Health
Happiness expert shares 6-step morning routine that boosts mood and productivity
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Starting the morning on the right foot can pave the way for a successful day.
A new wellness trend focuses on the “5 to 9 before your 9 to 5,” which entails a healthy regimen between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. before heading to work.
Behavioral scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks, professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School in Boston, has proven these benefits through his six-step morning protocol to live more positively.
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In an in-person interview with Fox News Digital, Brooks broke down each of the six steps that set him up for a productive day, which he says have “dramatically improved” his life.
“You need to be disciplined, and you need to structure your day, and it turns out that what you do first thing in the morning really matters a lot,” he said. “I follow [this] almost every day.”
Behavioral scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks joins Fox News Digital for an interview. (Angelica Stabile; Fox News Digital)
1. Wake up before dawn (4:30 a.m.)
Brooks said he was not a morning person for years, as he was a musician in his 20s who never woke up before sunrise and thought of himself as a “night owl.”
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“The truth of the matter is, you can change your chronotype,” he said. “You can be more of a morning lark. It’s actually not that genetic, and it’s a really worthwhile endeavor to try to change that.”
“If you get up before dawn, you’ve kind of won the day, but not just morally — you’ve won neuro-scientifically.”
Research suggests that waking up before dawn promotes better focus, creativity and mood. (iStock)
According to the “Office Hours” podcast host, research suggests that waking up before dawn promotes better focus, creativity and mood. This is rooted in an “ancient idea of Indian wisdom” called Brahma Muhurta, which means “creator’s time” in Sanskrit.
“But it’s not just religion. It really does have a lot of science behind it,” Brooks said. “I get up at 4:30 a.m. — it works for me; it works with my schedule. You’ve got to figure out what yours is. But if you’re getting up when the sun is already warm, you’re already kind of behind the eight-ball.”
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Brooks noted that he uses a real alarm clock to wake up, as he keeps his phone out of the bedroom at night to avoid overexposure.
2. Move your body (4:45 a.m.-5:45 a.m.)
Brooks begins his day with a workout in his home gym, noting the importance of getting “real exercise” first thing in the morning.
Armed with an electrolyte drink, he typically does 75% resistance training and 15% Zone 2 cardio — steady-state aerobic exercise that feels easy to moderate — for an hour.
For those who are just starting out with this new schedule, Brooks recommends light exercise, like walking. (iStock)
There are a variety of ways to exercise, from endurance to yoga, Brooks noted. “If the first thing you do when you wake up is pick up heavy things and run around, you’re going to have a much better day,” he added.
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For those who are just starting out with a fitness and early wake-up routine, Brooks recommends light exercise, like walking.
3. Get metaphysical (6:30 a.m.)
After showering, Brooks heads out of the house for a 6:30 a.m. Catholic mass.
While not everyone is Catholic, or even religious, Brooks recommends participating in some type of “transcendent activity” that connects the body and soul.
Worship and meditation are great for “de-focusing” yourself, Brooks said. (iStock)
“You need to do something to not focus on yourself,” he said. “Worship is great for that. Meditation is good for that. There are a lot of different ways you can actually undertake this, but the whole point is to zoom out and get little.”
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“When I am on the road, which is about half the time, I stay in places where there’s a morning mass if I can possibly find it, such that I’m focusing on my soul just as much as I focus on my body.”
4. Coffee (7:15 a.m.)
Most people who wake up before 5 a.m. will feel inclined to immediately head for the coffee machine, but Brooks discouraged this impulse to reach for caffeine first thing in the morning.
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Caffeine blocks a chemical in the brain called adenosine, which swarms the brain at night and makes you groggy in the morning. As a result, drinking it makes you feel more alert.
But Brooks said this is “not the best use” for coffee, as he instead recommends a morning workout to help clear any remaining adenosine.
Drinking coffee first thing in the morning is “not the best use” for max energy, according to Brooks. (iStock)
By the time coffee is introduced into the system, about an hour or two after waking, the brain is clear of adenosine, and the caffeine can focus on providing the body with energy.
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“You’re not going to wake up with caffeine, you’re going to focus with caffeine,” he said. “It’s going to vacuum dopamine into your prefrontal cortex, and you’ll be more creative, you’ll be more stimulated to come up with new ideas, and that means you’re setting yourself up for a brilliant workday.”
