Mental Health Toolkit: Tools to Bolster Your Mood & Mental Health
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.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
Plunge: https://plunge.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman
Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman
InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman
Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman
Articles
Day and night light exposure are associated with psychiatric disorders: an objective light study in greater than 85,000 people: https://go.nature.com/47aIZcp
Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function: https://bit.ly/47aCNRO
Effect of self-monitoring through experience sampling on emotion differentiation in depression: https://bit.ly/46QNDMP
Emotional Granularity Increases With Intensive Ambulatory Assessment: Methodological and Individual Factors Influence How Much: https://bit.ly/4717EAa
Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal: https://bit.ly/3tKojcM
Cardiac vagal control as a marker of emotion regulation in healthy adults: A review: https://bit.ly/46PCQCO
Huberman Lab Episodes & Resources Mentioned
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett: How to Understand Emotions: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-lisa-feldman-barrett-how-to-understand-emotions
Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand & Assess Your Mental Health: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/guest-series-dr-paul-conti-how-to-understand-and-assess-your-mental-health
The Iceberg Model: https://bit.ly/46GNOdH
Guest Series | Dr. Andy Galpin: How to Assess & Improve All Aspects of Your Fitness: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-andy-galpin-how-to-assess-improve-all-aspects-of-your-fitness
Fitness Toolkit: Protocol & Tools to Optimize Physical Health: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/fitness-toolkit-protocol-and-tools-to-optimize-physical-health
Foundational Fitness Protocol: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/foundational-fitness-protocol
Dr. Layne Norton: The Science of Eating for Health, Fat Loss & Lean Muscle: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-layne-norton-the-science-of-eating-for-health-fat-loss-and-lean-muscle
Dr. Alia Crum: Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-alia-crum-science-of-mindsets-for-health-performance
Other Resources
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lamp: https://amzn.to/3FCgKYk
Drawing tablet: https://amzn.to/3FzKfdm
The Physiological Sigh: https://youtu.be/rBdhqBGqiMc
Paul Conti, M.D.: How to heal from trauma and break the cycle of shame (The Drive episode): https://peterattiamd.com/paulconti3
“Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic: How Trauma Works and How We Can Heal From It”: https://amzn.to/3GVLHXw
Timestamps
00:00:00 Mood & Mental Health Toolkit
00:03:10 Sponsors: Plunge, Eight Sleep & 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
00:33:18 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
01:06:25 Sponsor: InsideTracker
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
#HubermanLab #MentalHealth
Disclaimer: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer
Huberman definitely gonna be in one of my folders.
GRAHAM HANCOCK!!!
ANCIENT WISDOM NEEDS TO MARRY MODERN SCIENCE!!
Man,love your podcast! Thanks! But you do not blink hardly ever ! How do you do that. Is that just what happens when your reading the words ? Or you maybe just dont have to blink? Maybe i have dry eyeballs! 😂😂Thanjs again for all the information. Fascinating.
I’ve been a fan of your podcasts as I get my 15000 step walks in daily.
Of particular interest was your episode on sleep. Might I suggest a variation on the sleep discussion. Up until 4 months ago I got great sleep but after my best friend (dog) of 15 years passed – my sleep has devolved into mostly light and restless periods. There appears to be some discussion around the benefits of pets and sleep – specifically oxytocin.
I think the subject of dogs/pets and oxytocin and the impact on sleep would be a well received podcast.
Keep up the great information sharing.
Steve
Doesn’t looking directly at the sun damage your eyes ??
Thank you Hubes
About the sun light.. I live in a part of the city where the sun is hidden by buildings. Is it enough to just go outside or should we sit in the sunlight?
literally 100% of my social connections are taxing, torturous, vexations…I have ONE friend is Australia who is a perfect angel & the rest are belittling, torturous demons. I felt like the younger priest in the exorcist who is tormented by the demon who is animating the young girl with knowledge that she should not have. theres nothing comforting or nourishing for me- and my only friend down under is in his 70s and in a different time zone
Thank you Andrew for this detailed episode covering not only what you can do, but why and how.
does he blink?
I would like to propose an idea about the cold shower exposure part: this explanation finally made me understand how cold water exposure can help you learn how to control your breathing and response to stress. I never tried it, but I have kind of a similar experience with difficult video games: they can put you under very immense stress, and if you have no experience with dealing with such stress, at first – at a young age perhaps – you might recall times when you let stress out physically and unable to control yourself and not knowing how to deal with it – but difficult games can teach you not only how to control yourself and stay calm during stress, but also teaches you how rewarding it can feel when you finally overcome the difficulties – and they make you actually want to overcome, because they are games and you want to keep playing, you’re not forced to, but its a decision you learn to make on your own: so similarly to cold bath, you willingly putting yourself under stress – difficult situation and the only way to win is essentially to learn how to control your response to stress and keep cool and focus. ( you can understand what I mean if you ever played a truly challenging game, and how it taught you discipline and how good it felt to overcome the difficulty ) And this difficulty = reward thing I learned is what helped me to understand and overcome challenges in my life as well, and games honestly helped me to learn self control and how to assert situations cool headedly.
And I always thought putting yourself under cold water is a ridiculous idea that I would never ever try, but hearing the explanation why to try makes sense, and I’m open to the idea to try~
I have to do emotional granularity only when I’m with positive emotions?
