This clip is from the Huberman Lab episode "Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration." The full episode can be found on TH-cam here: th-cam.com/video/yb5zpo5WDG4/w-d-xo.html
My summary: Try to keep your bouts of mental and physical exertion to ~90 minutes. Remember that losing focus now and then is normal. Redirect your focus on the task at hand when it has drifted. Take at least ~10 minutes for a mental break in between each ~90 session of mental and physical effort, during which you should avoid narrowing your focus. Let your brain idle during this mental break. Doing this can make it easier to focus on your priorities again.
@@Rahul-pro Nah maybe he's saying it because it feels more natural and like an actual human being talking rather than bots talking nonstop lines after lines
I`ve studied now for the last 8 years. After a lot of trial and error my most productive study cycle is 80 minutes of focus, then a 10 minute break where I get something to drink, move around, check messages etc. for 10 minutes. Then I rinse and repeat. After three cycles of 80min I take a longer break for 30min or more depending on my schedule that day.
I love how Dr. Huberman breaks down the science behind focus. It's fascinating! I'm thinking of trying a new productivity tool to complement my focused work sessions.
Doc, this work you're doing is a contribution to world's happiness and productivity on a scale that's hard to overstate. Not just empty ideas but actionable concepts. And they feel so intuitive, almost obvious. The body has it's ways
As a computer expert, I cannot agree with you more. I found that staying on an electronic device(using it of course!), even for watching entertainment, does drain you after a while. I have the bad habit of taking too short breaks and then complain that I am not able to perform as well as before the break, to myself. This was very helpful. Thank you very much
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:03 🧠 Our brain and body operate in 90-minute ultradian cycles for optimal focus and performance. 01:01 ⏱️ Set a timer for 90 minutes to focus on mental or physical tasks; include warm-up time. 01:56 🎯 Maintain focus, even if it flickers; shift back actively. Understand your brain's metabolic energy demand. 02:25 💤 After a focus bout, take at least 10-30 minutes for deliberate defocus to recharge. 03:23 📱 Deliberate decompression is essential for sustained focus; avoid phone use during breaks. 04:20 💤 Ultimate restoration comes during sleep; focus bouts are followed by deliberate decompression. 04:48 🔄 Alternate between intense bouts of focus and automatic tasks for optimal productivity throughout the day. Made with HARPA AI
What happened to the 7.5 minutes,first of a study time, being the most productive in a 30 or 90 minute session? I heard this a few months ago from one of your podcasts but couldn't get back to it to review. Bytheway, found your podcasts Professor Huberman when I did a google search on sleep in 2020. Studied and have degree in Biochemistry, I am subscribed and have benefitted from your lectures. Surprised to learn that most podcasts take 11 hours to make. Wow. And we get a zero-cost to the public service. Grateful. Lastly, the Chris Voss extensive interview a true gift to those of us wanting to always improve out communication skills. I am sharing with Law Enforcment contacts at Galveston Island Police Dept and Galveston County Sheriff's office.
Wow this is exactly the kind information I needed to hear about right now being a data scientist who lifts eights and a father to two small babies I’ve been getting really hard on myself when I loose focus and concentration. This is echoing advice my biofeedback therapist told me about years ago. 10 minute breaks 90 minute cycles . It’s replay good to be reminded so thank you Dr Huberman
You know, John Cleese (yes, that John Cleese) in his book about creative writing also said that you need about 8 minutes to get into the zone to become fully concentrated. To hear Andrew Huberman say that you require 10 to get to that stage must mean something about this, arguably, golden timeframe.
In summary: Our brain operates on Ultradian Cycles, which is 90-min cycles. What that means is attempt to focus on a task for no more than 90-min. 1. Accept the first 5 to 10-min within the 90-min is the transition time. 2. Be okay with losing focus during the 90-min focus time, but be able to shift your focus back 3. Brain uses the most of your metabolic energy, you'll feel tired after focusing for 90-min, so allow your mind to rest for at least 10-min, ideally 30-min of deliberate defocus time. 4. During defocus time, try not to look at your phone and let your mind idle.
You can combine this with the pomodoro method too. Most of us (at least at the beginning) don't have the capabilities to keep going for 90 minutes straigth focus, so, in those cases, 25 min might work. If you are more advanced or feel like it is too short, do 25 min and, if you are feeling still with energy, then you can skip the 5 min break and go for another 25 min, repeat the same process until you reach the 90 min or until you feel like needing a break, make sure the break duration also increases as you increase your focus time
bro honestly that is what i thought would work.. but here i am with my 4 months wasted. I finally feel that ultradian might be something that might work for me and I'm gonna start it today!
