Leverage Dopamine to Overcome Procrastination & Optimize Effort | Huberman Lab Podcast
In this episode, I explain how dopamine dynamics - meaning changes and interactions between our baseline and peak levels of dopamine drive our cravings and sense of motivation. I also explain how to leverage dopamine dynamics to overcome procrastination. I cover behavioral, cognitive, nutrition-based and supplementation-based tools to optimize baseline and peak dopamine levels to ensure a persistently motivated state. I also discuss how to boost motivation when you are in a rut, why you might not want to stack behaviors/substances that spike dopamine and how to build and maintain a “growth mindset” for pursuing goals of any kind. Dopamine is an incredibly powerful neuromodulator involved in basic functions (e.g., hunger, romantic attraction, etc.) and feats of cognitive and physical performance; by understanding the dynamics of dopamine, listeners ought to be better positioned to overcome procrastination, maintain motivation, and improve confidence.
#HubermanLab #Dopamine #Motivation
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Articles
Pain modulates dopamine neurons via a spinal-parabrachial-mesencephalic circuit: go.nature.com/3FPaFIH
Dopamine, Updated: Reward Prediction Error and Beyond: bit.ly/3Gha0A7
Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures: bit.ly/3IumXX1
Effect of tyrosine on cognitive function and blood pressure under stress: bit.ly/3LSSHZq
Tyrosine Improves Working Memory in a Multitasking Environment: bit.ly/3LSgCZ6
Books
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence: amzn.to/3TIWfj2
Other Resources
Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR): • Playlist
Timestamps
00:00:00 Dopamine
00:02:32 Sponsors: Helix Sleep, WHOOP, ROKA, Momentous
00:06:27 Dopamine Brain Circuits
00:14:53 Goals & Addiction
00:17:13 Dopamine Dynamics, “Wave Pool” analogy
00:20:28 Craving, Motivation, Pursuit & Reward Prediction Error
00:28:26 Sponsor: AG1 (Athletic Greens)
00:29:40 Feedback Cues & Reward Contingent Learning, “Scoreboard”
00:37:40 Addiction; Pleasure & Pain Imbalance
00:44:55 Dopamine Release & Addictive Substances/Behaviors
00:50:43 Addiction Recovery, Binding Behaviors
00:53:25 Tools: Maintain Baseline Dopamine Levels
01:02:08 Sponsor: InsideTracker
01:03:26 Tool: Deliberate Cold Exposure & Dopamine
01:09:38 Prescriptions & Supplementation: L-Tyrosine, Mucuna Pruriens
01:18:58 Dopamine Trough Recovery, Postpartum Depression
01:23:31 Dopamine Dynamics, “Dopamine Stacking”; Intrinsic Motivation
01:38:10 Making Effort the Reward, Growth Mindset
01:41:49 Tool: Overcome Procrastination
01:52:16 Tool: Meditation & Procrastination
01:57:01 Zero-Cost Support, KZhead Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media
Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - www.blabacphoto.com
The Huberman Lab podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
Here are some notes I took on this podcast. They are not complete, but they might be useful for somebody. Take care, everyone! • Sleep well (8 hrs) literally restores the baseline dopamine • Sunlight early in the morning (10 minutes, double if it is cloudy) • Cold shower or inmersion (30 sec to 3 minutes, if shower, on the head) (11.5 min total / week) • Caffeine (early in the morning) • 30 days of absolute abstinence of the thing you want to stop doing (painful, but worthy) • L-Tyrosine supplements (early in the morning) (500 mg - 1 gr) • Exercise: anything will give you everything. • How dopamine works: like a wave pool, if the spike is too high, some water will drop out of the pool and the baseline will go below what was before. • Desire -> spike in dopamine; followed by a decrease in dopamine below baseline -> triggers craving; cues of how we're doing (directly proportional of our sensation that we're going in the right direction towards obtaining what were craving -> mini spikes in dopamine; After getting what we wanted we restore the dopamine to baseline, plus the difference between what we got and what we expected. • The steepness of the curve of dopamine (the rate -in time as the x-axis and the amount of dopamine releasing every second as the y-axis- at which dopamine releasing increases) is as important to the dopamine cycle and how we feel about the thing we're desiring, as the size of the peak itself. • That's why cocaine (or any other drugs), orgasms by masturbation, chocolate, fast food, etcetera are so dangerous: the amount of time between desire and getting the thing is so tiny, so we tend to want more, and more, and more. • There are 3 types of 'pleasure-unpleasure' that our brains categorize: the yum (very good, pleasurable), the yiugh (very unpleasant) and the meh (neither one nor the other) • There's also a phenomenon that goes like this: if we give dopamine stimulating rewards to people after the do things that are 'yum', and do it repeatedly and every time they engage in that activity, and then stop giving them the reward (there was an experiment with children giving them rewards after they drew or wrote anything in their spare time -meaning that was the thing they liked more, because they were doing it instead of every other thing-), then they will lose the pleasure for that activity (and will turn out to be 'meh' for them from now on (they will return to normal, but takes time). • If we want to really engage in an activity and feel please by doing it, we must, then, learn to feel pleasure by doing the activity itself, not by stacking rewards or boosts neither prior or after the activity (e.g. staks of pre-workouts, caffeine, yerba mate, Alpha GPC, L-Tyrosine, etc; do them from time to time -and watch out what is your baseline level of caffeine: the caffeine you need to have every day [preferably in the morning so you don't ruin your sleep at nights] to survive or do basic functions, if you're part of the ones who don't need caffeine to survive, you're already ahead of those who need at least a little bit of it- and not systematically, the point is to avoid the brain knowing 'its caffein' time' so the cravings start. • The difference between an activity or a substance that makes our dopamine peak and one that increases our baseline dopamine • The duration of the dopamine troph (troph is the contrary to peak, is directly proportional to the deepness of that troph itself. What that means is that in order for us to get out of a dopamine troph as soon as possible (maybe we had a peak prior to it, or just feel dismotivated or want to overcome procrastination, what we gotta do is: • Increase that troph: engage in an activity that makes you feel discomfort (IMPORTANT: not physical or mental pain, that's useless and not what we're referring to), maybe it is cleaning the house or deliberate cold exposure or meditation, so the more disconfort makes (the more steeper the troph is -I guess, in relation to time), the more quickly we'll be able to get out of that disconfort and procrastinating zone. • The holy grail of motivation: to be able to attach reward to the effort process itself.
