Essentials: Time Perception, Memory & Focus

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore how biological rhythms and neurochemicals impact our perception of time. I describe how the body aligns with daily and seasonal light cycles to regulate hormones that influence energy, mood and motivation throughout the year. I share science-based tools to enhance focus and productivity, including strategies for structuring work intervals and optimizing the timing of exercise and daily light exposure. I also explain how neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin influence our perception of time and how factors such as novelty, emotion and routine impact how we experience and recall time. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

Actionable Insights

1. Optimize Circadian Light Exposure

View 10 to 30 minutes of bright light, ideally sunlight, within an hour of waking, and again in the afternoon or evening. This is critical because disruptions in circadian entrainment cause significant health problems, including increased cancer risk, obesity, mental health issues, and decreased performance.

2. Leverage 90-Minute Focus Cycles

Limit periods of hard, focused mental or physical work to 90 minutes or less. This aligns with ultradian rhythms, where the brain’s ability to focus significantly drops after approximately 90 minutes due to the depletion of neurochemicals like acetylcholine and dopamine.

3. Space Intense Focus Sessions

If engaging in multiple 90-minute focus cycles per day, separate them by at least two to four hours. This spacing is necessary because the brain’s circuits for narrow focus, motivation, and drive need time to replenish neurochemicals like acetylcholine and dopamine.

4. Tackle Hardest Tasks Early

Prioritize doing the most challenging or least desired tasks early in the day. This serves as a psychological tool for accomplishment and productivity, and aligns with the brain’s neurochemical states in the first half of the day.

5. Structure Day with Dopamine Habits

Incorporate specific, habitual routines at regular intervals throughout your day, especially those that cause a release of dopamine. This not only provides motivation and good feelings but also helps carve up your experience of the day into functional time units.

6. Consistent Exercise for Circadian Rhythm

Engage in physical activity at fairly regular times of day, even if not daily. This helps entrain your circadian clock, ensuring precise time perception on shorter intervals, which is fundamental for performance.

7. Engage in Regular Therapy

Consider doing regular therapy as an important component of overall health, on par with regular exercise. Expert therapy provides rapport, emotional support, directed guidance, and useful insights for personal well-being.

8. Use AGZ for Better Sleep

Take AGZ, a nightly drink, 30 to 60 minutes before sleep to improve sleep quality and depth. This supplement is designed to help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed.

9. Try Online Therapy (BetterHelp)

Utilize BetterHelp for professional therapy with a licensed therapist entirely online. This platform makes it easy to find a resonant therapist and is time-efficient, fitting into busy schedules without commuting.