Dr Huberman, you are a welcome well-spring of education, information and learning! Thank you for giving all of us your time, expertise, and attention. 💪
control your blood sugar level if you want good focus. observation: morning i eat protein fat rich meal i+ coffee I'm sharp AF as soon as i eat something that spikes insulin my focus is broken.
Pomodoro theory and stats converge closer to 55 min (ON), and 10 min (OFF). That can fluctuate up 65 min on, but there's a measurable -massive dropoff in focus, accuracy, etc., after right around 1 hour (even 70 min+ has a measurable loss)
to people who might be wondering what one can do during the brreak, you can def give meditation a try. having a zero thought stage with your eyes closed or even the path to that wonderfully sets you up for another good work session.
Personally, I have noticed recently that what works best for me is that after doing 5 to 10 minutes of focused work, I take the rest of the day off. 😆 On a more serious note... thank you very much Dr Huberman! You are definitely an ELITE teacher.🙌
Thank you, Dr. Huberman! I love all the physiological, biological, etc., topics you cover. They are incredibly interesting and informative. I've learned so much from you!
I actually feel pain inside of my brain. When people say your brain can't feel anything because it lacks nerves, I believe that to be false. I have felt sensation inside my prefrontal cortex, & as of recently I will get headaches where somewhere on the left hemisphere of my brain is in pain. This first occurred a few years ago, but I can now sense this is happening more often. It is also synonymous with the pain in my ear. I am trying to do the best to take care of my health, I only hope that one day I can better understand what's wrong with my neurobiology, it seems very superficial to me. trying my best here, thanks for all your helpful advice
As someone with ADHD, having a mother with ADHD and 3 kids with the condition, 90 minutes is a huge huge stretch for us. It’s not even that we get distracted but that our brain just shuts down.
Well, I don't blame you for that, the society tells us that ADHD is a disease, but in fact is not. Everyone may have ADHD to some degree, and the degree over time changes depending on how we react to it. If you start focusing on what you were doing and accept the uncomfortable emotions and do the things anyways (even if you are far away from the optimal working capacity) it will get better over time (see ACT therapy). I am not a medical professionist or anything, I just have tried acting with any emotion and not responding to intrusive thoughts and it has improved my mental health drastically. I know it can be very hard, but try it and your focus will get better. Also, don't expect to be focused for hours without distraction, no one can do that.
That’s why he said it doesn’t need to be the full 90 minutes. My son and I with ADHD do 45 minutes stretches of work with 15 minutes of active brain breaks.
Adhd doesnt exist. What that means is that you cant see any difference in neurological "damage" in a adhd brain. If you look at history adhd was called mbd before and was called minimal brain dissorder/ dysfunktion. And said to be a damlaget from child birth. Adhd is made from enviorment. If you have a "adhd" parent you learn how ro act from the parrent. You are no more than your sorrunding. You can see adhd growing rapidly world wide due to kids dont learn how to chill. They are given information superfint from screens. Just watch a tv show for kids compare to a show 40 years ago. What happends If you sit still,eat shit and are given noice and pictures superfast all days. Your brain gets messed up. You can see that rhere are almost no adhd in farm lives or people growing up in small ciries around nature
Having a timer to be explicit about whether I’m working or not really helps me… But I find that at 25 min I’ve just really got going… Then 5 minute break feels like way too short, so what’s the point, it’s just frustrating that I have to try to focus again already, but my flow is already disrupted, and takes a while to get back into it again… I’m going to try doing like Pomodoro but 90 min, 30 min breaks. I think that might work better for me.
From my experience pomodoro is great to start doing focused work, 90 minutes can be daunting. But eventually moving to 90 minutes is better, as you get into more flow.
@@mendelovitch then expand your time, play with this until you find what works for you. It's also important to note that sometimes stopping your work in the groove tends to help some people. Writers for example sometimes stop mid chapter and when they come back it's easy to finish the idea. Compared to having to start from a blank page, but again experiment, what works for someone doesn't work for someone else.
The walking while texting is a big one. Walking while texting is the same to me as driving while texting. Just "pull over" on your feet and text where it's safe, free of obstacles, and where you won't be a human roadblock for anyone around you.
This helped me so much. I love understanding the biology behind performance topics. Today I am replanning the way I schedule my tasks based on this video.
Thank you. This is very insightful and useful. Am interested to learn about a few things - why techniques have been found to be great for the initial transition/ warm up? - what techniques have been found to bring attention back after a flicker? - from material and research I’ve read (as an armchair person interested in brains) it would appear that the great creatives (music, science, etc.) did on average 4-5 hours and no more of deep focus across a day. Be interested in your comments if the fact that they did no more than 4-5 (and 4 1/2 seems TK be the norm). Is this like not overtraining the body. And that allows for sustained lifetime effort?
Dr. Huberman, thank you for these useful pieces of information. I am a bioengineering student one day I would be very honored to have the privilege of working with you as an assistant.
