In this episode, I provide science-based tools and protocols to improve mood and mental health. These tools represent key takeaways from several recently published research studies, as well as from former Huberman Lab guests Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., an expert in the science of emotions, and Paul Conti, M.D., a psychiatrist with vast clinical expertise in helping people overcome mental health challenges. I explain the first principles of self-care, which include the “Big 6” core pillars for mood and mental health. Those ensure our physiology is primed for our overall feelings of well-being. Then, I explain science-based tools to directly increase confidence, build a stronger concept of self, better understand our unconscious mind, manage stress and improve our emotional tone and processing. I also explain ways to better process negative emotions and traumas. This episode ought to be of interest to anyone wishing to improve their relationship with themselves and others, elevate their mood and mental health, and better contribute to the world in meaningful ways.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Mood & Mental Health Toolkit

(00:03:27) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:05:35) First Principles of Self-Care & 6 Pillars of Mental Health

(00:13:58) Pillar #1: Sleep & Sleep Routine

(00:18:00) Pillar #2: Light, Sunlight

(00:24:38) Tool: Nighttime Environment & Darkness

(00:28:33) Pillar #3: Movement; Pillar #4: Nutrition

(00:31:30) Sponsor: AG1

(00:34:51) Pillar #5: Social Connection

(00:40:00) Pillar #6: Stress Control; Physiological Sigh

(00:45:40) Tool: Raise Stress Threshold, Deliberate Cold Exposure

(00:50:00) 6 Pillars & Brain Predictability, Affect & Emotion

(00:57:58) Pharmacology, Psychedelics, Supplements & Neuroplasticity

(01:07:26) Tool: Emotional Granularity

(01:14:39) Tool: Heart Rate Variability & Emotional Graduality; Physiological Sigh

(01:23:49) Tool: Unconscious Mind

(01:26:54) Tool: Self-Concept, Self-Narrative Exercise

(01:34:34) Tool: Unconscious Mind & Dream Analysis; Liminal States

(01:42:52) Tool: Journaling; Generative Drive

(01:52:43) Tool: Processing Trauma

(02:00:43) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

In this episode, my guests are Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook, Inc.), and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, M.D., co-founder and co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). We discuss how CZI plans to cure all human diseases by the end of this century by funding transformative projects and technologies at the intersection of biology, engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI). They describe their funding and development of Biohubs and the progress already underway to accelerate the understanding of cell function, pathways, and disease. Then, Mark discusses social media, its impact on mental health, and new tools for online experiences. We also discuss Meta’s virtual reality (VR), augmented and mixed reality tech, and how AI will soon completely transform our online and physical life experiences. This episode ought to interest anyone curious about biology, medicine, mental health, AI, and the future of technology and humanity.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Mark Zuckerberg & Dr. Priscilla Chan

(00:02:31) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:05:35) Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) & Human Disease Research

(00:08:51) Innovation & Discovery, Science & Engineering

(00:12:53) Funding, Building Tools & Imaging

(00:17:57) Healthy vs. Diseased Cells, Human Cell Atlas & AI, Virtual Cells

(00:21:59) Single Cell Methods & Disease; CELLxGENE Tool 

(00:26:30) Sponsor: AG1

(00:29:53) AI & Hypothesis Generation; Long-term Projects & Collaboration

(00:35:14) Large Language Models (LLMs), In Silico Experiments

(00:42:11) CZI Biohubs, Chicago, New York

(00:50:52) Universities & Biohubs; Therapeutics & Rare Diseases

(00:57:23) Optimism; Children & Families

(01:07:25) Technology & Health, Positive & Negative Interactions

(01:13:17) Algorithms, Clickbait News, Individual Experience

(01:19:17) Parental Controls, Meta Social Media Tools & Tailoring Experience

(01:24:51) Time, Usage & Technology, Parental Tools

(01:28:55) Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality Experiences & Smart Glasses

(01:36:09) Physical Exercise & Virtual Product Development

(01:44:19) Virtual Futures for Creativity & Social Interactions

(01:49:31) Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: Potential, Privacy & Risks

