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Leverage Dopamine to Overcome Procrastination & Optimize Effort
Huberman Lab
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Leverage Dopamine to Overcome Procrastination & Optimize Effort
Huberman Lab
Go to Podcast Page
Andrew Huberman
·
41 Clips
·
Mar 27, 2023
Leverage Dopamine to Overcome Procrastination & Optimize Effort
Huberman Lab
0 Clips
·
Mar 27, 2023
Top Moments
The other approach that's supported by the literature to increase baseline levels of dopamine for very long periods of time... is to get into... 60 °F water up to the neck and to stay there for about 45-60
minutes.
Cold Immersion Increases Baseline Dopamine for 2-5 Hours
If you were to take that state of being unmotivated or procrastinating and actually do something that's harder than being in that amotivated state—in other words, doing something that's more effortful, even painful—you can rebound yourself out of that dopamine trough much more
quickly.
To Overcome Procrastination & Escape the Dopamine Trough, Do Something 'Painful'
It's all very simple: Desire for things increases dopamine, but then our level of dopamine drops below baseline, and it's that drop below baseline that triggers the motivation to bring that dopamine level back up by going and pursuing the thing that you wanted in the first
place.
Initially Released in Anticipation, Dopamine's Drop Below Baseline Levels Triggers Pursuit
Exposure of your body up to the neck to cold water... has been shown to increase baseline levels of dopamine... for not just 1 but at least 2 and probably as long as 4 or 5
hours.
Cold Immersion Increases Baseline Dopamine for 2-5 Hours
There are papers showing that as little as 500mg [of l-tyrosine] but perhaps up to 1g... taken 30-60 minutes before a cognitive or physical task can increase baseline levels of dopamine for extended periods of time and thereby improve performance on those mental or physical
tasks.
By Increasing Baseline Dopamine, L-Tyrosine Improves Working Memory Under Stress
When friction becomes the reward... you can pass from an idea and a goal, no matter how daunting, to successful completion of that goal while experiencing what essentially will feel like pleasure the entire
time.
Turning Effort Into a Reward Makes Goal Completion Pleasurable
Your craving for things is not just about your craving for those things per se; it's also a desire to relieve the pain of not having those things. And if you can internalize that... you will be in an amazing position to leverage all sorts of aspects of the dopamine system in order to increase your
motivation...
Initially Released in Anticipation, Dopamine's Drop Below Baseline Levels Triggers Pursuit
The higher the peak in dopamine and the faster the rise to that peak, the further below baseline the dopamine drops after the drug wears off. In the case of cocaine, it's a very fast and very large rise in dopamine followed by a steep drop and very deep trough in dopamine below
baseline.
The Higher the Dopamine Peak, the Lower the Trough; Here's an Example With Cocaine
Our dopamine baseline is our reservoir of dopamine. It's how full or empty our dopamine pool is. And that dopamine pool is the pool of dopamine that we use in order to create those dopamine peaks. And when those peaks come down, sometimes they go back to baseline; and sometimes they go to lower than baseline, which we call the
trough.
The Dopamine System Is Like a Wave Pool: Large Peaks Can Lower Baseline Levels
I should mention one thing about recovery from addiction, which is that the reset of all that dopamine circuitry from unhealthy to healthy often involves, depending on the addiction, 30 days of complete
abstinence.
Resetting Dopamine Circuitry Often Takes 30 Days of Abstinence
Getting sufficient sleep each night literally restores your dopamine reserves. It allows dopamine to be present and for you to have a level of baseline dopamine that will allow you to even consider your goals in any kind of meaningful or reasonable
way.
Adequate Sleep, NSDR, & Good Nutrition Increase Baseline Dopamine
Yes, believe it or not, that morning sunlight exposure does increase your levels of dopamine, not just
cortisol.
Viewing Morning Sunlight Spikes Cortisol & Increases Baseline Dopamine
The effects of mucuna pruriens tend to be very much of the increasing the peak in dopamine and then very quickly dropping that peak—in other words, the peak/trough phenomena—not for increasing baseline levels of
dopamine.