I loved the phone/mobile device reference and how it can affect our walking, bathroom, and other times. 😄 I am glad I managed to reduce the time I spend on my mobile device. And even this week I used it less than an hour every single day. Now, regarding the time of focus - for me 90 minutes is too much. But I understand it is normal to lose focus in this period, so a break is essential within this period. I wondered why my morning routine turned to be a 90-minute period, while I wanted it to be one hour only. Naturally, I do the morning rituals in such a way that they take 90 minutes. Now knowing this, I can use it to schedule my morning, work, personal, evening, and sleep times accordingly. The challange is that not every day I do one and the same flow of things (which is good - I don't want to turn into an automatic robot), but at least when I need to be most focused and productive, I can use this knowledge in my advantage. 🙃
Very interesting - I've been trying to figure out the optimal work / rest balance for a very long time. Will give this a shot and see how it goes, maybe something like 90 mins, 30 break, 90 mins, 1 hour break, 90 mins, 30 break, 90 mins done for the day. I find trying to work more than 6 hours a day leads to diminishing returns quickly
i find it kinda funny that he mentioned that walking around is circles was a valid choice. ive learned to not use my phone until all of my work is done and when i take my 10 minute breaks i kinda just end up walking around in circles without noticing
Personally, I am very well doing with the pomodoro technique. If I am in the "reading-,understanding-, structure- and creating notes - stage" I use this form of pomodort: 50min focus, 10 min break --> 2 times of this one pomodoro cycle. But in the elaborate-stage ( repetition with ANKI) I use a 4 ×25 min with 5 min breaks inbetween as pomodoro-cycle.
Dr. Andrew, I am a student from India. I have been a long time consumer of the incredibly useful, helpful content. Personally you have single handedly saved me from one of the worst times of my life that came in covid. I cannot thank you enough for that. Today, I have a question for you, I have developed a habit of studying for 45-50 mins or an hour then taking a break to watch an episode of a sitcom(20 mins), then getting back to studying. I find that this works for me. What would be your first thought on this as a fellow learner, and from a neurobiology perspective. Should I continue on this or turn towards the 90 minute cycles for more benefits?
Watch the video again, little fella. Huberman said something like: "After focusing for about 90 minutes, do a pause between 5 to 30 minutes and, DO NOT FOCUS AT ANYTHING, DO MENIAL TASKS, GO OUTSIDE (added by me), DO NOTHING". No Tv shows, no cellphone, no reading. Let your brain rest, don't focus at anything.
If it works - it works. I would try to push longer gradually, like 5-10 minutes longer. it looks like you know your body and capabilities, no one knows better than you
So the ideal cycle is 90 minutes of work followed by 10 minutes of nap. Or maybe washing dishes or doing laundry or having lunch or walking (without headphones). How about trying to meditate? Is that effortful or effortless? What other things to do to defocus?
Dr Huberman, Thank you for 💡 idea of 90 minutes focus on one thing. I promise you I will start practicing 90 minutes to 120 min ie 2 hrs slot x 3 Times ie 080-0900pm Priority+Planning 0830-10am- organise+one thing 04-0530pm- Growth Time for Self & my Business number
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:03 🧠 *Ideal Focus Duration: 90 Minutes* - Focused work aligns with 90-minuteultradian cycles. - Optimal duration is around 90 minutes or less. - Acknowledge a transition time in the initial 5-10 minutes. 01:28 ⚙️ *Maintaining Focus and Energy* - Focused mental work requires active effort. - Occasional flickering of focus is normal; the key is to refocus. - Metabolic energy is crucial for sustained focus; the brain consumes a significant amount. 02:25 🔄 *Deliberate Defocus for Renewed Focus* - After a focus session, engage in deliberate defocus for 10-30 minutes. - Avoid intense mental tasks; focus on menial activities. - Deliberate decompression aids in restoring the ability to focus. 03:52 🛌 *Importance of Deliberate Decompression and Sleep* - Deliberate decompression is essential post-focus bouts. - Resisting the urge to engage with phones during decompression is crucial. - Sleep serves as the ultimate restoration for mental focus and well-being. Made with HARPA AI
From the research I’ve seen it’s fairly conclusive that the optimum cycle for studying is in fact 30 minutes, and that 90 minutes without a break is an effective way to completely waste the better part of an hour. Students who took 5 minute breaks every 30 minutes when revising had significantly better recall than those who took breaks every hour. Performance dropped significantly beyond this point, meaning students who studied for 90 minutes were effectively just wasting the last 30-45 minutes of each study session.
