In this solo talk, Arthur C. Brooks presents a concise, practice‑focused guide for couples to boost mood management and strengthen their marriage through simple bedtime rituals that trigger oxytocin release. He recommends spending five to ten minutes each night staring deeply into each other's eyes while holding hands, emphasizing that this “hardcore oxytocin” practice is especially beneficial for women, who produce roughly three times more oxytocin than men. Brooks explains that women therefore need more eye contact, whereas men benefit more from touch. He argues that consistently maintaining eye contact and hand‑holding—both in bed and during everyday conversations—can prevent marital breakdown. Additional supportive habits include having fun together, praying together, and reading aloud (e.g., Psalms, love poetry, or even in a feminine Spanish accent) to create intimate, narcotic‑like bonding experiences. The overall message is that regular eye contact and touch are low‑effort, high‑impact tools for preserving marital health.