5. Eat a high-protein breakfast (7:30 a.m.)
Protein is “critically important” for getting the most return from your morning workout, building strong muscles and shaping a balanced diet, according to Brooks.
For breakfast, he prefers non-fat Greek yogurt, topped with walnuts for micronutrients, mixed berries for antioxidants, whey protein and sometimes stevia for sweetness.
Clean protein can help build strong muscles and boost mood, the expert said. (iStock)
“I get 60 grams of protein with less than 400 calories. And man, I am ready to go,” he said. “With that caffeine and that meal, I’m ready to work.”
These “clean protein” breakfast options also contain tryptophan, the chemical best known for its presence in turkey that can cause sleepiness. In smaller doses, tryptophan can improve mood and mellow out the nervous system, Brooks noted.
6. Enter a flow state (8:00 a.m.)
Between 8:00 a.m. and noon, Brooks said he gets four solid hours of productivity and creativity, “with a level of focus I was never able to get earlier in my life before I set up this morning protocol.”
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He enters and remains in a “state of flow” during his morning work, uninterrupted by social media or phone notifications.
“I can do more in four hours than I used to be able to do in two days. And I’m happier when I do it,” Brooks said.
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By the time he eats another high-protein meal for lunch, he has completed his essential tasks and can take on other objectives in the latter part of the day.
“It’s really important that you not wreck that period of focus and concentration, spoiling it with your devices,” Brooks added. “Stay clean. Stay focused. Stay creative. And stay happy.”
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No sex for the win? This was the advice given to this year’s NBA champions.
New York Knicks owner James Dolan addressed the now-champs as they headed into the playoffs in April 2026, acknowledging their high potential to eventually win the championship.
“I don’t know if you understand what it would mean for you to win a championship this year … It would be life-changing,” he said. “It will stick with you the rest of your lives, and if you don’t win, you’ll be thinking about it the rest of your lives.”
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As Dolan’s inspirational speech to the team went on, he explained how the next 10 weeks would require each player to make sacrifices – watching their diets, getting proper sleep and perhaps even abstaining from sex.
“You need sacrifice and you need to eliminate all the distractions around you,” he said.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy and Knicks owner James Dolan after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“I had this idea that maybe you should give up sex for the next 10 weeks,” the owner said. “You don’t have to give up sex for the next 10 weeks – but, like the Spartans … They denied themselves, so that they can have an edge. Get the edge.”
This received a few snickers from the team, and Dolan responded, “Don’t tell [your wives and girlfriends] you’re not going to have sex and don’t tell them it was my idea. But let them know what this is going to be like … and how they’re going to have to sacrifice, too.”
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Dr. Anna Elton, licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist in Massachusetts, confirmed that this belief has been around for centuries, dating back to the ancients Spartans and early Olympic competitors.
Avoiding sex can preserve energy, increase aggression and sharpen focus, according to Elton.
The theory behind abstaining from sex for better athletic performance supports that it can preserve energy, increase aggression and sharpen focus. (iStock)
But modern research has found little evidence that consensual sexual activity negatively impacts strength, endurance, reaction time or athletic performance when it occurs at least 10 hours before competition, the doctor countered.
However, “activity very close to competition may affect recovery measures,” she added. What may be more important, according to Elton, is the psychological value of abstinence.
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“Choosing to abstain can reinforce discipline and total commitment to a larger goal,” she said. “In those cases, the advantage may come more from mindset and focus than from any physical effect.”
“Whether the sacrifice is alcohol, social activities, favorite foods or sex, the message is often the same: ‘We are all in.’”
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with teammates after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 13, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
The science of abstinence
This discussion has historically focused on men, which Elton said is often based on “misconceptions about testosterone and energy depletion.”
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“Research has not demonstrated that normal sexual activity causes a meaningful decline in athletic performance, and concerns about testosterone depletion have not been consistently supported by the evidence,” she said.
“For women, sexual activity may have additional benefits related to stress reduction, emotional regulation and relationship satisfaction.”