@@Puchog how does a basketball player get into the zone when they only play for 12 minutes a quarter? I don’t think taking breaks prevents you from achieving flow state. If anything it could very well help because you don’t overtax yourself. In fact this seems like it could well be the case. A lot of people find it easy to get into the flow state playing online games, in which the matches are often less than half an hour long, with short breaks in between for matchmaking. Considering this, the idea that shorter periods of concentration make it easier to achieve flow state seems to make sense to me.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:32 🧠 *Ideal Focus Duration: Aim for about 90 minutes of focused work, aligning with the brain's ultradian cycles.* 01:01 ⏰ *Transition Time: Acknowledge the first 5-10 minutes as a transition, part of the 90-minute focus block.* 01:56 🔄 *Active Refocusing: Understand that occasional loss of focus is normal; actively shift focus back to maintain productivity.* 02:25 🧘 *Deliberate Defocus: After a focus session, take 10-30 minutes for deliberate decompression, engaging in less mentally demanding tasks.* 03:52 🌙 *Importance of Decompression: Deliberate decompression is crucial for sustaining focus; avoid phone use during breaks for better mental restoration.* Made with HARPA AI
It would be interesting to know good ways for decompressing the focus. I could imagine having a guided breathwork bring very powerful here. Not so sure about NSDR and Meditation as it is a kind of training for focus but is it good for decompression too?
Would love to know, because 10-30 minutes of meditation between focus sets would be great to do, but if this would really decompress is the other question.
My new key to work: time myself 30 minutes, play electric drums 5 minutes. Gets my brain and body activated, increases oxygen intake, resets me for the next bout of work
2:40 Examples of menial tasks for refocus? I would’ve thought phone would be a good way to get defocused...it’s definitely distracting for me 🤪most of the crap I do on my phone is wasting time and avoiding true work lol
Your phone is still causing you to focus and activate your dopamine circuitry, especially if browsing social media. Best things are just to go dilate your eyes... Go for a small walk... Go to the toilet ... Watch horizon ... Tidy up around the house a little... Non sleep deep rest.
90 minutes or less focus, then a 10 minute defocus. In those 90 minutes around first 10 minutes are going to be transition from normal to deep focus, and also accept the fact that your focus might flicker few times. In those 10 minutes do task that require less concentration and are more automatic and requires less attention to be done.
Loved the video Dr Huberman,. But during the defocusing period, is talking to someone an activity which could be done? What I mean is talking about politics, news, or just casual talk, or meeting someone new.
I couldn't find any research papers that proved this. The ones I found dismissed the validity of 90-minute cycles in productivity or cyclic cognitive performance. Although, I do realize that taking breaks works intuitively and anecdotally. Anyone find the papers that show the mechanism of these ultradian learning cycles?
I have no idea about this, but I've looked up a few other things he claimed and they are also sketchy. I feel like he definitely has Lex Fridman syndrome, as in he prefers the beautifully fitting story over the not very well understood reality. Or he just tells the story that will help people, who knows.
00:03 The key to focus is to follow the 90-minute ultradian cycle 00:41 An ideal duration for focus is 90 minutes or less 01:21 90 minutes of focused mental work or learning 01:56 The brain's metabolic energy is chiefly consumed by brain function. 02:36 Deliberate defocus can improve productivity 03:12 Stay off your phone to decompress and improve focus 03:54 Our ability to focus is not just related to sensory information on devices, but also to deliberate decompression and sleep restoration. 04:38 Take breaks throughout the day to improve focus
People are so very different from each other. It takes me about an hour to get into something and then when I am in the flow time just vanishes. Chopping and changing every ninety minutes would cause me so much mental pain. I think I suffer from Lenz Law.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:03 ☕ Caffeine and Focus 02:27 🧠 Caffeine's Dopaminergic Effect 03:54 🚀 Caffeine's Wakefulness Mechanisms Made with HARPA AI
This clip is from the Huberman Lab episode "Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration." The full episode can be found on TH-cam here: th-cam.com/video/yb5zpo5WDG4/w-d-xo.html
My summary: Try to keep your bouts of mental and physical exertion to ~90 minutes. Remember that losing focus now and then is normal. Redirect your focus on the task at hand when it has drifted. Take at least ~10 minutes for a mental break in between each ~90 session of mental and physical effort, during which you should avoid narrowing your focus. Let your brain idle during this mental break. Doing this can make it easier to focus on your priorities again.
Thank you!
Huge help. Huberman lacks conciseness and sometimes lacks clarity.
He saysa up to 30 minutes for delibrately decompress. 10 minutes will be hard for most tasks and people
Thank you
Too long
It is refreshing to see someone finally being able to speak for 5mins without video cuts and corrections which fill TH-cam today.
All those cuts are done so that people like you don't get irritated over someone else imperfections. Hypocrites huh
@@Rahul-pro Nah maybe he's saying it because it feels more natural and like an actual human being talking rather than bots talking nonstop lines after lines
this man is a gift to humanity!