This is such a good comment thanks!
Amazing work here in this comment!
Maybe you (or anybody) have more ideas about "painful" activities other than meditation and cold imersstion?
Every time I find a comment that lists main points I find that someone (the list maker) should watch the video a few more times . (and no one should just read the list )
Thanks for the notes. It's spelled "trough" by the way.
Here’s a tip for everyone, those of us with ADHD in particular: When you find yourself locked in the couch, dreading a task - give yourself a tiny goal: Stand up. That’s it. And then allow this micro-momentum to drive you further while you are in the passenger seat. You’ll find yourself behind the wheel soon enough.
It's very funny that this tip is completely contradicted by the video
@@Blokonomicon How so?
I did that just yesterday. I’ve had a diy raised planter on my balcony, still in the box for a YEAR. After much procrastination I decided yesterday to “just open the box”. An hour later the planter was built and seeds planted. Great suggestion.
@@Blokonomicon Not completely. He states at the end of the video/podcast that these little micro-tasks are often offered, like here, and sometimes they can work. It depends on the person. If someone wishes to try this idea, there's no harm in them doing it. It's just that doing something harder than what you're procrastinating may help more, if you can figure out what "hurts more".
Making a list is also helpful. If I put something on my daily to-do list, there’s a greater chance I’ll get it done.
Since listening to this podcast (about a month or two) pairing it with reading a chapter a day of Atomic Habits by James Clear I have achieved the following: - completely quit weed and alcohol - haven’t eaten out once - lost 15 pounds - successfully did my first powerlifting competition and didn’t beat myself up for any perceived failures - started a 4:30 am wake up routine (I used to fall asleep at this time so this is massive) - I’m in bed and reading by 8:30 pm - I do 3 pieces of physical activity a day (2 outside no matter the weather) - increased my work productivity so much people don’t recognize me at the office
My friends don’t even recognize who I am and at the same time I feel more myself than I ever have. It reminds me of a time that I haven’t experienced since I was a child - this deep and constant drive that I suppressed to deal with decades of severe sexual, emotional and physical trauma. I am rediscovering my love for science, my love for reading, my love for learning, and my love for me. Thank you SO much, Dr. Huberman. No words for how thankful I am - truly life changing.
@@Radairski Thanks for sharing, so happy for you and very motivating to read! :)
Excellent 😁
One in a million Your great grand father must be Super Man😊
That is inspiring, thanks for sharing! I have a looong long way to go. But your story gives me hope.
It's crazy how much value this man is adding to my life. Currently quitting weed and the cravings were very bad today. Was about to get myself some, but went for a run instead and the cravings are gone. Ty so much for all the insight and tools that we can use to better our lives!
Hang in there, 3 months going strong at the moment.
@@b.buster Thank you!
Keep it up!🎉
Keep Ur head up king 👑 you got this brother don't give up
❤
My learnings: Foundational Practices: Focus on quality sleep, non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), and proper nutrition to increase the baseline level of dopamine and restore dopamine reserves. Exposure to sunlight: In the morning, expose yourself to sunlight for at least 5-10 minutes, facing the Eastward towards the sun on a clear day, to increase cortisol and dopamine levels. Movement: Incorporate resistance or cardiovascular training into your routine to maintain elevated levels of baseline dopamine achieved through regular exercise. Cold water exposure: Take a brief dip in cold water up to the neck for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to increase baseline dopamine levels for at least 2-5 hours. Start warmer than you think you need to and ease into it over a few days. Do not expose yourself to cold water after strength or hypertrophy training. Tyrosine supplementation: Consider taking a low dosage of l-tyrosine (250-500mg) 30-60 minutes before a cognitive or physical task to increase baseline levels of dopamine for extended periods of time and improve performance. Avoid excessive dopamine-releasing behaviors or substances: Be mindful of how often you engage in behaviors or substances that stimulate dopamine release and how many you stack together. Guard and protect activities you enjoy: Avoid attaching too many dopamine-releasing behaviors or substances to activities you enjoy to protect their intrinsic value. Overcoming procrastination: If you find yourself procrastinating, try doing something tangential or more painful to quickly pull yourself out of a procrastination state.
Thanks Man, These notes are super practical. I think Professor Hubberman is gonna create a condensed version of this podcast later for those of us who can't listen to the whole thing properly and need this stuff highlighted but its very valuable when someone shares something like this!
Thank you!
This is what needs to be included with these podcasts
I have two questions: 1. 1:09:27 does it mean we should take a cold shower before exercise then take a warm shower after that? 2.Does the "exercise" include aerobic exercise?
Thank u
Teacher of lifetime matters. 1000 applause to our Dr. Huberman for doing his best for humanity.
absolutely😍
YES! Dr. Huberman is the best and most informative doctor on KZhead. I’ve learned So much from him 👍👏
@tulga nn LOL
Andrew is amazing, love his podcasts
Absofuckinlutely 🎉
Almost everyone is addicted nowadays, if it´s not alcohol or smoking, it´s scrolling through social media, watching KZhead or checking your phone when you know you should be doing something more productive. No wonder so many of us struggle with anxiety, depression and insomnia. I quit watching the video at 39:44, notebook and pen in my hand, because I was actually procrastinating on doing something else. I´ll get to that first now and plan time this afternoon to watch rest of the video. THANKS!
great insight!
Everyone uses social media, KZhead, etc. but not everyone is 'addicted' to that to the point of foregoing important daily activities.
