#091 Andrew Huberman, PhD: How to Improve Motivation & Focus By Leveraging Dopamine

Download the 12-Page "Omega-3 Supplementation Guide" Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot Join over 300,000 people and sign up for my newsletter Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A’s with Rhonda and more Dr. Andrew Huberman is a Stanford professor, neurobiologist, and host of the incredibly popular Huberman Lab Podcast. He’s also the guest on this episode of the FoundMyFitness podcast. Our conversation encompasses an in-depth discussion of the brain’s dopamine system and provides a toolkit for enhancing motivation and focus. In this episode, we discuss: (00:07:58) Dopamine is a neuromodulator, not a neurotransmitter (00:09:50) Dopamine's role in motivation & pursuit (00:14:56) The dopamine wave pool analogy (00:20:19) Strategies to minimize the dopamine-triggering effects of smartphone use (00:23:53) Why dopamine peaks without effort are dangerous (00:27:13) The number one sign of a highly motivated individual (00:29:20) Dopamine reward prediction error (00:31:39) How effort and anticipation influence dopamine release (00:33:42) Does lacking motivation reflect dopamine system deficits? (00:38:21) Why focus & motivation circuits are like exercise (00:42:37) Why attaching reward to effort itself is the holy grail of learning (00:44:03) Unpacking the concept of “limbic friction” (00:47:53) How setbacks provide crucial feedback to your dopamine system (00:52:09) Why the real reward lies in the process (00:53:12) Why parents should reward verb states instead of providing adjectives (00:55:26) Boosting motivation with visualization of negative outcomes (00:58:12) How to overcome procrastination (01:04:12) How does exercise affect the dopamine system? (01:08:56) Deliberate cold exposure vs. drug highs (01:10:50) The entrainment effect of same-time exercise (01:14:45) Why you shouldn't rely on stimulants when lacking motivation (01:15:29) How caffeine affects motivation (01:16:02) Why Dr. Huberman limits his nicotine consumption and may quit (01:19:26) The pitfalls of artificial stimulants (01:22:13) Why Andrew "counts walls" during deliberate cold exposure (01:27:05) Cold exposure parameters for increasing dopamine (01:29:39) Cold plunge alternatives for replenishing the dopamine pool (01:30:56) Why Andrew limits most workouts to 80-85% intensity (01:33:58) Using exercise & cold exposure as stimuli for the brain (01:36:29) The anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) (01:38:52) Transcranial magnetic stimulation (01:41:43) What does Dr. Huberman think of Neuralink? (01:44:49) How non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) replenishes dopamine levels (01:51:24) Why NSDR may teach people to become better at sleeping (01:55:06) Rhonda's experience trying NSDR after a night of poor sleep (01:56:25) Possible creativity & trauma therapy benefits of NSDR (01:59:36) How to cultivate a healthy relationship with social media (02:01:09) Dr. Huberman's insights on social media detachment and usage limits (02:06:05) Dr. Huberman on the unique psychosocial dynamics of X (formerly Twitter) (02:07:26) Andrew's recommended daily use limit for Instagram (02:10:00) Is social media increasing the prevalence of ADHD? (02:11:41) Why Andrew recommends setting social media constraints (02:13:44) Social media makes grown adults behave like teenagers (02:14:53) Is social media increasing divorce rates? (02:17:33) How low solar angle sunlight affects the circadian rhythm (02:27:31) How to limit the adverse effects of late-night artificial light (02:29:18) The light bulb that mimics sunrise and sunset (02:30:30) How to spike morning cortisol by 50% (02:31:42) What's the optimal time to view morning sunlight? (02:32:32) Can light panels replace viewing morning sunlight? (02:33:54) Combatting laptop & phone use with long distance viewing (02:40:27) Why Andrew recommends limiting alcohol to 0-2 drinks per week (02:48:30) How does alcohol affect the dopamine and serotonin systems? (02:54:08) Treating ADHD with prescription drugs, supplements, & behaviors (02:58:51) Factors contributing to the possible overdiagnosis of ADHD (03:02:17) Do people with ADHD lack focus capacity? (03:03:30) Can behavioral modifications replace the need for ADHD drugs? (03:05:21) Andrew's weekly workout routine (03:11:04) Andrew's diet & why his dinners are higher in carbs (03:12:00) Modulating stress with the physiological sigh (03:12:55) Andrew's supplement routine (03:15:21) Andrew's experimentation with peptides (03:17:35) How Andrew gauges supplement, diet, & workout routine effectiveness (03:20:31) How does Andrew deal with negative comments & press? Watch this episode on YouTube Show notes are available by clicking here