I`ve studied now for the last 8 years. After a lot of trial and error my most productive study cycle is 80 minutes of focus, then a 10 minute break where I get something to drink, move around, check messages etc. for 10 minutes. Then I rinse and repeat. After three cycles of 80min I take a longer break for 30min or more depending on my schedule that day.
So, pomodoro?
I love how Dr. Huberman breaks down the science behind focus. It's fascinating! I'm thinking of trying a new productivity tool to complement my focused work sessions.
Doc, this work you're doing is a contribution to world's happiness and productivity on a scale that's hard to overstate. Not just empty ideas but actionable concepts. And they feel so intuitive, almost obvious. The body has it's ways
0:17 To be clear, Circadian is from "circa diem", which means “about a day”. Circa is "about", diem is the "day".
As a computer expert, I cannot agree with you more. I found that staying on an electronic device(using it of course!), even for watching entertainment, does drain you after a while. I have the bad habit of taking too short breaks and then complain that I am not able to perform as well as before the break, to myself. This was very helpful. Thank you very much
This is very relatable this video saved me from losing my mind lmfao
As a computer expert
@@Willynilly_69 That part got me cracking up too :P
@@aciuschristophores7789 Not even Bill Gates would call himself a computer expert lmao
Use the timer function on your smartphone and label it.
This 5 minutes can be life changing.. thank Andrew for this!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:03 🧠 Our brain and body operate in 90-minute ultradian cycles for optimal focus and performance.
01:01 ⏱️ Set a timer for 90 minutes to focus on mental or physical tasks; include warm-up time.
01:56 🎯 Maintain focus, even if it flickers; shift back actively. Understand your brain's metabolic energy demand.
02:25 💤 After a focus bout, take at least 10-30 minutes for deliberate defocus to recharge.
03:23 📱 Deliberate decompression is essential for sustained focus; avoid phone use during breaks.
04:20 💤 Ultimate restoration comes during sleep; focus bouts are followed by deliberate decompression.
04:48 🔄 Alternate between intense bouts of focus and automatic tasks for optimal productivity throughout the day.
Made with HARPA AI
You do a better job of presenting information.
I think you should use your brain not AI to summarise it will help you more to retain.
This is insanely helpful, thanks.
What happened to the 7.5 minutes,first of a study time, being the most productive in a 30 or 90 minute session? I heard this a few months ago from one of your podcasts but couldn't get back to it to review. Bytheway, found your podcasts Professor Huberman when I did a google search on sleep in 2020. Studied and have degree in Biochemistry, I am subscribed and have benefitted from your lectures. Surprised to learn that most podcasts take 11 hours to make. Wow. And we get a zero-cost to the public service. Grateful. Lastly, the Chris Voss extensive interview a true gift to those of us wanting to always improve out communication skills. I am sharing with Law Enforcment contacts at Galveston Island Police Dept and Galveston County Sheriff's office.
Wow this is exactly the kind information I needed to hear about right now being a data scientist who lifts eights and a father to two small babies I’ve been getting really hard on myself when I loose focus and concentration. This is echoing advice my biofeedback therapist told me about years ago. 10 minute breaks 90 minute cycles . It’s replay good to be reminded so thank you Dr Huberman
You know, John Cleese (yes, that John Cleese) in his book about creative writing also said that you need about 8 minutes to get into the zone to become fully concentrated. To hear Andrew Huberman say that you require 10 to get to that stage must mean something about this, arguably, golden timeframe.
Dr. Andrew Huberman "knows what is up!" He knows what is going on. I like his suggestion of 90-minute sessions. Very good suggestion!
In summary:
Our brain operates on Ultradian Cycles, which is 90-min cycles.
What that means is attempt to focus on a task for no more than 90-min.
1. Accept the first 5 to 10-min within the 90-min is the transition time.
2. Be okay with losing focus during the 90-min focus time, but be able to shift your focus back
3. Brain uses the most of your metabolic energy, you'll feel tired after focusing for 90-min, so allow your mind to rest for at least 10-min, ideally 30-min of deliberate defocus time.
4. During defocus time, try not to look at your phone and let your mind idle.
You can combine this with the pomodoro method too.
Most of us (at least at the beginning) don't have the capabilities to keep going for 90 minutes straigth focus, so, in those cases, 25 min might work.
If you are more advanced or feel like it is too short, do 25 min and, if you are feeling still with energy, then you can skip the 5 min break and go for another 25 min, repeat the same process until you reach the 90 min or until you feel like needing a break, make sure the break duration also increases as you increase your focus time
bro honestly that is what i thought would work.. but here i am with my 4 months wasted. I finally feel that ultradian might be something that might work for me and I'm gonna start it today!