My issue is starting most tasks. Once I start I can continue IF I am listening to music or a podcast or audiobook or on phone w someone. I need a distraction to keep me ‘out of my own thought process’. So this helps me A LOT. IT IS CHEMISTRY not a character flaw. Relieved. So glad I found this channel and this Doc.
Brilliant podcast. What a time to be alive - having access to so much information & research about these spectacular brains and bodies of ours. Thank you and your team for the time invested in making this so palatable and helpful 🤘🏼
I agree..this is such a complicated science broken down to enlighten the general public...by the way..big fan of yours, Cobus!!!!!! You were one of the reasons for my drive to learn drums...i used to watch all of your drum covers..now i've been playing drums for more than 6 years..Happy to know that you follow Dr. Huberman too :)
stop that, you're going to peak his dopamine by adding the reward of gratitude to his work, let his intrinsic motivation be and don't disrupt his baseline levels please..
jk, and yea, he's a life savior, this podcast came just in the right time for mee :D
Went into a little unmotivated slump after an appointment so when I got home I did a cold shower for 2-3 min and I notice quite a difference! 😃
Price of konch beej (indian name of MUCUNO.) Are going to overdrive
I love the way that you teach. I'm a professor (Graduate Pharmacology and Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology) and I see so many educational videos that are more "edutainment" than education. This is so straightforward and it's presented in such a calm and clear way, that it allows you to sit back and just absorb the concepts. It's incredibly refreshing. One of my students told me about you and I'm very happy that they did. Thanks!
I'm sure I'd love the way YOU teach too!
@@prometheusrex1 That's so nice... Thanks!
RECENTLY I COMMENTED ON KONCH BEEJ (MUCUNO.) ON HIS RECENT VIDEO AND ANDREW BROUGHT IT TO LIGHT THANKS
Your assessment of those vids being more entertaining than educating can't be more right. Wide array of music, colorful visuals. It's literally designed to absorb your attention and deplete your dopamine. This is the traps and addicting nature of social media of all kinds
@@drewmonroe8586 Absolutely. It's frustrating because students are becoming reliant on that type of stimulus in order to pay attention. Normal conversation, journal articles, reality in general is no longer interesting. I'm not sure how to combat it, but it's worrisome.
As someone who sits a lot at home currently, writing job applications every day, this is the perfect podcast at literally the perfect timing. Words can't express how grateful I am to be able to listen to this podcast basically free of charge! Mr. Huberman: You're a savior and an inspiration!
Best wishes, hope you land something GREAT.
What are you, his best friend?
@@marwar819 You must be unberable to live with.
These are like instruction manuals for how to live in a human body. Thank you so much, Dr Huberman! Most definitely sharing ❤
I'm taking notes. This episode feels like a gift, thank you so much. I tell everyone to watch your podcasts.
same here
What did you learn? Why isnt adderral addictive when it spikes dopamine?
@@ayo9057 because it doesn’t spike dopamine. It’s released over a long time. People who get addicted usually take x the normal dosage to get high.
D I T T O
Me too!! 😊
I get dopamine hits whenever Mr Huberman talks about it.
Seriously.
Andrew, you have no idea how my life changed since the first moment I saw you on Rich Roll...I was looking for a signal to change my life and you just resonated so great in my mind that I started following your protocols along with your videos. I thought that I had depression and anxiety for many years...Until I understood that bad habits needed to go away...My personal and professional life made a 180 change for sure. Never felt so great mentally and physically, especially those downs in life where now I can function no matter what. My thoughts and the feeling of lack of motivation are not dictating orders in my life anymore...I don't even pay attention to that shadow anymore. From Madrid, Spain: THANK YOU
Who else is watching this instead of doing what they should do ? 😂
Andrew and Lex: You are unlocking brains,hearts and eyes like nobody else did this before … Thank you again and keep going,we are very hungry of knowledge …
who´s Lex?
Your podcast is quite literally the only thing that has helped me become closer to my true potential. Thank you.
He is pretty amazing isn't he.
Listening to Dr. Huberman speak on the topic of dopamine is a dopamine hit for me 😊.
This is life changing. The fact that this is not talked about by therapist and doctors is insane. I've spent the last year and a half trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Saw functional doctors, ran labs, went to therapy and I was still feeling like crap. Tired all the time, anxious, didn't feel like doing anything, barely had energy to make it through the day, couldn't find pleasure in anything. I was certain that I had a thyroid problem, POTS or even PTSD. Also tried taking all kinds of supplements to no avail. There were days were I felt pretty good but I could not identify what caused me to have the good days. I noticed that after a terrible separation with my kids mother that I was engaging in compulsive behaviors. Always looking for something to make me feel better in the moment. What I didn't realize is that it was destructive and it was getting out of control. For a week now i've given up all of the things that I was doing to spike my dopamine to re-establish a healthy baseline and I can feel a drastic difference already. I know i'm not 100% there, but I can tell it's working. I encourage anyone that's feeling like crap to take an honest look at your behavior patterns. Especially the things that you do when you are stressed. If you give those up and fight the urge to engage in them, I'm more than certain you will start to feel better.
I've noticed this in the psychology profession as well. In order to learn about the how the brain affects behaviour I had to read Behave by Robert Sapolsky, and am now reading other books on neuroscience. Hormones like epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, estrogen, oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone; neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, GABA, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate - I've never heard these mentioned by psychologists in a technical manner. Perhaps, casually - or on social media but not in a serious scientific study of their effects on behaviour. Unfortunately, genetics, neuroscience, mind-gut connection, and behavioural endocrinology are not the core study focus in psychology or counselling degrees, even though they are key to understanding how we think and feel. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and mindfulness are considered the gold standard, and empiricism is hailed as the core value of the profession. I think that CBT is the minimum requirement in order to practice psychology. Doctors will also promote cognitive behavioural therapy, because of the amount of research that shows its success rate. Because of the research that has been done on therapies like CBT, that is what is funded by the government. That is what is taught and administered to patients.There's not much further looking into brain chemistry, hormones, neurotransmitters, and the genes which affect these processes; unless people choose to specialise in neuropsychology or neuropsychiatry. Perhaps the industry will change in the future, from a mental diagnostic model to a neurological, biological and genetically informed model of mental health. It is suggested in the book 'Brain & Behaviour' by Bob Garrett and Gerald Hough, "as neuroscience and evidence-based practices progress, we are realizing that two people can have the same symptom with different causes or the same brain defect with different symptoms. As a result, the National Institute of Mental Health encourages researchers to shift their focus from diagnostic categories to underlying neural and genetic mechanisms (G. Miller, 2010)." The paper referenced in the brackets is "Psychiatry. Beyond DSM: seeking a brain-based classification of mental illness" by G Miller.