Dr huberman, I request you to have a look at this yogic practise called shambhvi mahamudra as a lot of studies have been done on it and it promises to do much more than yogic nidra or other meditation techniques or yogasanas.
Thank you for everything you do! Your insights have had a tremendously positive impact on my life!
I recently had the opportunity to host a call at work on the subject of mental health. I created a PowerPoint slide on your 6 pillars, discussed some of your recommendations for each of them, and included a link to this episode. Over 500 employees attended the call and I have received a great deal of positive feedback on the content. Just wanted to say thanks again!
57:00 talks about anxiety and thoughts
I laughed hard when you said if you live on planet earth there is always sunlight😂
Brilliant podcast!
Can you do a video on how not to support fascism? Americans really need it.
42:30 One sigh is enough!
thank you Dr Huberman.
Question about darkness at night: u said maybe very dim light was an option.
What kind of dimness are we talking about? If I had a red nightlight at the volume of say candlelight, Im assuming that would be ok then? or not?
Note: it appears that the audio file for this episode on Spotify is the wrong file. It’s a completely different episode. I’m trying to test my Huberman Lab trivia knowledge and "guess the episode / guest," but I’m failing at recall. Anyway, it’s an interview episode and it’s not this one. Something to check perhaps. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?
I use my phone’s voice recorder for dreams then write them out w/pen n paper every Sunday morning.
Themes, ppl, places, etc. are easily identified…
Andrew the podcast has ended…..you can blink now😂😂
Dr. Huberman, I just wanted to thank you so much for starting this series(s) and how dedicated you are to spreading insightful information that has direct applications to bettering our lives. I take about an hour to drive to work every morning and it’s been really draining. But ever since I found your podcast, driving to work no longer feels taxing. Especially loved that one you did with David Goggins:)
As a licensed and board-certified police and public safety psychologist and trauma counselor, I found this episode to be exceptional. I commend Dr. Huberman for his work; he is helping many people.
47:15
I would love an episode all about how to balance your mental health when you do not have the option of getting uninterrupted or quality sleep, such as that of mothers who do not get uninterrupted sleep for years at a time. Is there any way to offset the disruption to serotonin function? Except for SSRIs, and would those even help?
He is not blinking his eyes once
Guest suggestion: Dr. Gabor Mate.
吗。 z😢🎉
I agree that the principle of "Mens sana in corpore sano" (Healthy mind in a healthy body) deserves to be mentioned first.
Thankyou Godfrey 35:35
I know that you work hard, but I know also that you enjoy your work other way wouldn’t do it in such a way, GREAT.
Hi Andrew, not sure if you see the comments. But I wanted to take this moment to thank you! I am going through a tough time in life right now- grieving from my brother’s death, going through a break up, trying to survive each day with all the overthinking and anxiety
I have been watching/listening to your podcasts recently and implemented some of the things you suggested to regulate my emotions and well being. This has helped me a lot to cope up with all the things happening around me
So thank you so much 🙏🏻🙏🏻
This sum great info for free. THANKSSS
Wait! Look directly into the sun! But that would damage the eyes? No? If I look for a second I get a temporary blind spot. I don’t know what that side effect is called. Or you mean just look up to the sky but not directly at the sun.
In Spotify and Apple Podcasts this episode has the audio of the Nov 6 Dr. Eisenberg interview. Btw grateful for your service and labor love.
Thank you! I listen to your podcasts everyday! You are The best❤
About artificial light in the morning when its still dark. I live in a studioapartment and I have "a couple" of houseplants.. 20 actually on a living space of 30mtr2.
I have several growlights hanging above them on a timer that turns those lights on every morning at 6am. I have to get up anyways.. 20,- per bulb and they are full spectrum white light and give about 1200lux depending on how far away u are from the light.
Trust me! That S*t works!!! In the first week of using those growlights my overall mood improved 100% and I didnt even know why! I had not heard Andrew talk about this yet! So I KNOW that it works!
btw: u can put those bulbs in any lamp that u like!💁🏻♂️ And mine are LEDs so I dont worry about cost of energy.
U only need the bulbs to put in any lamp u like.
26:21
i am new on this channel from which playlist should i start
Something tells me their a lot of stuff missing here. For instance, i would argue our Mentality plays a huge role in our mental health. With that, i beleive it would make sense to mention techniques such as: consciously performed positive inner dialogue, practicing gratitude/mindfulness, and perhaps purposely doing difficult things to increase our mental endurance. What do you think?
Thank you Andrew for all the work that you are doing for humanity. ❤
Have you done a podcast on how to focus on multiple tasks together… If yes kindly refer me its link and if not will you do it please
0:18:05 sunlight, eh? I live in Ireland, you live in California, it’s January…
this is sigma 😄
I see you. 🙏🏽
-Lightexposure at daytime
-dark exposure at nighttime
-coldexposure and try to stay calm
-use specific language to describe a feeling (ONLY FOR POSITIVE EMOTION)
-do cardio+sleep
-physiological sigh
-understand ur self concept (feelings of ability, confidence,)
-build a life narrative (life history, and descrbe key lifetime event,)
-dreamjournal and reflect (whats reoccuring?)
-journaling (organizing ur mind, gratitude, aspirations)
-talk about trauma intensely dont surpress ur lingo
This is misuploaded as an erectile health podcast on spotify 🥺