he says. He hits deep work first. Later in the day, “I have insufficient dopamine in my prefrontal cortex, which means that my ideas are crummy, my inspiration is low, and I’m super critical.” Morning is all about focus—except when his grandsons, ages 3 and 6 months, barge in. “It distracts me, makes me happy, and it’s totally worth it.”
…or Not
When talks or travel mess with his usual plan, he fits in the work he can and doesn’t waste time wishing things were different. “Suffering is optional, even though pain isn’t.”
1:00–5:00 p.m.
People Stuff
“Afternoons are where I load my meetings. I have cognitive clarity to be able to do that, but I wouldn’t have my best ideas for a new chapter in a book,” he says.
6:00 p.m.
Gather
Family dinner is a thing. Brooks intentionally lives in a multigenerational home and tries not to work during spouse or family time. “People who aren’t protecting their love relationships are just not going to have it together,” he says.
9:00 p.m.
Turn In
A poor sleeper, Brooks does all he can to do it better: no screens before bed, no phone in the bedroom, no caffeine after that first hit. He also doesn’t freak out if bedtime needs to shift. “My wife is allergic to protocols. I love my wife more than I love my protocols, which means I have to be flexible sometimes.”
Marty Munson, currently the health director of Men’s Health, has been a health editor at properties including Marie Claire, Prevention, Shape and RealAge. She’s also certified as a swim and triathlon coach.
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