Just curious we’re u using cocain or any stimulant
I learned on a different vid that antihistamines for allergies depletes dopamine in the brain. So people tend to feel unmotivated, no energy, etc while taking antihistamines. (When the antihistamine doesnt knock you out.) No dr has ever mentioned this issue. I often feel unmotivated with no energy...but I also take antihistimines.
@@livpizzano3044 none whatsoever. I noticed it after my divorce possibly due to high stress and also had COVID at that same time. It might have been a combination of both.
I remember a saying from you, Andrew, which is "we only have ONE UNIVERSAL currency, that is dopamine" Thank you so much for this, as always!
Good morning class, so unbelievable that yesterday I was listening to the previous dopamine podcast after being frustrated with my learning being a bit slow back in school for nurse practitioner in psychiatry. It may be a coincidence but I am so grateful, thank you Prof Huberman.
Good afternoon brother, from cambridgeshire in the uk o/
Thank you for taking on psychiatry and educating yourself so well. Us adhd folk and every other person struggling with mental health needs ppl like you
When I was in CRNA school his early episodes on neurotransmitters and the learning process really helped me understand why school was so challenging/uncomfortable. It was a great time to learn those things because I was living the pain of learning like trying to drink from a firehouse.
The yoga-nidra and body scanning part is closely aligned with Vipassan meditation practice. An understanding of the dopamine functioning is keeping me away from the ocassional smoke that I would have, So thank you for making me think and act differently already Andrew. Also, staring at sunlight, being in India I can now appreciate the gift of sunny days even more. Keep going. :)
This is actually one of the best takes I've seen on this topic
Wow I got goosebumps when you said the best way to overcome procrastination is pain. It makes total sense, but never clicked before, it's literally built into the mechanisms. Also explains why things like social media, the increasing accessibility of small dopamine peaks, ultimately prolongs and exacerbates the issue, personally as well as on a societal scale
So I have to wonder, if I'm totally stressed because I live a life of constant pain due to a childhood form of arthritis adding pain is NOT likely to help but more likely to produce a full-blown panic attack. I can't get myself to do the cold water thing. NOPE to that. So, some other way has to be found.
And also explains why the Huberman podcast helps me beat procrastination. Every single time
It's an interesting insight. Essentially the body wants to return to baseline, so by diving deeper into pain, the elastic pull to baseline gets stronger and stronger. What I didn't understand was his examples of what pain is. Cold water exposure yes, certain forms of meditation yes, but completing other small tasks no? Presumably the reward for small unrelated tasks gives us a reward which sends us back towards baseline, yet distracted and no closer to our true goal? I don't fully understand. So some things that are truly just painful on a psychological level and won't introduce a reward could be cold water exposure, hard exercise (assuming you aren't a gym rat), pinching yourself, "fearsetting", reliving memories of procrastination or other avoidant behavior, ... care to add any more? Love Huberman's podcasts but I didn't feel satisfied with his short list of examples, sometimes of unlike behaviors.
Well said. I'm just thinking of how to "torture" myself into this.
@@kriswittyk it was fairly easy for myself to understand being a service member for, going on, 11 years, and now being a drill sergeant. When I went through basic training there was no limit to the amount of exercise they could make you do and they were also allowed to take your sleep. Imagine if you didn't move quickly to accomplish a task so I scream at you, make you do a bunch of exercises to the point of pain, and then you still have to do it, but there's also the threat of having to do more. Years before that they were allowed to beat you, and I mean break your bones beat you. You're basically grateful to get to do the less hard thing. That's one of the reasons rich people tend to be spoiled. Their parents let them be spoiled because it often requires them to feel discomfort to discipline the child too. However, if you don't discipline them you're going to seriously regret it. Anyway, I myself am still sitting here coming up with actual activities beyond cold shower, but that's basically what we're looking for. Make it stop. I will do what you want, I'll do it quickly, and I'll be happy doing it. The anxiety we feel before a deadline is torture. You want it to stop and that's why you're moving whereas before you couldn't find the motivation. Imagine if the deadline had actually been moved, but no one told you. You still imposed the pain on yourself to move quickly thinking you'd lose something or be embarrassed if you didn't, meanwhile you had a full week. It's like thinking you won the lottery when you didn't. Those elated feelings came from within you, even though you never won. This is basically just learning how to be your dad, in a way. This only works if we use this in the manner of a disciplinarian. Do X or Y will happen. The threat actually isn't going to work sometimes. That's normal, because you're in a trough. So follow through with what you said you were going to do. You're going to be mad. Then you say, "Had enough?" The ego will say, "Yes, please just let me do the other thing." Your body will adjust to a certain temperature after a while. I know because I worked my way up to being able to step into a shower on the coldest setting and take a normal shower like that. Did it for about a year. It might have still motivated me, but maybe I'd have to do ice baths or something. If I build the habits of just being a disciplined individual then I don't have to rely on punishment at all and much of the time the threat alone can get it moving.
This episode is probably one of the best podcasts in podcast history. Thank You Dr. Huberman.
