← Huberman Lab

Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance | Dr. Alia Crum

Episode 56 Jan 24, 2022 1h 37m 12 insights
My guest is Dr. Alia Crum, Associate (tenured) Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab. Dr. Crum is a world expert on mindsets and beliefs and how they shape our responses to stress, exercise, and even to the foods we eat. We discuss how our mindset about the nutritional content of food changes whether it is satisfying to us at a physiological (hormonal and metabolic) level. She also tells how mindsets about exercise can dramatically alter the effects of exercise on weight loss, blood pressure, and other health metrics. Dr. Crum teaches us how to think about stress in ways that allow stress to grow us and bring out our best rather than diminish our health and performance. Throughout the episode, Dr. Crum provides descriptions of high-quality peer-reviewed scientific findings that we can all leverage toward better health and performance in our lives. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.
Actionable Insights

1. Consciously Evaluate Your Mindsets

Be aware that your beliefs are interpretations, not objective reality. Evaluate your mindsets by asking: ‘How is this mindset making me feel? What is it leading me to do? Is it helpful or harmful?’ Then, seek to adopt more useful mindsets.

2. Utilize Stress with 3 Steps

Acknowledge your stress, welcome it as a sign you care about something, and then utilize the stress response to achieve your goals, rather than trying to eliminate or cope with the stress.

3. Eat Healthy Foods Indulgently

When eating, especially healthy foods, cultivate a mindset of indulgence, satisfaction, and enjoyment, as believing you’re eating enough can lead to more adaptive physiological responses like ghrelin suppression and satiety.

4. Reframe Treatment Side Effects Positively

When undergoing treatment, view side effects as a positive sign that the treatment is working and your body is adapting, rather than as a purely negative or harmful outcome.

5. Cultivate a Growth Mindset

Believe that intelligence and abilities are malleable and can grow, as this motivates harder work and allows you to learn and build from setbacks.

6. Appreciate Exercise You Already Do

Recognize and believe that the physical activity you are already doing (e.g., daily work, walking) is beneficial exercise, as this mindset can lead to improved health metrics like weight loss and lower blood pressure.

7. Foster Positive Food Mindsets in Children

As a parent, avoid reinforcing the idea that healthy foods are a chore to be endured for a reward; instead, cultivate a mindset in children that healthy foods are indulgent and delicious.

8. Be Mindful of Food Language

Pay attention to the language used around food in media and by influencers; avoid associating healthy foods with deprivation and unhealthy foods with excitement, as this shapes mindsets.

9. Beware of Nocebo Effects

Be aware that negative beliefs or expectations, such as being told about potential side effects of a treatment or negative sleep scores, can increase the likelihood of experiencing those negative consequences.

10. Ensure Proper Hydration & Electrolytes

Drink electrolyte mixes (like Element) dissolved in 16-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during physical exercise to maintain optimal brain/body function and prevent diminished cognitive/physical performance.

11. Practice Meditation/NSDR for Energy

Use a meditation app (like Waking Up) to access various meditation programs, mindfulness trainings, or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) protocols, as even short 10-minute NSDR sessions can restore cognitive and physical energy.

12. Supplement with AG1 for Nutrition

Take Athletic Greens once or twice a day to cover basic nutritional needs, address deficiencies, and support microbiome health with probiotics and essential vitamins like D3K2.