Huberman Lab 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

In this episode, I explain how dopamine dynamics — meaning changes and interactions between our baseline and peak levels of dopamine drive our cravings and sense of motivation. I also explain how to leverage dopamine dynamics to overcome procrastination. I cover behavioral, cognitive, nutrition-based and supplementation-based tools to optimize baseline and peak dopamine levels to ensure a persistently motivated state. I also discuss how to boost motivation when you are in a rut, why you might not want to stack behaviors/substances that spike dopamine and how build and maintain a “growth mindset” for pursuing goals of any kind. Dopamine is an incredibly powerful neuromodulator involved in basic functions (e.g., hunger, romantic attraction, etc.) and feats of cognitive and physical performance; by understanding the dynamics of dopamine, listeners ought to be better positioned to overcome procrastination, maintain motivation, and improve confidence.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Dopamine

(00:02:32) Sponsors: Eight Sleep, WHOOP, ROKA, Momentous

(00:06:27) Dopamine Brain Circuits

(00:14:53) Goals & Addiction

(00:17:13) Dopamine Dynamics, “Wave Pool” analogy

(00:20:28) Craving, Motivation, Pursuit & Reward Prediction Error

(00:28:26) Sponsor: AG1 (Athletic Greens)

(00:29:40) Feedback Cues & Reward Contingent Learning, “Scoreboard”

(00:37:40) Addiction; Pleasure & Pain Imbalance

(00:44:55) Dopamine Release & Addictive Substances/Behaviors

(00:50:43) Addiction Recovery, Binding Behaviors

(00:53:25) Tools: Maintain Baseline Dopamine Levels

(01:02:08) Sponsor: InsideTracker

(01:03:26) Tool: Deliberate Cold Exposure & Dopamine

(01:09:38) Prescriptions & Supplementation: L-Tyrosine, Mucuna Pruriens

(01:18:58) Dopamine Trough Recovery, Postpartum Depression

(01:23:31) Dopamine Dynamics, “Dopamine Stacking”; Intrinsic Motivation

(01:38:10) Making Effort the Reward, Growth Mindset

(01:41:49) Tool: Overcome Procrastination

(01:52:16) Tool: Meditation & Procrastination

(01:57:01) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous, Neural Network Newsletter, Social Media

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

Leverage Dopamine to Overcome Procrastination & Optimize Effort

Huberman Lab