Dr Huberman, you are a welcome well-spring of education, information and learning! Thank you for giving all of us your time, expertise, and attention. 💪
Honestly he seems to just preach untested junk science. All of these studies he talks about are not even peer reviewed, especially on cold plunge
control your blood sugar level if you want good focus.
observation: morning i eat protein fat rich meal i+ coffee I'm sharp AF as soon as i eat something that spikes insulin my focus is broken.
Pomodoro theory and stats converge closer to 55 min (ON), and 10 min (OFF). That can fluctuate up 65 min on, but there's a measurable -massive dropoff in focus, accuracy, etc., after right around 1 hour (even 70 min+ has a measurable loss)
perhaps the break should be around 30 min; this way, next 90 min repeats precisely (as a cycle should do!), and (probably) with no drop in energy.
to people who might be wondering what one can do during the brreak, you can def give meditation a try. having a zero thought stage with your eyes closed or even the path to that wonderfully sets you up for another good work session.
Personally, I have noticed recently that what works best for me is that after doing 5 to 10 minutes of focused work, I take the rest of the day off.
😆
On a more serious note... thank you very much Dr Huberman! You are definitely an ELITE teacher.🙌
Dude you crush me on effective work
Same lol
Relatable
Lmaooo tighten up g hahaha
Finally, some clips from the Huberman Lab Podcast without any background music!
Thank you, Dr. Huberman! I love all the physiological, biological, etc., topics you cover. They are incredibly interesting and informative. I've learned so much from you!
Dr. Huberman the goat!
I actually feel pain inside of my brain. When people say your brain can't feel anything because it lacks nerves, I believe that to be false. I have felt sensation inside my prefrontal cortex, & as of recently I will get headaches where somewhere on the left hemisphere of my brain is in pain. This first occurred a few years ago, but I can now sense this is happening more often. It is also synonymous with the pain in my ear. I am trying to do the best to take care of my health, I only hope that one day I can better understand what's wrong with my neurobiology, it seems very superficial to me.
trying my best here, thanks for all your helpful advice
As someone with ADHD, having a mother with ADHD and 3 kids with the condition, 90 minutes is a huge huge stretch for us. It’s not even that we get distracted but that our brain just shuts down.
Well, I don't blame you for that, the society tells us that ADHD is a disease, but in fact is not. Everyone may have ADHD to some degree, and the degree over time changes depending on how we react to it. If you start focusing on what you were doing and accept the uncomfortable emotions and do the things anyways (even if you are far away from the optimal working capacity) it will get better over time (see ACT therapy). I am not a medical professionist or anything, I just have tried acting with any emotion and not responding to intrusive thoughts and it has improved my mental health drastically. I know it can be very hard, but try it and your focus will get better. Also, don't expect to be focused for hours without distraction, no one can do that.
@@klevisliperi7290 do you have it
That’s why he said it doesn’t need to be the full 90 minutes. My son and I with ADHD do 45 minutes stretches of work with 15 minutes of active brain breaks.
Adhd doesnt exist. What that means is that you cant see any difference in neurological "damage" in a adhd brain. If you look at history adhd was called mbd before and was called minimal brain dissorder/ dysfunktion. And said to be a damlaget from child birth. Adhd is made from enviorment. If you have a "adhd" parent you learn how ro act from the parrent. You are no more than your sorrunding. You can see adhd growing rapidly world wide due to kids dont learn how to chill. They are given information superfint from screens. Just watch a tv show for kids compare to a show 40 years ago. What happends If you sit still,eat shit and are given noice and pictures superfast all days. Your brain gets messed up. You can see that rhere are almost no adhd in farm lives or people growing up in small ciries around nature
The whole dang family 😂
What about the Pomodoro method, where you focus/work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, repeat four times, and then take a 15 minute break.
Having a timer to be explicit about whether I’m working or not really helps me… But I find that at 25 min I’ve just really got going… Then 5 minute break feels like way too short, so what’s the point, it’s just frustrating that I have to try to focus again already, but my flow is already disrupted, and takes a while to get back into it again… I’m going to try doing like Pomodoro but 90 min, 30 min breaks. I think that might work better for me.
From my experience pomodoro is great to start doing focused work, 90 minutes can be daunting.
But eventually moving to 90 minutes is better, as you get into more flow.
Rubbish. Why would you stop at 25 min if you're already in good concentration
What if you really get into the groove and suddenly the pomodoro's alarm interrupts your concentration, saying you must relax?
@@mendelovitch then expand your time, play with this until you find what works for you.
It's also important to note that sometimes stopping your work in the groove tends to help some people. Writers for example sometimes stop mid chapter and when they come back it's easy to finish the idea. Compared to having to start from a blank page, but again experiment, what works for someone doesn't work for someone else.
The walking while texting is a big one. Walking while texting is the same to me as driving while texting. Just "pull over" on your feet and text where it's safe, free of obstacles, and where you won't be a human roadblock for anyone around you.
