The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. His laboratory studies neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and review articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology. He is a regular member of several National Institutes of Health review panels and a Fellow of the McKnight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Huberman regularly consults for technology development companies, professional athletic organizations, and various units of U.S. and Canadian Special Operations.
Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration | Episode 88
In this episode, I provide a list of behavioral, nutritional, and supplement-based tools you can use to improve your ability to get into a focused state to do mental or physical work. I explain science-supported strategies for transitioning into focus, maintaining focus during the work bout, and exiting the focus session, which is also critical, including decompression/defocusing tools. I explain when and how to use: binaural beats, caffeine, deliberate cold exposure, the pros and cons of working in fasted vs. fed states, and supplements and foods that enhance dopamine, epinephrine (i.e., adrenaline) and acetylcholine to promote optimal focus. Also, I explain how short behavioral practices, such as meditation and visual gaze training, will benefit your ability to focus over the long term. As deep focus is crucial to significantly improve cognitive or physical performance in any realm, this episode should be useful to anyone. By the end, you’ll have an essential toolkit of science-supported, low- to zero-cost focus and concentration strategies to select from that can be tailored to your physical and mental performance needs.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman
Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/huberman
Virtusan: https://virtusan.com/huberman
Supplements from Momentous
https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman
For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com
Timestamps
(00:00:00) Focus Toolkit
(00:04:25) Momentous Supplements
(00:05:38) Thesis, LMNT, Eight Sleep
(00:09:37) The “Arrow Model” of Focus: Epinephrine, Acetylcholine & Dopamine
(00:15:15) Modulation vs. Mediation, Importance of Sleep
(00:18:11) Tool: Binaural Beats to Improve Concentration
(00:20:54) Tool: White, Brown & Pink Noise, Transition to Focused State
(00:22:55) Warm-Up for Cognitive Work, Refocusing Attention & Neuroplasticity
(00:26:14) Tool: Ultradian Cycles: Warm-Up, Maintaining Focus & Deliberate Defocusing
(00:31:22) How Many Daily Ultradian Cycles Can One Perform?
(00:34:14) AG1 (Athletic Greens)
(00:35:35) Virtusan: Mental & Physical Health Journeys
(00:36:52) Tool: Fasted vs. Fed States & Focus, Prevent an Afternoon Crash, Ketosis
(00:45:52) Tool: Foods to Improve Focus & Regulating Food Volume
(00:47:53) Tool: Caffeine & Focused Work, Dopamine Efficacy, Alertness
(00:52:55) Tool: Stress & Improved Concentration
(00:55:46) Tool: Deliberate Cold Exposure & Focus, Dopamine & Epinephrine
(01:00:39) Layer Focusing Tools & Design Your Own Protocols
(01:01:19) Tool: Short Meditation & Improved Ability to Refocus
(01:07:40) Tool: Yoga Nidra, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) & Defocus Periods
(01:12:13) Tool: Hypnosis & Focus/Deep Relaxation States
(01:16:07) Optimal Time of Day to Use Specific Tools
(01:16:46) Tool: Overt Visual Focus & Deliberate Gaze
(01:20:42) Covert Visual Focus; Deliberate Gaze Warm-Up & Focused Work
(01:24:43) Tool: Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
(01:27:28) Tool: Creatine Monohydrate
(01:29:10) Tool: Alpha-GPC & Acetylcholine, Increased Risk of Stroke? & Garlic
(01:33:52) Tool: L-Tyrosine Supplements & Food
(01:34:47) Combining & Choosing Focus Tools, Variability
(01:36:50) ADHD Prescriptions, Training Neural Circuits, Maintenance & Reduced Dosage
(01:39:19) Tool: Optimal Order Approaching Focus Tools, Prescriptions & Dependency
(01:42:56) Tool: Phenylethylamine & Dopamine
(01:44:50) Tool: Other Supplements to Enhance Dopamine, Epinephrine & Acetylcholine
(01:46:46) Behavioral, Nutrition & Supplement Tools for Focus
(01:49:12) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Momentous Supplements, AG1 (Athletic Greens), Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter
Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac