Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D.
@hubermanlab.com
2.6K followers 5 following 61 posts
Professor of Neurobiology & Ophthalmology at Stanford Medicine • Host of the Huberman Lab podcast • Focused on science & health research & public education
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Compartmentalization gets a bad rap. But to be productive, to be present to people, to get anything worthwhile done… we have to learn to compartmentalize.
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I hosted Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on the Huberman Lab podcast and we recorded for nearly five hours. No topic was left unturned! You can expect it to be out in about two weeks.
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Long, deliberate exhales slow your heart rate via a specific circuit from a known brainstem nucleus through your vagus nerve. We can thank the amazing Jack Feldman from UCLA for much of our understanding of the brain circuits that control breathing and heart rate.
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If you wake up in the middle of the night and you’re more alert than you want to be because you want to fall back asleep, try some long exhales through your mouth. This slows your heart rate. It’s a hardwired circuit that works the first time and every time.
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Hard things made easy by hard work over time are the things to focus on. That process captures the healthy dynamics of dopamine circuits and displaces your time and attention from the no- or low-effort reward traps that exist everywhere. We still need rest, but the formula never fails.
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Focus harder on builds. Pivot faster out of nonsense.
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Note: Yes, light plays a role in color, but this effect is about more than just color. It involves how neighboring receptive fields influence one another, as well as adaptation phenomena in neurons. Visual illusions have taught us a lot about how the neural retina and visual system work.
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Your perception and reality are not always aligned.
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We’ve created a series of zero-cost, no-sign-up newsletters that summarize these protocols. You can sign up for more if you want, but you don’t need to. All are available here: hubermanlab.com/newsletter. Enjoy!
Neural Network Newsletter
Subscribe to the Neural Network newsletter for the latest updates on neuroscience, health, and science-related tools from Dr. Andrew Huberman.
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The best health protocols allow you to lean into life harder and longer. Yes, there is some discipline involved, but it’s always about having more energy, focus and vitality for the meaningful work and relationships in your life—and deeper, more gratifying bouts of relaxation.
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You asked, and we heard: Announcing short-wavelength light-blocking contact lenses from ROKA: roka.com/pages/windd...

PMID: 412025
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All mental and physical ailments are substantially relieved by a regular circadian rhythm. Bright mornings and days with a lot of movement, focused work and learning, and hydration. Mellow nights and a dark room while sleeping. Repeat. If you’re up late, make it fun.
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Many of my academic colleagues (MDs and/or PhDs) have become substantially healthier in recent years through lifestyle changes. Many are beginning to apply metabolic health hypotheses in their work and are discussing diseases differently now. Exciting!
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Do things that energize you, and avoid things and people that activate you. You’ll get more done and have more genuine leisure time than you ever imagined.
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Just remember: That friction is the gateway to self-directed plasticity. It reduces the number of trials required to learn. No friction, no learning—unless it’s something that naturally excites and focuses you.
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The ideal scenario is one in which the thing you want to learn evokes catecholamine release. That requires natural excitement, focus, and a resulting state shift. Most adult learning is not like that. Most involves self-directed focus—a “friction” of sorts.
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The catecholamines—dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine—are major “state-shifting” neuromodulators that underlie the “state/change + experience = plasticity” effect. There are behavioral and pharmacologic ways to alter their levels. Many of the prescription and illicit methods are addictive.
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While it depends on the pathway, a major determinant of plasticity rate is the degree of brain and bodily state shift that occurs.
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People used to say "it takes 28 days to form a new habit." The reality is that neural circuits can rewire in one trial (e.g., psychological trauma) or 10,000 trials/reps.
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I didn’t say it’s more important than exercise. But if you’re talking about regulating your sleep-wake cycles, it’s more important than exercise—though still, exercise! And like I said, you can multitask it.
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No sunglasses, and not through a window—it filters out too much of what you want. Eyeglasses and contacts are fine. UV index is low when the sun is low in the sky. Blink as needed—never force yourself to stare at the sun. If you wake before sunrise, you have to wait for it.