
Essentials: How Your Brain Works & Changes
Andrew Huberman
14 nov 2024
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Prioritize actions to create lasting legacy
The most important aspect of your nervous system is action, because your thoughts and feelings are temporary, but your behaviors are the only thing that creates a fossil record of your existence.
Optimize learning by harnessing 90-minute focus cycles
Your ability to focus and learn operates in 90-minute "ultradian" cycles throughout the day, and you can optimize learning by structuring your efforts within these natural blocks of time.
Utilize sound cues to enhance learning and retention
Research shows that playing a simple tone in the background while learning a skill, and then replaying that same tone during deep sleep, significantly boosts learning and retention rates.
Incorporate 20 minutes of deep rest after learning to boost neuroplasticity
A study showed that performing 20 minutes of deep rest, or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), immediately after a difficult learning session significantly accelerates neuroplasticity.
Prioritize rest to enhance brain rewiring and neural connections
The actual rewiring and strengthening of neural connections does not happen while you are learning, but occurs during subsequent periods of sleep and non-sleep deep rest.
Embrace agitation as a catalyst for neuroplasticity
The feeling of agitation and strain when learning something difficult is the necessary entry point for neuroplasticity, signaling that your brain is ready to change.
Understand dopamine's role in motivation over reward
Dopamine is more a molecule of motivation that drives you to pursue external goals, while serotonin is what makes you feel content with your current resources.
Utilize dual attentional spotlights to enhance multitasking
Humans can split their attention into two attentional "spotlights," contrary to popular belief, allowing focus on two separate things simultaneously.
More from
Andrew Huberman
Female Hormone Health, PCOS, Endometriosis, Fertility & Breast Cancer | Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi
Essentials: Science of Building Strong Social Bonds with Family, Friends & Romantic Partners
How to Speak Clearly & With Confidence | Matt Abrahams
Essentials: Breathing for Mental & Physical Health & Performance | Dr. Jack Feldman
How Your Thoughts Are Built & How You Can Shape Them | Dr. Jennifer Groh
You also might be interested in
Surgical Biohacks, Anesthesia Myths, Future Cosmetic Procedures and More with Dr. Cameron Chesnut
This Is Why You're Still Suffering (No Matter What You Do) | Dr. Joe Dispenza
How To Train Your Brain Like A Muscle: Mental Fitness SECRETS (& A Headband That Makes You Smarter!) with Ariel Garten of Muse
The Uncomfortable Truth That Will Reinvent Your Life in 2026
Buddhist Monk Explains Why You Feel Lost & Empty Inside













