Meet The Arthur and Ester Brooks

Meet The
Brooks

I was listening to a podcast on the Tim Ferris Show with Arthur Brooks. Dr. Brooks is a Harvard professor who studies happiness. He's been married to his wife Ester for 34 years, they counsel engaged couples together, and he calls it their "side hustle."

SIMPLIYOKED

THE NEWSLETTER

March 26, 2026

Here's what they have to say to:

All Couples

Here are 4 ideas to grow your marriage:

1. Choose fun over frustration.

Brooks puts it simply: have more fun together, less rehearsing of grievances. He even takes a shot at therapy. "Therapy is grievance, grievance, grievance." When life gets busy, most couples default to logistics, problems, and to-do lists and forget to just enjoy each other. It's tough to be mad at someone you are laughing with!

2. Make more eye contact ​

Dr. Brooks points out that women have three times as much oxytocin as men, which makes them better at bonding but also more sensitive when they're not getting enough of it. Eye contact from someone you love triggers an oxytocin surge. This is so important for husbands to do for their wives.

I can confirm...in our first couple of years I really didn't do this until Grace told me how much she loved when I looked her directly in the eye while we talked. Now I'm much better at it.

3. ABT — Always Be Touching.

On a walk? Hold hands. Sitting on the couch? Hand on his leg. A quick touch on the shoulder as you pass in the kitchen. Brooks says physical touch matters more to husbands when your wife hooks her arm into yours, something in you just settles. That's oxytocin doing its work. Physical touch is a constant, low-effort way of saying: I'm still here. I still choose you.

4. Pray together

Brooks says the goal of marriage is to fuse the right hemispheres of your brains the side tied to emotion, connection, and meaning. Before bed tonight, try: "Lord, thank you for today and for each other. Amen."


Which one do you want to try this week?



PS: Here is the link to the episode. FYI, the part about the above is at the never end!


~Arthur and Ester

See you next week,

same time, same place!