After a good 4 years of developing my routine and 1.5 years of holding it consistently I Overloaded on “beneficial practices” and lost motivation. Listening to this I can reflect back and almost directly track the decline to cutting meditation out of the schedule. Checking myself into thinking I could do it on the go. Thank you for the humbling reminder.
hmmm. Well i can directly track my decline to reducing my social involvement during the past decade or more, especially less involvement w/ community and with politics (actually less political involvement/engagement ever since '90's when i was in my twenties. Time for many of us to assert ourselves politically in this country. Bcuz ppl with minority-views in red zones are being actively opressed and told they are not welcome! (TX, FL)
@@18_rabbitBased
@@18_rabbit Yes, great idea, let's make Texas and Florida just as inclusive, if not more than California is today, but gotta say, Florida and Texas don't have drug addicts lurking on the streets day and night.
Been listening to this repeatedly the last few days to try and absorb all of it. I feel like I've finally found the piece I've been missing to fully understand and optimize my drive and motivation - and why it is sometimes lacking. Thanks so much!
You’re changing my life man, and it’s very interesting to see random people quote you online now. You’re reaching a lot of people and leaving them undoubtedly better for it, thank you.
There's a sentence I heard in a series, it goes : "You've changed my life the way opening a window changes a dark room." Listening to your podcasts has really been that window! The value you add to people's life is immense.🙌🏻
As a guy with ADD, overthinking, procrastinating and such, this confirmed my solution which works quite well. I tell myself when I'm in the trough that I'll just go prepare the tools for my next assignment, or tidy a bit around to prep. And before I know it, I have done the most challenging part, which is starting. And before I know it I'm in the flow, getting stuff done. But I'll definitely try the cold showers too. I have first year psychology from Uni, so I have some limited knowledge from before, and that makes it just brilliant that you're actually doing this in detail, but still simple enough for common folks to understand. Thanks for this!
Planing is the half way done. .and expectations..we are not alowed to fail ..yes we can ..another day ..guilt is a big block and fear to fail . We learning from failure and nothing is perfect
Agreed! I'm a type A lawyer, but with the ADHD it's so easy to get stuck in the trough. I call the prep 'mis en place' so it matches what chefs do and makes the dreaded task so much easier.
Thank you so much Andrew Huberman! My partner and I have been vaping for 8 years. I listened to your podcast in February. Within the same week I downloaded Reveri and quit vaping successfully. I have now been vape free for 1 1/2 months. I've tried several times before and have wanted to quit for years, but the information you provided was more beneficial than Nicotine gum, patches, or hypnotherapy. My partner quit vaping 1 week after me after being a smoker / vape user for 10+ years. Thank you so much for the information that you have shared, it helped pave the way to a healthier and happier life for my partner and I. I am in awe of the amazing work you do and we are whole heartily grateful for your work. You are changing lives for the better one day, one podcast at a time! What you have done and continue to do for the community is invaluable.
This man just about busted out laughing, telling us all how we have to trick ourselves into doing difficult things by doing even more difficult things first.
That's because mental health can be a bit of a paradox at times. This can be advantageous for recovery.
So true. I help a friend clean his house several times a week. And then come home and clean mine which isn’t as bad but I will procrastinate.
My 5 tools: 1. Meditation 2. Cleaning 3. Showering (executive dysfunction makes this super hard personally) 4. Menial work tasks that I hate (I have a creative job with a technical aspect I dislike so forcing myself to complete some of those tasks would be useful) 5. Mid-intensity cardio where it's long enough to get bored but high intensity enough to feel fatigued. +20mins -40mins Share yours!
1. cooking 2. meditation 3. cardio (I took that from you. great idea!) 4. Taking meaningless long walks outside 5. Planning my finances
I had to read a few times before noticing you didn't write "erectile dysfunction".. :D
I agree with these ! I also use weightlifting, and walking outside with natural light. Just getting started step by step, one small task at a time . Sometimes it is harder than it sounds , but it has made a huge difference.
Cold shower would be one for sure. Especially if it was in the middle of the day. It's so bad I'm not sure I could do it. Meditation or journaling. Sitting still and not doing something like read or even think or plan mentally.
1 - cold showers/ ice baths 2 - meditation 3 - Breathwork 4 - gym then sauna 5 - watching vids like this
Huberman Lab has quickly become my favorite podcast. Appreciate you taking a deep-dive into complex topics but presenting them in a way that is easy to understand. As someone with synesthesia, would appreciate a podcast where you discuss synesthesia, such as the different types and how it is developed. Thank you again for your content!
Hats off to this great personality.
I think you just changed my life. I'm newly alcohol free (5 months). (I'm 54 years old). I've been looking for ways to have healthy dopamine levels in my sobriety. I've been thinking about it all wrong. Searching for a 'high' rather than considering a baseline and healthy waves of dopamine. Not only have I been procrastinating more than ever lately, I am also starting to 'avoid' by shopping/food/sugar/games on my phone - anything to circumvent what I need to do and give me a quick dopamine spike. I am SO thankful that I really hate meditation! - off now to have a cold shower. Thank you!!!
Lol my exact reaction- thank goodness I hate meditation!!
What does hating meditation mean here? What did I miss?
Hubermonday
Si
We need t shirts
Hubernator 2 Judgment Day
Hubarnating..
@@pawelstyszko5591 tomorrow my friend.
I was so depressed and was feeling there is no hope for me to get rid of anxiety, after watching your videos on dopamine and how it affects the human mind I get to know about the way to lower my anxiety and how to focus on daily works. Thank you very much❤
litterally me andrew huberman is a godsend
Interview Recommendation: Katie Asmus, MA, LPC, BMP and founder of the Somatic Wilderness Therapy Institute and so much more. An incredible mentor I’ve learned so much from. A wealth of knowledge. ❤
This is exactly what I need right now. I'm attempting to start a 30-day overhaul. No phone, no cannabis, no intrusive thoughts, etc. I know it's going to be really difficult, but my body is currently in a place where I need to reset my brain and internal system in general. I plan on listening to a lot of these podcasts to help keep me motivated. This video instantly revealed to me my addiction/dopamine problem with cannabis and shopping and how severe it really is, and how badly I need to fix my problems.
