On Marriage Unhindered, Doug Hinderer sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Johann D'Souza to explore “optimal work,” a practical approach he learned from his mentor, Harvard psychiatrist Kevin Majors. Optimal Work, he explains, is about working at your best so you can live at your best – using modern neuroscience to bring your highest ideals into each hour of the day, especially when anxiety is high around the holidays and family demands.

At the heart of the method is the “Golden Hour”: one protected hour when you pour maximum intensity and meaning into a single task by focusing on how you work, not just what you get done. You begin with a few minutes of silence, reconnecting with why you’re doing this work for your loved ones and for God, then lay out clear steps – each no longer than 15 minutes. You set a timer, start, and stretch yourself. That one focused hour builds momentum, clears your mind, and turns work into an engine for personal holiness instead of just a to‑do list. 

Dr. D’Souza contrasts this with “activism,” the urge to just dive in and stay busy – even if you’re racing down rabbit holes in the wrong direction. The Golden Hour trains prudence as directed by St. Thomas Aquinas: through deliberation, judgement, then commanding yourself to act. It also fosters contemplation, the true purpose of life and life in Heaven, where we live in God’s presence like the saints who made each person feel like the only one in the world.

Practically, he advises guarding your “perimeter”: clear your desk, close extra tabs, put your phone in another room, and find a quiet space. A few slow breaths can become a simple Jesus prayer – “Jesus” on the inhale, “I love you” on the exhale – bringing peace to your body and heart before you begin. Used daily, especially in the holiday rush of planning, shopping, and family gatherings, the Golden Hour can turn even ordinary tasks into a school of trust, discipline, and love.

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