In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain how to boost creativity and enhance learning by aligning with the body’s natural rhythms and strategically using protocols to optimize states of alertness or calm. I outline tools to improve focus and learning, including when to use specific techniques based on the time of day and how to adjust focus and tasks according to energy levels. I also discuss the two essential components of creativity and explain how to structure productive, creative work sessions. By combining biological tools — such as exercise, meals, hydration, and sleep — with subjective methods like music, I demonstrate how to tailor your approach to align with your unique biological rhythms and individual goals, fostering greater creativity and learning. Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes, approximately 30 minutes, focused on key scientific and protocol takeaways from past Huberman Lab episodes. Essentials are released every Thursday, while full-length episodes continue to be released every Monday. Read the full show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman David: https://davidprotein.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Neuroplasticity 00:01:50 Types of Neuroplasticity 00:03:46 Autonomic Arousal, Sleep 00:05:06 Sponsor: AG1 00:06:34 Waking Up, Tools: Sunlight, Caffeine Delay, Hydration 00:09:39 Alertness, Morning & Work Bout 00:10:05 Dopamine & Learning; Tool: Music & Alertness 00:14:24 Sponsor: David 00:15:40 Tool: Exercise Early; Morning Work 00:16:58 Meals; Afternoon Dip & Work, Tools: Hydration, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) 00:19:21 Creativity: Exploring vs. Implementation 00:21:44 Psychedelics, Sensory Blending; Tool: Timing Creative Work 00:23:50 Sponsor: LMNT 00:24:07 Tool: Evening Sunlight; Lights, Evening Meal & Carbohydrates 00:26:09 Natural Sleep/Wake Schedule; Tools: Anticipate Evening Alertness; NSDR 00:30:25 Work & Daily Schedule, Tool: 90-Minute Work Bouts 00:31:43 Optimize Biological Rhythms & Tools for Creativity & Learning Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
Welcome to Huberman Lab Essentials, where we revisit past episodes for the most potent and actionable science-based tools for mental health, physical health, and performance. My name is Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Let's talk about neuroplasticity. More specifically, let's talk about how we can optimize our brains.
Neuroplasticity is this incredible feature of our nervous system that allows it to change itself even in ways that we consciously decide. Now that's an incredible property. Our liver can't decide to just change itself. Our spleen can't decide to just change itself through conscious thought or through feedback from another person.
The cells in those tissues can make changes, sure, but it's our nervous system that harbors this incredible ability to direct its own changes in ways that we believe or we're told will serve us better. Today's podcast is really directed toward answering your most common questions and the bigger theme of how does one go about optimizing their brain or even think about optimizing the brain?
What is this thing that we're calling optimizing the brain? In doing so, I'm also going to share some of my typical routines and tools. I share them because many of you have asked for very concrete examples of what I do and when. And so I want to open up the discussion today by emphasizing something that's fundamentally important, which is that plasticity is not the goal.
The goal is to figure out how to access plasticity and then to direct that plasticity toward particular goals or changes that you would like to achieve. Let's start by talking about the different systems within the nervous system that are available for plasticity. And in doing so, I'll frame them in the context of what I do on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, and on a yearly basis.
First of all, there are several forms of plasticity. The best way to think about it is in terms of short-term, medium-term and long-term plasticity. Short-term plasticity is any kind of shift that you want to achieve in the moment or in the day, but that you don't necessarily want to hold onto forever. And I'd say, well, what kinds of things are those?
Well, for instance, short-term plasticity might be you wake up earlier than you would like to catch a flight. You're not feeling particularly alert and you want to use a protocol or you decide to use a protocol, which could be coffee, or it could be a certain form of breathing, or it could be some other tool to become more alert at a time of day when normally you aren't that alert.
But your expectation is that when you return home, you will discard with that the need to do that at 5.30 a.m. because you'll be asleep at 5.30 a.m. So there's short-term plasticity, behavioral plasticity. Then there's medium-term plasticity.
For instance, if you go on vacation to Costa Rica and you don't know your way around Costa Rica, you want to learn the different town and the routes there, but you don't have any intention of going back, it's just medium-term. You want to just program it in for sake of your time there, and then you want to discard it.
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