Andrew Huberman Doesn't Recommend Mucuna Pruriens for Increasing Baseline Dopamine
Intros & Ads
Huberman Lab Intro
Andrew Huberman Intro
Disclaimer
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Clips
1
Dopamine Is a Neuromodulator; It Modulates Neuronal Activity
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2
5 Brain Circuits Utilize Dopamine: Nigrostriatal, Mesolimbic, Mesocortical, Tuberoinfundibular, & Neural Retina
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3
The Mesocortical Pathway Employs Dopamine for Pursuits, Whether Goals or Drugs
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4
The Dopamine System Is Like a Wave Pool: Large Peaks Can Lower Baseline Levels
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5
Initially Released in Anticipation, Dopamine's Drop Below Baseline Levels Triggers Pursuit
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6
AD: Athletic Greens
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7
From Cue to Goal Completion, The Dopamine System Utilizes Reward Contingent Learning
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8
The Higher the Dopamine Peak, the Lower the Trough; Here's an Example With Cocaine
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9
Dopamine Increases Above Baseline - Nicotine: 150%, Cocaine: 1,000%, Meth: Up to 10,000%
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10
Resetting Dopamine Circuitry Often Takes 30 Days of Abstinence
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11
Adequate Sleep, NSDR, & Good Nutrition Increase Baseline Dopamine
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12
Viewing Morning Sunlight Spikes Cortisol & Increases Baseline Dopamine
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13
5+ Days/Week of Exercise Ensures Elevated Baseline Dopamine
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14
Baseline Dopamine Levels Are Influenced By Genetics
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15
AD: InsideTracker
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16
Cold Immersion Increases Baseline Dopamine for 2-5 Hours
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17
Prescription Drugs for Increasing Baseline Dopamine: Ritalin, Adderall, & Modafinil
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18
Andrew Huberman Doesn't Recommend Mucuna Pruriens for Increasing Baseline Dopamine
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19
By Increasing Baseline Dopamine, L-Tyrosine Improves Working Memory Under Stress
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20
Feeling the Dopamine Trough After a Peak Experience? Wait It Out
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21
Interlude
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22
A Stanford Experiment Illustrated the Dopamine Peak/Trough Phenomena in Children
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23
Why Andrew Avoids Frequent 'Dopamine Stacking' With Pre-Workout, Exercise, & Music
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24
To Maintain Intrinsic Motivation, Avoid Dopamine Stacking Surrounding Joyful Activities
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25
Turning Effort Into a Reward Makes Goal Completion Pleasurable
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26
People Procrastinate With Activities That Ease Pain Associated With the Dopamine Trough
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27
To Overcome Procrastination & Escape the Dopamine Trough, Do Something 'Painful'
1
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28
Procrastinating a Workout? Do Something Worse, Like a Cold Shower or Ice Bath
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29
Find Meditation Challenging? Use It to Overcome Procrastination
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30
Andrew Huberman Outro (Part I)
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31
Support the 'Huberman Lab' Podcast
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32
AD: Momentous Supplements
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33
AD: Neural Network Newsletter
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34
Andrew Huberman Outro (Part II)
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Transcripts
View Full Episode Transcript
Clips
Huberman Lab Intro
Andrew Huberman Intro
Disclaimer
AD: Helix Sleep
AD: WHOOP
AD: ROKA
AD: Momentous Supplements
Dopamine Is a Neuromodulator; It Modulates Neuronal Activity
5 Brain Circuits Utilize Dopamine: Nigrostriatal, Mesolimbic, Mesocortical, Tuberoinfundibular, & Neural Retina
The Mesocortical Pathway Employs Dopamine for Pursuits, Whether Goals or Drugs
The Dopamine System Is Like a Wave Pool: Large Peaks Can Lower Baseline Levels
Initially Released in Anticipation, Dopamine's Drop Below Baseline Levels Triggers Pursuit
AD: Athletic Greens
From Cue to Goal Completion, The Dopamine System Utilizes Reward Contingent Learning
The Higher the Dopamine Peak, the Lower the Trough; Here's an Example With Cocaine
Dopamine Increases Above Baseline - Nicotine: 150%, Cocaine: 1,000%, Meth: Up to 10,000%
Resetting Dopamine Circuitry Often Takes 30 Days of Abstinence
Adequate Sleep, NSDR, & Good Nutrition Increase Baseline Dopamine
Viewing Morning Sunlight Spikes Cortisol & Increases Baseline Dopamine
5+ Days/Week of Exercise Ensures Elevated Baseline Dopamine
Baseline Dopamine Levels Are Influenced By Genetics
AD: InsideTracker
Cold Immersion Increases Baseline Dopamine for 2-5 Hours
Prescription Drugs for Increasing Baseline Dopamine: Ritalin, Adderall, & Modafinil
Andrew Huberman Doesn't Recommend Mucuna Pruriens for Increasing Baseline Dopamine
By Increasing Baseline Dopamine, L-Tyrosine Improves Working Memory Under Stress
Feeling the Dopamine Trough After a Peak Experience? Wait It Out
Interlude
A Stanford Experiment Illustrated the Dopamine Peak/Trough Phenomena in Children
Why Andrew Avoids Frequent 'Dopamine Stacking' With Pre-Workout, Exercise, & Music
To Maintain Intrinsic Motivation, Avoid Dopamine Stacking Surrounding Joyful Activities
Turning Effort Into a Reward Makes Goal Completion Pleasurable
People Procrastinate With Activities That Ease Pain Associated With the Dopamine Trough
To Overcome Procrastination & Escape the Dopamine Trough, Do Something 'Painful'
Procrastinating a Workout? Do Something Worse, Like a Cold Shower or Ice Bath
Find Meditation Challenging? Use It to Overcome Procrastination
Andrew Huberman Outro (Part I)
Support the 'Huberman Lab' Podcast
AD: Momentous Supplements
AD: Neural Network Newsletter
Andrew Huberman Outro (Part II)
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