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Essentials: How Your Brain Works & Changes

Nov 14, 2024 37m 44s 24 insights
This is the first episode of Huberman Lab Essentials — short episodes (approximately 30 minutes) focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past Huberman Lab episodes. This Essentials episode introduces how the nervous system creates sensations, perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, as well as how we can change our nervous system — a phenomenon known as neuroplasticity. Essentials will be released every Thursday, and our full-length episodes will still be released every Monday. Access the show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
Actionable Insights

1. Master Autonomic & Ultradian Rhythms

Focus on mastering the balance of your autonomic nervous system (alertness/calmness) and understanding your 90-minute ultradian cycles to gain control over your entire existence.

2. Prioritize Rest for Plasticity

Understand that actual neuroplasticity and brain rewiring occur during sleep and non-sleep deep rest, not during the active learning phase, so prioritize these rest periods.

3. Post-Learning Deep Rest

After engaging in something very hard and intense, immediately take 20 minutes of deep rest (not sleep) to deliberately turn off focused thinking, as this accelerates neuroplasticity.

4. Daily 90-Minute Learning Bout

Engage in at least one dedicated 90-minute focus bout of learning each day to optimize neuroplasticity and skill acquisition.

5. Structure 90-Minute Focus Blocks

Structure your learning or challenging tasks into 90-minute blocks, understanding that the first 5-10 minutes will be challenging, but your focus and ability to learn will increase as you drop deeper into the cycle.

6. Expect Initial Discomfort in Focus

When starting a 90-minute focus cycle, expect the early phase to feel challenging, unnatural, and not like a flow state, as this is a normal part of dropping into deeper focus.

7. Agitation Triggers Neuroplasticity

Understand that feelings of agitation and strain are not obstacles but rather the entry point and necessary triggers for neuroplasticity and brain change.

8. Cultivate Alertness for Plasticity

Actively cultivate states of alertness and focus, as the release of epinephrine during these states is absolutely required to trigger neuroplasticity for learning new skills and increasing motivation.

9. Engage in Non-Sleep Deep Rest

Actively engage in periods of non-sleep deep rest, allowing your attention to drift, especially after learning, as this is crucial for consolidating new information and making difficult tasks reflexive.

10. Master Sleep-Wake Transitions

Actively work to master both the transition into sleep and the transition out of sleep, as these are critical for optimizing your nervous system and neuroplasticity.

11. Improve Sleep Quality

Actively work to improve your sleep quality, focusing on the process of falling asleep, staying asleep, and accessing deep states of mind and body, beyond just the quantity of sleep.

12. Self-Observe Daily Rhythms

Pay attention to your subjective experience throughout the day, noting when you are most focused, least anxious, and most/least motivated, to understand your personal ultradian rhythms.

13. Control Your Attention

Actively direct your attention to what you want to perceive, as perception is directly controlled by your attention.

14. Practice Attention Control

Deliberately practice splitting, concentrating, or dilating your attention to improve your nervous system, as attention is absolutely under your control.

15. Embrace Effort for Deliberate Focus

Understand that deliberately focusing your behavior will always require effort and strain, so embrace these feelings as part of the process.

16. Deliberately Control Thought Patterns

Actively decide to control your thought patterns and the underlying neural circuits, as this is possible through deliberate effort.

17. Convert Thoughts into Actions

Actively convert your sensations, perceptions, feelings, and thoughts into concrete actions (e.g., writing, speaking, creating) to create a lasting impact and record of your existence.

18. Reduce Emotional Load of Memories

Understand that while memories cannot be erased, neuroplasticity can be leveraged to reduce the emotional load associated with traumatic or negative experiences.

19. Control Autonomic System for Benefits

Learn to take control of your autonomic nervous system to improve access to neural plasticity, enhance sleep, and leverage the sleep-waking transition for creativity.

20. Understand Neuroplasticity Gating

Recognize that neuromodulators like dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine control and open up periods of neuroplasticity in the adult nervous system.

21. Epinephrine & Acetylcholine’s Role

Understand that epinephrine creates alertness and agitation, while acetylcholine intensifies perceptual focus, both contributing to rapid, often traumatic, neuroplasticity.

22. Utilize David Protein Bars

Incorporate David protein bars (28g protein, 150 calories, 0g sugar) into your diet, especially in the afternoon, to easily meet daily protein goals without excess calories.

23. Take AG1 Daily

Consume AG1 daily to ensure foundational nutritional support, improve digestion, boost immune function, and enhance mood and mental focus.

24. Supplement Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical for brain health, mood, and cognition.