(02:00:20) Visual System & Smart Glasses, Augmented Reality

(02:06:42) AI Assistants & Creators, Identity Protection

(02:13:26) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, Ph.D., a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University who is a world expert in the science of emotions. She explains what emotions are and how the brain represents and integrates signals from our body and the environment around us to create our unique emotional states. We discuss the relationship between emotions and language, how our specificity of language impacts our emotional processing, the role of facial expressions in emotions, and how emotions relate to sleep, movement, nutrition and the building and reinforcement of social bonds. We also discuss actionable tools for how to regulate feelings of uncertainty and tools to better understand the emotional states of others. This episode ought to be of interest to anyone curious about the neuroscience and psychology underlying emotions and for those who seek to better understand themselves and relate to others and the world in richer, more adaptive ways.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

(00:03:18) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:05:46) Core Components of Emotions

(00:10:42) Facial Movement & Interpretation, Emotion

(00:19:33) Facial Expressions & Emotion, Individualization

(00:31:03) Emotion Categories, Culture & Child Development

(00:37:10) Sponsor: AG1

(00:37:50) Legal System, ‘Universal’ Emotions & Caution

(00:41:07) Language Descriptions, Differences & Emotion

(00:48:18) Questions & Assumptions; Language, Emotions & Nervous System

(00:53:40) Brain, Uncertainty & Categories

(01:03:57) Brain & Summaries; Emotions as “Multimodal Summaries”

(01:14:45) Emotional Granularity, Library Analogy

(01:19:40) Brain & Compression, Planning

(01:29:04) Labels & Generalization

(01:34:29) Movement, Sensation, Prediction & Learning

(01:42:44) Feelings of Discomfort & Action

(01:50:32) Tool: Feelings of Uncertainty, Emotion, “Affect”

(02:01:18) Tool: Experience Dimensions & Attention; Individualization

(02:08:36) Affect, Allostasis & Body Budget Analogy

(02:15:41) Depression, “Emotional Flu”

(02:20:20) Tool: Positively Shift Affect; Alcohol & Drugs; SSRIs

(02:27:40) Relationships: Savings or Taxes, Kindness

(02:36:50) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss neuroscience and psychology studies that address the basis of willpower and tenacity, how they differ from motivation and how we can all increase our levels of willpower and tenacity. I discuss whether willpower is a limited resource, the controversial “ego depletion” theory of willpower and the role that beliefs play in determining our tenacity and willpower. Then, I discuss the neural basis of willpower in the brain and body and how tenacity and willpower relate to sleep, stress, focus, and possibly lifespan. Then, I provide a series of science-supported tools and protocols to increase your level of tenacity and willpower.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Tenacity & Willpower

(00:01:36) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:03:49) Tenacity & Willpower vs. Habit Execution; Apathy, Depression & Motivation 

(00:10:40) Ego Depletion & Willpower as a Limited Resource; Controversy 

(00:19:14) Tool: Autonomic Function, Tenacity & Willpower; Sleep & Stress 

(00:28:31) Sponsor: AG1

(00:28:58) Willpower as a Limited Resource (Theory)

(00:35:36) Willpower & Glucose, Brain Energetics

(00:42:44) Beliefs about Willpower & Glucose; Multiple Challenges

(00:54:01) Willpower Brain ‘Hub’; Anorexia Nervosa, Super-Agers

(01:07:15) Anterior Midcingulate Cortex & Brain/Body Communication 

(01:14:54) Allostasis, Anterior Midcingulate Cortex Function

(01:25:19) Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (aMCC), Difficult Tasks & Neuroplasticity

(01:29:30) Tool: Novel Physical Exercise & Brain; Cognitive Exercise

(01:43:43) Tool: “Micro-sucks”, Increase Tenacity/Willpower

(01:50:58) Impossible Tasks, Super-Agers & Learning, Will to Live

(01:57:23) Tool: Rewards & Improving Tenacity/Willpower

(02:01:07) Tenacity & Willpower Recap

(02:05:55) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

In this episode, my guest is Chris Voss, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent who was the lead negotiator in many high-risk, high-consequence cases. Chris has taught negotiation courses at Harvard and Georgetown Universities and is the author of the book “Never Split the Difference.” We discuss how to navigate difficult conversations of all kinds, including in business, romance and romantic breakups, job firings and tense conversations with family and friends. Chris explains how to navigate online, in person and in written negotiations, the red flags to watch out for and how to read body and voice cues in face-to-face and phone conversations. He explains how to use empathy, certain key questions, proactive listening, emotional processing and more to ensure you reach the best possible outcome in any hard conversation. This episode ought to be of interest to anyone looking to improve their interpersonal abilities and communication skills and for those who want to be able to keep a level head in heated discussions. 