This helped me so much. I love understanding the biology behind performance topics. Today I am replanning the way I schedule my tasks based on this video.
This is the best motivational video I have ever seen.
Thank you. This is very insightful and useful. Am interested to learn about a few things
- why techniques have been found to be great for the initial transition/ warm up?
- what techniques have been found to bring attention back after a flicker?
- from material and research I’ve read (as an armchair person interested in brains) it would appear that the great creatives (music, science, etc.) did on average 4-5 hours and no more of deep focus across a day. Be interested in your comments if the fact that they did no more than 4-5 (and 4 1/2 seems TK be the norm). Is this like not overtraining the body. And that allows for sustained lifetime effort?
One time I drove from North Carolina to Virginia and kind of focused the whole time…
Ok, some music &
Singing &
Thought drifting.
But a lot of focus!
Dr. Huberman, thank you for these useful pieces of information.
I am a bioengineering student one day I would be very honored to have the privilege of working with you as an assistant.
I loved the phone/mobile device reference and how it can affect our walking, bathroom, and other times. 😄 I am glad I managed to reduce the time I spend on my mobile device. And even this week I used it less than an hour every single day.
Now, regarding the time of focus - for me 90 minutes is too much. But I understand it is normal to lose focus in this period, so a break is essential within this period. I wondered why my morning routine turned to be a 90-minute period, while I wanted it to be one hour only. Naturally, I do the morning rituals in such a way that they take 90 minutes. Now knowing this, I can use it to schedule my morning, work, personal, evening, and sleep times accordingly. The challange is that not every day I do one and the same flow of things (which is good - I don't want to turn into an automatic robot), but at least when I need to be most focused and productive, I can use this knowledge in my advantage. 🙃
Ironically watching this in the bathroom...
The question is .. are you focusing? 😂
Same here 😭
Same 🤣
Me too
What the Fantasy 🫡
Not kiddong but 90 min is what i found to be my best pomo time before i even knew this!!!
Good video.
I’m a firm believer in the 45 minute cycles. Tried and true for me.
So for every 45mins of intense study, do you take at least 10 to 15mins breaks in between?
@@mindhunter8772 optimally yes, not just a break, but a Power Nap.
How many 4 5 min in a day?
@@gvm271as many as you have time for
@@curseofsasuke nap? are you delusional
lol. He says don't take phone to washroom. Coincidently , I was on phone in WR while watching this. Very useful tips on focus. Thanks.
Retail Day Traders need to hear this.
Very interesting - I've been trying to figure out the optimal work / rest balance for a very long time. Will give this a shot and see how it goes, maybe something like 90 mins, 30 break, 90 mins, 1 hour break, 90 mins, 30 break, 90 mins done for the day. I find trying to work more than 6 hours a day leads to diminishing returns quickly
i find it kinda funny that he mentioned that walking around is circles was a valid choice. ive learned to not use my phone until all of my work is done and when i take my 10 minute breaks i kinda just end up walking around in circles without noticing
Thank you Dr. Huberman
Personally, I am very well doing with the pomodoro technique.
If I am in the "reading-,understanding-, structure- and creating notes - stage" I use this form of pomodort: 50min focus, 10 min break --> 2 times of this one pomodoro cycle.
But in the elaborate-stage ( repetition with ANKI) I use a 4 ×25 min with 5 min breaks inbetween as pomodoro-cycle.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I use exactly the same system and it helps me a lot
that's ecactly what i find the most helpful strategy
Pomodoro is best system for me also - I try to go longer than 25 minutes, but most times the 25 minutes is best.
Dr. Andrew, I am a student from India.
I have been a long time consumer of the incredibly useful, helpful content. Personally you have single handedly saved me from one of the worst times of my life that came in covid.
I cannot thank you enough for that.
Today, I have a question for you, I have developed a habit of studying for 45-50 mins or an hour then taking a break to watch an episode of a sitcom(20 mins), then getting back to studying.
I find that this works for me. What would be your first thought on this as a fellow learner, and from a neurobiology perspective.
Should I continue on this or turn towards the 90 minute cycles for more benefits?
Watch the video again, little fella.
Huberman said something like: "After focusing for about 90 minutes, do a pause between 5 to 30 minutes and, DO NOT FOCUS AT ANYTHING, DO MENIAL TASKS, GO OUTSIDE (added by me), DO NOTHING".
No Tv shows, no cellphone, no reading. Let your brain rest, don't focus at anything.
@Akhil Maitreya he also said not to read, reading like watching sitcoms requires mental capacity.
@@sairos4057 so can i sleep to let the brain rest alongwith the body?
If it works - it works.
