In pursuing our highest selves, mind over matter is a superpower that works — to a point. Usually a breaking point.
Implementing lifestyle habits that restore and balance our energy, rather than deplete it, is necessary to achieving success.
Neuroscientist and Stanford professor Andrew Huberman is world-renowned for his research on human health and performance optimization.
His book Protocols uncovers critical lifestyle habits that boost brain function, physical stamina and turn our brains into learning machines (not to be confused with machine learning)!
Here are 3 key takeaways:
1. NSDR reset
Non-Sleep Deep Rest is when we enter a state of relaxation while staying conscious.
Yoga Nidra, meditation and even hypnosis can turn down stress responses, like fight or flight, and activate a “rest and digest” response, allowing us to process stuck thoughts and emotions.
This increases dopamine, resets focus, improves learning, and supports recovery — especially after high-intensity work.
2. Deload information overload
Excessive screen time and social media use can create a damaging addictive cycle of anxiety, fear of missing out, notification stress and instant gratification that depletes dopamine.
It can lead us into an unhealthy pattern of consuming more information than our brains can handle effectively. This bumps up cortisol levels, and triggers scattered thinking.
Replace endless scrolling with reading a book, journaling and engaging with real people around you. Recalibrate your source of reward to things that are affirming and enduring versus fleeting and empty.
3. Exercise smarter
Huberman recommends a regime that blends LISS (low-intensity, steady-state exercise), HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and strength training.
45–60 min of LISS 3–5 per week boosts cardiovascular health and mitochondrial function, improving your metabolism and energy levels.
Two to three 20 to 30-minute HIIT sessions per week support learning and memory by boosting BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor).
Be careful with HIIT. Overdoing it can assert excessive stress on your body, causing sleep issues, metabolic problems and chronic fatigue.
Lifting weights and building strength at least 2x per week extends longevity and fends off cognitive decline.
For more information, visit Huberman’s website, and of course, consult with a medical professional.
4. Circadian rhythm regulation
Exposure to morning sunlight within 30–60 minutes of waking helps synchronize our internal body clock with the 24-hour daily cycle.
This can naturally improve sleep quality, suppress melatonin production and promote healthy cortisol release that boosts alertness.
5. Wind down in advance
A night-time routine for better sleep should start a few hours before bed. Avoid blue light for at least 1–2 hours.
Keep your room at around 19°C to bring down your core temperature, promoting a deep state of sleep.
Have a warm bath to boost your body temperature, which will then fall more quickly once stepping into the cool air of your room, inducing sleepiness.
For more information about Andrew Huberman and his set of Protocols, click here.
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