You recognizing this about yourself is already battle half won. Good luck on the journey. U got this!
Weed is really bad . Gave me restless legs syndrome after quitting it. My sleep is messed up too. Never touching that crap again. Im carnivore now
Go outside and run as fast as you can until you have to stop. Rest 5 minutes. Then do it again. Do this 4 times.
@@MansoyHumilde777I don’t smoke weed but I don’t think saying that to someone who’s about to quit is very aware or helpful. They are looking for support not your opinion.
Yeah, it will be hard (I’m in the similar position) But it will be worth it and it IS doable
Would love to hear everyone’s list of effortful / painful activities to take up when procrastinating! Thanks Andrew, really insightful to learn about pulling out of dopamine troughs. Hopefully I’ll need to rely less on self-induced deadline panic moving forward!
Cold shower. Going outside when it’s cold (I live in Montreal haha). Doing the plank for at least a minute. Thats what I got so far
Following. I don’t have any. But then again my baselines have been off for awhile. Need to work on that first
Following
You're a legend Huberman! Thank you for all that you do. Your podcasts are extremely helpful for anybody trying to become a better person. 👏🤝
Making Effort the Reward. I am almost certain your effort in imparting your knowledge to strangers through these videos is your form of reward. Thank you for everything you are doing.
I am literally staring at the list of things I have to do this week as part of writing a side-hustle research paper. How timely. :)
This explains why i have been so incredibly numb and flat feeling for the last few months. The way you explained using L-dopa and stacking dopamine releasing behaviors and supplements onto an already enjoyable behavior like exercise is exactly what i have been doing. That is to say because i quit a 5 year on and off opiate addiction coupled with alcohol in the new year. I think i'm going to use the cold water emersion technique with just exercise to re-set. Can't thank you enough Andrew....i really appreciate your knowledge and thoughtful deep dives into subjects like this. You truly are an asset to the human species
Good luck with your recovery Jona, Keep going one day at a time
Funny enough I brought your podcast up on my past therapy appointment and turns out my therapist and I share the love to your podcast! I deeply appreciate what you do and truly don't think there has been a single social setting I have not brought your work up even a single time. Grateful to have such passionate person in the media that cares about spreading the scientifically backed knowledge and the importance of educated health-related choices in peoples lives. Thank you Professor Huberman!
Thank you! I have been struggling so much with working on important tasks and always lamenting myself for my lack of discipline! Your lectures have created a paradigm shift in my approach now. Instead of trying to muster discipline in me, I am learning to enjoy the process of working and creating, to naturally increase my motivation and drive to do work. After implementing methods like listening to uplifting music while doing work, and making myself feel happy doing work, it has helped me greatly! I would much prefer the dopamine from working then the dopamine from passively scrolling social media and wasting my time away doing stuff that I will end up regretting. Much thanks once again :)
ADHD dopamine levels and procrastination and hyper focus is exactly what you are describing ❤
Lmao this telephone number bots are getting out of hand😂😂
It would be really helpful to have some kind of visual material edited in when doing explanations related to the biological layout of the body such as the 'Dopamine Brain Circuits' section. It's way easier and less prone to misinterpretation than to imagine things as narrated. That being said, I would like to thank you and the team for the effort you put in to make those incredibly in depth podcasts, there's a lot to be learned from them.
I actually prefer it explained and podcast like, yes images would be helpful,but I like listening while doing cleaning in my house ❤
@@TakaiDesu Having visuals added does not detract from your enjoyment of the audio, which you already have. It's normal for people to have different needs.
This would be great
@hubermanlabs listening for the second time in almost a year and just wanted to say thank you again for your HUGE contributions to helping people better themselves🙏🏻
I just can't thank you enough Andrew for the information you provide, which has the power to transform so positively the lives of people.
Thank you, Dr. Huberman. Your videos have been life changing! I look forward to another lesson.
One of the best podcast episodes (and podcasts) of all time. Thank you, Dr. Huberman for doing what you do. 🙏🏼
This is definitely my new favorite episode - and for me personally, the most actionable lessons I've garnered from your teachings thus far (and that's saying a lot!). Thank you Andrew. Thank you, thank you for giving me (and countless others) something truly inspiring to look forward to on Monday mornings!
As someone that has suffered with addiction and depression and anxiety all my life, this episode is so valuable. THANK YOU ANDREW!!! You are a saint, This is some of the most valuable info any person can ever learn.
Thank you Andrew and rest of the team for what is undoubtably one of the most valuable information sources out there today. I am so grateful for your work! Please could you consider dedicating an entire episode to tinnitus? I know you covered it briefly during the hearing episode, but there is so much more to cover. It can have such a negative impact on quality of life and there are so many contradictory claims being thrown around online. I would be especially interested in hearing about the link to derealization and visual snow, as that is something I suffer from
Please leave a like so Andrew and his team don’t miss this comment!
Yes - ironically - have had this occur to me recently more than once in the last few months. I've never had it last a day or more until my 40's. However - I've experienced symptoms related to tinnitus for 2-3 days at a clip seemingly insidiously. Would be very interested in having AH breaking down the causation and correlations for us with this topic as well. 🙏
Huberman just put words to so many things I've felt and had a sense of how they work, but never fully understood until now. So many actionable nuggets as always, and so many dots connected, thank you!
I just love the practicality of everyone of your teachings. I always have my notes 📝 writing ✍️ away. On a practical note I go to a service station to get petrol ⛽️ on the weekends they sell hot food 🥘 bacon rolls also. I always chuckle to myself when I see the guys roll up in a Zombie way to the front desk and I know what got them there. Thankyou Dr Huberman
Knowing how the stacking of dopamine activities works is very important (maybe the most important) part of the podcast, now I know why the hype kills the performance.
What are some good examples in life of this?
@@aprilhassell1747 Good example is to do math homework, some people need good music, coffee, or some snack, watch few motivational videos, and then they get into the homework, instead of sitting down, open the book and start doing the homework step by step with as little stimulus as possible.
Professor Huberman, anytime my dopamine level is about to drop, you release a podcast based on how to leverage it. I like every single detail that you lay out for us and use them to optimize my behavior. Thank you
Always taking the knowledge from this big badass neuroscientific, this is great value for humanity! Thank you Mr Huberman! 🙏
Dr. Huberman, Thank you for your clear and concise information and explanations. We tell our preschools about gratitude being a superpower that releases our superheros Dynamic Dopamine and Super Serotonin. They use gratitude to uncover interesting things ways to be kind and compassionate. A bit corny but the kids eat it up and really feel empowered making and following through with positive choices. Thanks Doc!
I'm sure the majority of viewers can concur when I say that I feel hugely indebted to you for your work and dissemination of it. Knowledge is extremely valuable and my life has improved tenfold simply due to watching your videos in the absence of having a conversation with you or even being within your proximity. Thank you Dr. Huberman, may you be rewarded kindly.
Number one channel that ever existed. This is so valuable. Thank you so much Andrew, and all the team behind it.
This man is literally changing my life, one video at a time. Thank you Prof. Huberman!! I appreciate the time and effort you put into putting this knowledge together
Thank you for your bringing this inmense ammount of knowledge worldwide dr. Huberman, it is a really noble task. Sometimes I manage to trick myself into doing hard things with this thought: The idea of being one of those people who are able to do hard things, even when they don't feel like it, became a reward itself. Just by engaging in the activity, (despite not feeling like it) I'm becoming that kind of person (if you can think of someone you admire, it's even better)
Thank you, Andrew I will do sleep well, take a morning sun light, exercise and take cold shower. if I had a hard time, I will meditate, take cold shower or do uncomfortable thing.
Your work is priceless! You are the reason that more people are living happier lives.
I literally just had therapy today and we talked about Dopamine. What an amazing coincidence. Love you, Huberman, this is hands-down one of my favorite podcasts ♥
Prob not a coincidence, your phone was listening to you and led to the KZhead recommendation ;) this happens to me a lot lol
Best.Channel.Ever.
Dr Huberman, thanks so much for this podcast. I absolutely love your work! I love how you explain the hard concepts and can't believe I am actually understanding them! You are an amazing teacher and I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to learn from you! So much love and respect from your student in Australia xxxxx
I enjoy your podcast's. I'm not a collegiate of any kind, but I love learning. I used my lack of motivation to watch your podcast today. Now I must go and do something more painful. I have procrastinated long enough. Thank you Andrew, I appreciate you!
You’re the most inspiring human I’ve ever listened to. It may be dramatic to say you’ve saved my life. But you certainly have helped me increase my ability to make better decisions on every level of life. Thank you!
Thank You.
What a great podcast; so full of great information. I went through it twice, took notes and saved it to revisit. Thank you so much! I love the NSDB meditation too. Saved that as well. There have been times over the last few years where I have fallen into a very deep depression with no will to live. I know that this is the dark before the dawn and I know I have to just be still (I can only wait on God during those times). I started listening to Huberman Lab Podcasts to have positive information injected into my brain, even if I fell asleep. It helps me every single time. I've learned so much. Thank you for what you do Andrew. You're a blessing.
Thank you so much. I believe gratitude raises dopamine. I feel so good after each one of your podcasts!
Great podcast! Here's a topic suggestion: Healthy Weight Gain. I find that there is a lot of information out there on weight loss. Optimizing metabolism usually means speeding it up in this case. But what about those of us who are underlean? Who can eat tons of calories without putting on weight. Doing the opossite of the rest of the world often feels unhealthy. Are there ways to slow down your metabolism in a healthy way? How to put on weight (muscle and maybe some fat) without eating a bunch of crap? Other interessting topics for probably a lot of people: - Asthma - Allergies Thanks for being such a valuable source of information for all of us!
I wholeheartedly agree with this. A lot of good advice about how to be healthy is not at all conducive to weight gain. For example, eating whole foods rather than processed foods may be better for a person's metabolic health, but you're also absorbing fewer calories; and whole foods are more satiating and less addictive, so you're likely to eat far less of them. (And that's to say nothing of intermittent fasting, eating plenty of fruit and veg, and intense cardio/resistance training) Sadly, there doesn't appear to be any advice online that goes beyond 'just eat more'. Well, if gaining weight were as simple as 'just eat more', then *losing* weight should be as simple as 'just eat less' -- but the sheer number of overweight and obese people in Western countries and the abundance of books and KZhead videos on weight loss suggest that there's probably more to it than that. Granted, this is a relatively niche suggestion for a video, but I think it would greatly help those of us who do struggle to gain weight. There must be better options out there than drenching everything in olive oil or eating processed foods.
Great topic suggestions
These videos have bettered my life in so many ways. Thank you, Andrew.
This is the most profound podcast I have listened to all of 2023. Thank you for your amazing work.
Finally a way to get rid of procrastination that's stopping me from watching all of the Huberman Lab episodes 🙂
I've never clicked so fast on a thumbnail. I feel like this is the episode I was waiting for the most! Thanks for all you guys do to put these out
This might sound very random at this point but I'd really love to see a video on Teeth and oral health in general as it is a pretty big indicator of illnesses in the body. I haven't found many useful videos on the Internet regarding this topic so I'd really appreciate if you take an interest in it. Thank you for all your helpful videos.
You should check out the book; Breathe.
Not merely a beautiful explanation of the dopamine system but a memorable one with on point keywords and examples to improve life in its essential applications. Thank you Dr. Huberman
The food I make tastes better than the food I don't make. Thanks to this learning mechanism.
Professor Huberman I just recently discovered your channel and I can't stop watching your content. The topics you choose and your way of teachings things make your podcast such a valuable thing to my life. Greetings from Germany, much love!
THANK YOU! Waiting for an episode about hoarding as I struggle to recover and get things done, I know this is COMPLETELY tied in with dopamine. Keep thinking about the rat study where they could not be bothered to move one rat-length to get what they "wanted".
I wanted to take a brief moment to commend you for all the hard work you do to bring this information to the general public. In a time where there is marketing agendas, limited access to accurate information and spread of misinformation, know that what you are doing is vital to others genuinely looking to improve their overall health / lives. I have ADHD and suffer from PCOS as well and have had the most difficult uphill battle to try and "fix" or better my issues, but struggle tremendously when it comes to motivation / procrastination. As a health science enthusiast I've been on a journey of self discovery to pin point the root causes of these issues I have so i can achieve overall better health. Some of the topics you've discussed on your channel have completely changed the way I perceived things and are helping me to overcome some of those mental roadblocks we place on ourselves. For that I am truly grateful to have randomly stumbled upon your channel.
I’m so happy this man came into my life❤
I would love to see a study on ice baths and ADHD , been doing it 5 to 6 days a week and felt a huge ability to focus for about 3 hours. But try to stop the procrastination but the struggle is real. I listen to your podcast while I'm at asda doing shifts, so much great stuff, ice baths and hot baths (don't have a sauna) it has changed my health and focus, including supplements.
I take a cold 🚿 but not every day. And I always love making myself do that. My shower only puts out cold water for about 10 seconds. I might try my other shower to take at least a minute one.
@@aprilhassell1747 if you measure tap water usually is between 8 and 10c (46f) which is cold enough, takes the wind out of you but is ace for focus. I'm convinced it's helped my ADHD symptoms. If you have a bath it's a good place to start, I'm not the typical extreme person, but found that doing it has helped me do more stuff I find difficult, like getting up early and doing runs, doing more things immediately then procrastinating. Also recovery time has been so much better. Up to 9 miles in running and only had some pain and mainly because I had work that was mega busy that day
@Oliver Hargreaves i have a huge bathtub, but i think a cold short shower is better and more convenient. I get the coldest Wisconsin water. lol it literally takes my breath away for the first 5 seconds. I have a lake in town i could use too. I wish i had a cold buddy. I have adhd and im trying everything to stay off adhd medication. Are you currently on medication?
@@aprilhassell1747 at the moment, although I'm wanting to do a masters and may go on it then to give me better focus. At the moment I'm running in the morning, and then doing a 3 to 5 min cold plunge. I find the length matters in terms of concentration. Just seems to quiet out the noise. I have visual reminders everywhere of stuff I need to do and spend about 10 to 20 mins a day looking through my calander seeing what's coming up,so it's drilled in. Lake may be good but I would say try it first at home, to be honest the cold is that intense I can't focus, I concentrate on my breathing and sort of sit praying until it's over. Did 10 mile run today and 10 mins in the cold , but need to figure out how to make it colder. The good things with pushing on alone is your motivation and discipline isn't attached to someone else, but to your mindset. Ive spent this year trying to get disciplined as it's a constant struggle. I'm off facebook and most social media, off gaming stuff (for now) and trying to like dopemine detox from the crap. KZhead is great but has the ability to suck you in to stuff for a while. ADHD is hard, but means when you have achieved you've overcome a massive barrier that no one else has and I think that develops toughness
Professor, it would be really kind of you if you would make a separate episode dedicated to that dopamine trough recovery, reward prediction error that you discussed in the video and how can we avoid those dopamine spikes in today's world where even watching you videos give me dopamine spikes.
This man deserves the very best of life, thank you professor 🙏
Thank you, Dr Huberman, you motivate me and so many others! I look forward to your regular weekly shows and apply your tools every day. It's important for people to see such high quality, scientific-based information about living a healthy life from someone who cares enough to share it free of charge. A true gift! You are an excellent, caring person, teacher and role model. I've seen all your episodes and hope you continue them for a very long time to come. As a working 71 year-old software developer, you've benefited me greatly. I practiced a healthy lifestyle a lot of my life before you began your youtube channel. I have about the time I seriously considered retiring because I was slowing down some. Then I saw you on Rogan, Rich Roll and Tim Ferriss before your podcast began and was so happy to see you start your own show. Since then, you've been the ever-present beacon of positive attitude and motivation for me. So grateful to you, sir! 😊❤
Okay blinders down, feet up and popcorn. I'm so ready for this episode🙏
I can’t believe your podcast is free! Thanks to you, I now know more about my own body and behavior! You are an absolute legend and exceptionally talented science communicator! …..when your schedule allows you, I highly recommend you invite Dr Robert Lustig as a guest on your show. He is an encyclopedia of the human endocrine system! Thank you so very much for equipping this lucky generation with scientific tools for health optimization!
I’m fairly new to the channel/podcast but I recently bought an ice bath and your name kept popping up when I was researching deliberate cold exposure. I just wanted to say how fascinating I’ve found the episodes I’ve listened to so far, both on a granular, scientific level, but then also how this research explains every day behaviours and how we can utilise these to better understand ourselves. Amazing stuff man, thank you! 🙏🏻
Thank you so much, I'm 75 and learning enormously from you, absolutely fascinating. Explained really thoroughly which helped this old brain understand itself a bit better
You’re really an absolute credit to your field, well done!
So lucky to have found you, diagnosed at 50 with early onset Parkinsons, numerous concussions in my late teens and early twenties (AFL) culminating in a closed head injury sending me into ICU and being induced into a "24 hour" coma, so the brain could reduce it's swelling and start to heal. Four days later I slowly came to and spent three weeks in a "head injury ward" learning to basically start again, walking talking and the basics all had been "smudged" and had to be re-learnt for lack of a better term. Between 6:10 and 22:30, man you truly are on the money, thank you. Currently in the process of getting back into some sort of shape at 52, I am listening to you at every opportunity. Kudos Andrew, people like you are what life is all about.
My English professor introduced me to Andrew Huberman a few months ago when we were assigned a podcast to write a reflection paper about. I am grateful! Andrew Huberman has a great podcast with lots of valuable information.
I am grateful for your podcasts.