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Chris Voss

(00:02:34) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:04:59) Negotiation Mindset, Playfulness

(00:11:41) Calm Voice, Emotional Shift, Music

(00:18:59) “Win-Win”?, Benevolent Negotiations, Hypothesis Testing

(00:28:38) Generosity

(00:33:06) Sponsor: AG1

(00:33:44) Hostile Negotiations, Internal Collaboration

(00:39:40) Patterns & Specificity; Internet Scams, “Double-Dip”

(00:48:15) Urgency, Cons, Asking Questions

(00:54:46) Negotiations, Fair Questions, Exhausting Adversaries

(01:02:18) “Vision Drives Decision”, Human Nature & Investigation

(01:07:47) Lying & Body, “Gut Sense”

(01:15:42) Face-to-Face Negotiation, “738” & Affective Cues 

(01:20:39) Online/Text Communication; “Straight Shooters”

(01:26:47) Break-ups (Romantic & Professional), Firing, Resilience

(01:32:16) Ego Depletion, Negotiation Outcomes

(01:37:35) Readiness & “Small Space Practice”, Labeling

(01:45:17) Venting, Emotions & Listening; Meditation & Spirituality

(01:51:41) Physical Fitness, Self-Care

(01:57:01) Long Negotiations & Recharging

(02:02:40) Hostages, Humanization & Names

(02:08:50) Tactical Empathy, Compassion

(02:15:27) Tool: Mirroring Technique

(02:22:20) Tool: Proactive Listening

(02:29:48) Family Members & Negotiations

(02:35:21) Self Restoration, Humor 

(02:39:01) Fireside, Communication Courses; Rapport; Writing Projects

(02:47:45) “Sounds Like…” Perspective

(02:50:54) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Vivek Murthy, M.D., the acting U.S. Surgeon General who earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his M.D. from Yale School of Medicine. We discuss nutrition, food additives, social media and mental health, public health initiatives to combat the crisis of social isolation, the obesity crisis, addiction and other pressing issues in public health. Dr. Murthy explains the role of the U.S. government in promoting specific public health issues and the steps needed to rebuild public trust in scientific and medical information. We also discuss health care accessibility, insurance barriers and individual versus team-based medical care. We also discuss topics gleaned from listener questions, such as the facts and myths about “Big Pharma” and “Big Food” industries, scientific research and public health policies.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.

Use Ask Huberman Lab, our new AI-powered platform, for a summary, clips, and insights from this episode.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

(00:00:00) Dr. Vivek Murthy

(00:02:10) Sponsors: LMNT & Waking Up

(00:04:35) Surgeon General Roles

(00:07:44) Illness Framework, Enhancing Wellbeing

(00:12:42) Priorities as Surgeon General

(00:19:50) Public Health Message Distribution

(00:28:24) Diagnosis vs. Optimizing Health

(00:33:24) Sponsor: AG1

(00:34:01) Food Additives, Highly Processed Foods, Food Availability

(00:39:11) Difficulties Addressing Health Issues & Highly Processed Foods

(00:49:53) Retribution, Integrity & Public Trust

(00:54:41) Company Opposition

(00:59:50) Public Health Communication, Masks & COVID-19, Public Trust

(01:07:01) Masks, Humility; Building Public Trust

(01:10:45) Rebuilding Relationship to Public, Vaccines

(01:17:41) Community Core & Diversity; Federal Funding

(01:24:55) Big Pharma, “Pill for Every Problem” Society 

(01:31:48) Interdisciplinary Medical Teams, Individualized & Value-Based Medical Models

(01:38:44) Insurance Barriers, Mental Health Care, Drug Prices

(01:44:40) Isolation Crisis, Social Disconnection, Health Risks 

(01:49:15) Community Organizations & Modern Life, Social Media

(01:56:36) Youth & Social Media, Parents, Policy Change

(02:06:45) Real Life vs. Social Media, Kids & Playtime

(02:11:56) Social Media Advice for Parents

(02:20:43) Society & Disconnection, Human Connection & Service

(02:31:20) Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer