Episode
How To Increase Motivation & Drive
1:28:05
Published: Mon Mar 22 2021
Description
This episode explains the science of motivation and drive. I describe how dopamine-- a chemical we all make in our brain, underlies our desire for and pursuit of our goals, as well as our capacity to move and experience pleasure. I describe how we can leverage specific behaviors, reward schedules and dopamine-prolactin balance to help ensure we can maintain motivation and capacity for pleasure over the long term. I also discuss dopamine in the context of ADHD, craving and addiction, and some absolutely amazing results about specificity of drug effects based purely on belief. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (00:04:22) Announcement: Spanish Subtitles (00:05:06) Emotions, Addiction & Mindset (00:06:22) Motivation & Movement: The Dopamine Connection (00:07:29) A Double-Edged Dopamine Blade (00:08:56) Dopamine Fundamentals: Precursor to Adrenalin (00:10:15) The Reward Pathway: An Accelerator & A Brake (00:12:10) Motivation= Pleasure Plus Pain (00:14:14) The Dopamine Staircase: Food, Sex, Nicotine, Cocaine, Amphetamine (00:16:15) Subjective Control of Dopamine Release (00:17:40) Social Media and Video Games (00:18:15) Addiction & Dopamine: Progressively Diminishing Returns (00:18:48) Novelty, Sensation-Seeking & Anticipation (00:20:15) Craving: Part Pain, Part Pleasure & Pain Always Prevails (00:23:11) Desire Scales With Pain: The Yearning Function (00:24:43) The Croissant Craving Circuit (00:25:45) “Here and Now” Molecules: Serotonin, Bliss & Raphe Nucleus (00:26:26) In Your Skin Or Out In the World (00:27:25) Cannabinoids Lethargy & Forgetfulness (00:28:15) The Almond Meditation (00:29:30) Drugs That Shift Exteroception Versus Interoception (00:30:36) Emotional Balance, Active & Passive Manipulation (00:32:36) Procrastination: Leveraging Stress, Breathing, Caffeine, L-Tyrosine, Prescription Drugs (00:37:04) When Enough Is Never Enough; How Dopamine Undermines Itself (00:38:58) Dopamine-Prolactin Dynamics: Sex, Reproduction & Refractory Periods (00:40:30) The Coolidge Effect: Novelty-Induced Suppression of Prolactin (00:42:22) Vitamin B6, Zinc As Mild Prolactin Inhibitors (00:43:25) Schizophrenia, Dopamine Hyperactivity and Side Effects of Anti-Dopaminergic Drugs (00:45:08) Prolactin, Post-Satisfaction “Lows” & Extending the Arc of Dopamine (00:48:00) The Chemistry of “I Won, But Now What?” (00:49:00) Healthy Emotional Development: Child and Parent (00:50:03) Never Say “Maybe” (Reward Prediction Error) (00:52:02) Surprise! (00:52:59) Are You Suppressing Your Drive and Motivation By Working Too Late? (00:54:50) Disambiguating Pleasure and Drive: Dopamine Makes Us Anti-Lazy (00:58:00) Beta-Phenylethylamine (PEA), & Acetyl L-Carnitine (01:00:00) Attention Deficit Disorders, Cal Newport Books, Impulsivity & Obesity (01:03:55) Leveraging Dopamine Schedules (01:05:22) Subjective Control of Dopamine and Drug Effects: The “Adderall” Experiment (01:09:03) Caffeine May Protect Dopamine Neurons, Methamphetamine Kills Them (01:10:57) Nicotine: Dopamine, Possible Neuroprotection, Prolactin Increase (01:11:53) Gambling, Intermittent Reinforcement, & Persistent Goal Seeking (Bad and Good) (01:14:14) Intermittent Halting of Celebration; Enjoy Your Wins, But Not All of Them (01:18:38) A Story Example of Intermittent Reward to Maintain Long-Term Drive and Motivation (01:21:25) Corrections & Notes About Spanish Captions & Other Languages Soon (01:24:00) Synthesis & Framework, Zero-Cost Support & A Note About Sponsors Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
Chapters
The podcast discusses the key role of hydration and electrolytes for the optimal function of all bodily systems, nerve and neuron functions, as well as their interaction with the gut microbiome to regulate mood and maintain good overall health.
00:00 - 03:03 (03:03)
Summary
The podcast discusses the key role of hydration and electrolytes for the optimal function of all bodily systems, nerve and neuron functions, as well as their interaction with the gut microbiome to regulate mood and maintain good overall health.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode is a part of the month-long discussion of the Neuroscience of Emotions with a focus on addiction and how motivation and reward affect our daily lives.
03:03 - 10:38 (07:34)
Summary
This episode is a part of the month-long discussion of the Neuroscience of Emotions with a focus on addiction and how motivation and reward affect our daily lives. The discussion touches on the reward pathway, the concept of pleasure and pain, and the importance of understanding these concepts in managing emotions.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast explains the science behind dopamine firing and how it increases when anticipating a reward or something exciting, shedding light on motivation and how our brains work.
10:38 - 15:27 (04:48)
Summary
This podcast explains the science behind dopamine firing and how it increases when anticipating a reward or something exciting, shedding light on motivation and how our brains work.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
Dopamine creates a loop where people only crave the particular thing that leads to massive amounts of dopamine release, yet the desire is reduced each time that thing is pursued, making people crave more.
15:27 - 26:49 (11:21)
Summary
Dopamine creates a loop where people only crave the particular thing that leads to massive amounts of dopamine release, yet the desire is reduced each time that thing is pursued, making people crave more. This creates a dilemma for people who want to indulge in their cravings but fear the diminishing pleasure of each subsequent experience.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
The episode discusses how dopamine affects an individual's drive in pursuing their goals, analyzing how people can channel their hyper dopaminergic behavior to either ethical or unethical means.
26:49 - 32:42 (05:52)
Summary
The episode discusses how dopamine affects an individual's drive in pursuing their goals, analyzing how people can channel their hyper dopaminergic behavior to either ethical or unethical means.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast episode discusses the mechanisms that suppress dopamine in order to encourage a healthy dopamine schedule, explaining why they are installed in individuals and ways to navigate dopamine crashes for better motivation.
32:42 - 39:24 (06:42)
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the mechanisms that suppress dopamine in order to encourage a healthy dopamine schedule, explaining why they are installed in individuals and ways to navigate dopamine crashes for better motivation. It also sheds light on the risks of increasing dopamine levels through supplementation and drugs.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
Testosterone boosters marketed to improve sports performance inhibit prolactin and increase dopamine through a combination of vitamin B6 and zinc.
39:24 - 46:46 (07:21)
Summary
Testosterone boosters marketed to improve sports performance inhibit prolactin and increase dopamine through a combination of vitamin B6 and zinc. Dopamine reward circuitry can vary from person to person, where some can release dopamine for a long time and others may feel a quick inflection of dopamine.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
In order to extend the positive effects of dopamine and become a happier person, it is important to engage in activities that increase pleasure in the present moment while blunting the pain response, as well as maintaining a balance between seeking pleasure and offsetting pain.
46:46 - 55:11 (08:25)
Summary
In order to extend the positive effects of dopamine and become a happier person, it is important to engage in activities that increase pleasure in the present moment while blunting the pain response, as well as maintaining a balance between seeking pleasure and offsetting pain.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode discusses the correlation between dopamine and motivation, citing an experiment conducted with rats and explaining how individuals with low levels of dopamine are less motivated despite still experiencing pleasure.
55:11 - 1:01:50 (06:39)
Summary
This episode discusses the correlation between dopamine and motivation, citing an experiment conducted with rats and explaining how individuals with low levels of dopamine are less motivated despite still experiencing pleasure.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
The use of drugs to suppress dopamine release and reduce impulsivity is designed to allow individuals to control dopamine release levels - this is important because it shows how higher-level cognitive processes can positively impact even the most fundamental aspects of dopamine release.
1:01:51 - 1:11:55 (10:03)
Summary
The use of drugs to suppress dopamine release and reduce impulsivity is designed to allow individuals to control dopamine release levels - this is important because it shows how higher-level cognitive processes can positively impact even the most fundamental aspects of dopamine release. Caffeine is also thought to have a protective effect on dopamine neurons.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
In order to ensure you remain on the path to achieving your goals, it's important to occasionally remove rewards subjectively and not celebrate too intensely once you reach a new high point of performance or achievement.
1:11:55 - 1:19:01 (07:06)
Summary
In order to ensure you remain on the path to achieving your goals, it's important to occasionally remove rewards subjectively and not celebrate too intensely once you reach a new high point of performance or achievement. This can help you continue to exceed your previous performance and achieve long-term success.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
The long-term administration of ashwagandha in rats showed negative effects on the thyroid, cortisol, and melatonin systems.
1:19:01 - 1:22:23 (03:22)
Summary
The long-term administration of ashwagandha in rats showed negative effects on the thyroid, cortisol, and melatonin systems. While ashwagandha has potential benefits for blunting cortisol in humans, there may be negative consequences with prolonged use.
EpisodeHow To Increase Motivation & Drive
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode discusses how dopamine plays a role in reward and pain, as well as other molecules like serotonin and endocannabinoids.
1:22:23 - 1:27:59 (05:35)
Summary
This episode discusses how dopamine plays a role in reward and pain, as well as other molecules like serotonin and endocannabinoids. It also explores how adopting an intermittent reward schedule can ensure long-term engagement in healthy pursuits.