Abstaining from sex for athletic performance may create a sense of discipline, minimize distractions, maintain focus on training and reinforce a team culture centered on sacrifice and commitment, experts say. (iStock)
In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Anthony Puopolo, a men’s health expert and lead medical provider for RexMD, echoed Elton’s assessment that research largely does not support abstinence as a performance enhancer.
This is despite a small amount of evidence that suggests engaging in sexual activity within two hours of competition could pose a risk to cardiovascular recovery.
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“Unfortunately, nearly all studies (99%) have been conducted in males aged 20 to 40, so there is virtually no data on female athletes, older athletes or diverse populations,” said the Puerto Rico-based expert. “We know what to tell the Knicks, but we are not sure what to recommend for the New York Liberty.”
Importance of connection
Elton said abstinence may still offer psychological benefits for some competitors. “For some athletes, it can become part of a pre-competition ritual that enhances confidence,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Some other potential benefits of sexual activity include stress reduction, improved sleep, mood enhancement, emotional connection with a partner and relief from performance-related tension.
“Strong, supportive relationships are associated with better psychological resilience, which can be valuable during high-pressure competitions,” Elton said.
“One of the most overlooked performance advantages may be having a supportive relationship waiting at home,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Ultimately, there is no universal rule,” she went on. “What helps one athlete perform at their best may not help another.”
Elton stressed that sleep, recovery, nutrition, stress management and support from loved ones are universal performance boosters.
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“Athletes devote tremendous attention to training their bodies, while overlooking the importance of their personal relationships,” she cautioned. “A supportive partner can be one of the greatest assets during a demanding season.”
“If competition requires temporary sacrifices, make those decisions together and keep communication open.”
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Eliminating sugar from your diet may seem like the key to healthy eating, but research suggests it could have unintended effects on digestive health.
A study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, suggests that a total lack of sucrose, or table sugar, may harm gut health and disrupt the body’s natural metabolism.
To explore how the total absence of dietary sugar impacts the body, researchers at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait City conducted a 16-week study on two groups of mice. Both groups were placed on a low-fat diet, but with one critical difference.
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One group consumed a low-fat diet that included a standard amount of sucrose, while the other group ate a low-fat diet that was completely sugar-free, according to the study’s press release.
Throughout the trial, the scientists monitored a wide variety of physiological factors, including the animals’ weight, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, hormone levels, internal inflammation and the specific composition of their gut bacteria.
A total lack of dietary sugar can cause imbalances in the gut bacteria and lead to signs of fatty liver disease, even without any weight gain, researchers said. (iStock)
The study outcome suggested that completely removing sugar caused several unexpected health problems.
“Completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction,” Rasheed Ahmad, principal scientist and head of the Immunology & Microbiology Department at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, said in the release.
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Even though the mice on the sugar-free diet did not gain any extra weight compared to the control group, their internal health indicators deteriorated.
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The animals that lacked sucrose developed an imbalance in their gut microbes and increased inflammation within the intestines and liver.
They also showed signs of poor glucose regulation, insulin resistance and cellular changes associated with fatty liver disease, according to the research.
Future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar bans and instead focus on overall gut health through balanced nutrition. (iStock)
“The findings suggest that complete removal of sucrose from a low-fat diet may negatively affect gut microbiota and metabolic health,” Ahmad concluded.
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While the risks of high-sugar diets are well-established, the researchers noted that little attention has been given to the effects of completely eliminating sugar from low-fat meals.
Scientists say these new findings highlight that dietary carbohydrates play a valuable role in supporting balance between the immune system and the gut microbiome.
Completely cutting sucrose from a low-fat diet can unexpectedly trigger gut inflammation and disrupt the metabolism, experts say. (iStock)
Because this research was conducted on mice over a relatively short 16-week period, further clinical trials are necessary to determine whether a completely sugar-free diet causes the same gut and liver inflammation in humans.
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Additionally, the study focused specifically on removing sucrose from low-fat meals, meaning the results might not apply to people eliminating sugar while following higher-fat or ketogenic eating plans, the researchers noted.
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The team believes that future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar restrictions and instead place a greater emphasis on maintaining a diverse, healthy population of gut bacteria through balanced nutrition.
“In the long term, these findings could help improve strategies for preventing and managing metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease and chronic inflammatory conditions,” Ahmad said.
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