Essentials: Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance | Dr. Alia Crum

Andrew Huberman

4 sept 2025

Episode description

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Alia Crum, PhD, professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab.

Dr. Crum explains that our mindsets—for example, what we believe about stress, exercise and the food we eat—shape how we feel, behave and even how our bodies respond. We discuss studies showing simply believing a food is indulgent can shift satiety hormones and that viewing your daily activity as real exercise can improve weight loss and health markers. We also discuss how to reframe stress so it becomes a tool for growth and improved performance.

Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/rTtaOnp

Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/dFR_wFN23ZY

Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S

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*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Alia Crum
00:00:20 Mindset, Core Beliefs; Examples of Mindset
00:04:56 Mindset Shapes Body’s Response, Placebo Effects, Tool: Mindset for Weight Loss
00:10:18 Different Diets & Mindset
00:11:51 Nocebo Effect
00:12:45 Exercise Mindsets, Weight Loss & Health Benefits
00:15:31 Stress, Tool: Stress is Enhancing Mindset, Mental & Physical Benefits
00:22:43 Mindset, Stress, Motivation & Physiology; Hormones
00:26:09 Mindsets as Portals to Unconscious, Tool: Stress Mindset Awareness
00:27:43 Leverage Stress, Tool: Adopt a Stress is Enhancing Mindset
00:30:47 Mindsets Matter, Athletics
00:32:35 Resources, Toolkits & Acknowledgements

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Adopt indulgent mindset to enhance satiety

To feel more satiated, the best mindset is to believe you are eating indulgently and getting enough food, rather than restricting yourself.

#mindset

#satiety

Leverage acute stress to boost testosterone levels

Contrary to popular belief, a very stressful short-term event can raise anabolic hormones like testosterone.

#stress

#testosterone

Recognize daily activities as exercise to enhance health

Hotel housekeepers who were informed that their daily work was good exercise showed physiological improvements like weight loss and a drop in blood pressure without changing their behavior.

#blood-pressure

#exercise

Align mindset with diet for optimal success

The effectiveness of any diet is a combined product of the food you eat and your belief in that diet's benefits.

#mindset

#nutrition

Challenge negative beliefs to avoid nocebo effects

The 'nocebo effect' describes how negative beliefs, such as expecting side effects from a treatment, can make you more likely to experience those negative consequences.

#mental-health

#placebo

Acknowledge, welcome, and utilize stress for personal growth

A three-step approach to leverage stress is to first acknowledge it, then welcome it as a sign of something you care about, and finally, utilize the energy from it.