I would try to push longer gradually, like 5-10 minutes longer.
it looks like you know your body and capabilities, no one knows better than you
I'm not an expert, but going for a walk always helps me. I work from home a lot of the time and it helps to go for a walk once or twice a day.
So the ideal cycle is 90 minutes of work followed by 10 minutes of nap. Or maybe washing dishes or doing laundry or having lunch or walking (without headphones). How about trying to meditate? Is that effortful or effortless? What other things to do to defocus?
Dr Huberman, Thank you for 💡 idea of 90 minutes focus on one thing. I promise you I will start practicing 90 minutes to 120 min ie 2 hrs slot x 3 Times ie
080-0900pm Priority+Planning
0830-10am- organise+one thing
04-0530pm- Growth Time for Self & my Business number
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:03 🧠 *Ideal Focus Duration: 90 Minutes*
- Focused work aligns with 90-minuteultradian cycles.
- Optimal duration is around 90 minutes or less.
- Acknowledge a transition time in the initial 5-10 minutes.
01:28 ⚙️ *Maintaining Focus and Energy*
- Focused mental work requires active effort.
- Occasional flickering of focus is normal; the key is to refocus.
- Metabolic energy is crucial for sustained focus; the brain consumes a significant amount.
02:25 🔄 *Deliberate Defocus for Renewed Focus*
- After a focus session, engage in deliberate defocus for 10-30 minutes.
- Avoid intense mental tasks; focus on menial activities.
- Deliberate decompression aids in restoring the ability to focus.
03:52 🛌 *Importance of Deliberate Decompression and Sleep*
- Deliberate decompression is essential post-focus bouts.
- Resisting the urge to engage with phones during decompression is crucial.
- Sleep serves as the ultimate restoration for mental focus and well-being.
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Your recommendations are pure protein 4 me. I do take them very religiously 4 I can see how far they let me get there. Keep it up dude. 👍💪✌️
I will now work on getting my marathon time down to 90 minutes. World record here we go!
I find 20 minutes on and 5 minute break helps me the most
From the research I’ve seen it’s fairly conclusive that the optimum cycle for studying is in fact 30 minutes, and that 90 minutes without a break is an effective way to completely waste the better part of an hour. Students who took 5 minute breaks every 30 minutes when revising had significantly better recall than those who took breaks every hour. Performance dropped significantly beyond this point, meaning students who studied for 90 minutes were effectively just wasting the last 30-45 minutes of each study session.
thanks Dr Wincey
Do you have a link to the study for this?
And how do you get into the flow immersion by simply studying for 30 minutes ? you lose the momentum
@@Puchog how does a basketball player get into the zone when they only play for 12 minutes a quarter? I don’t think taking breaks prevents you from achieving flow state. If anything it could very well help because you don’t overtax yourself. In fact this seems like it could well be the case. A lot of people find it easy to get into the flow state playing online games, in which the matches are often less than half an hour long, with short breaks in between for matchmaking. Considering this, the idea that shorter periods of concentration make it easier to achieve flow state seems to make sense to me.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:32 🧠 *Ideal Focus Duration: Aim for about 90 minutes of focused work, aligning with the brain's ultradian cycles.*
01:01 ⏰ *Transition Time: Acknowledge the first 5-10 minutes as a transition, part of the 90-minute focus block.*
01:56 🔄 *Active Refocusing: Understand that occasional loss of focus is normal; actively shift focus back to maintain productivity.*
02:25 🧘 *Deliberate Defocus: After a focus session, take 10-30 minutes for deliberate decompression, engaging in less mentally demanding tasks.*
03:52 🌙 *Importance of Decompression: Deliberate decompression is crucial for sustaining focus; avoid phone use during breaks for better mental restoration.*
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thank you!
It would be interesting to know good ways for decompressing the focus. I could imagine having a guided breathwork bring very powerful here. Not so sure about NSDR and Meditation as it is a kind of training for focus but is it good for decompression too?
Would love to know, because 10-30 minutes of meditation between focus sets would be great to do, but if this would really decompress is the other question.
I will try this, thank you.
thank you for the knowledge
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:03 🧠 *研究指出「超日循環」的重要性，建議每次專注工作或學習的理想時間是90分鐘。*
01:01 🕰️ *在90分鐘的專注工作中，前5至10分鐘是過渡時間，理解並接受這段時間是焦慮的熱身，並在90分鐘內真正專注於工作或學習。*
02:25 💤 *在90分鐘結束後，進行10至30分鐘的「有意識的放鬆」，避免專注後立即使用手機或進行需要高度注意力的任務。*
03:52 🔄 *有意識地進行「深度休息」，在每次90分鐘的專注後，避免持續集中思維，讓大腦進行自由漫遊，以促進專注力的再次提升。*
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My new key to work: time myself 30 minutes, play electric drums 5 minutes. Gets my brain and body activated, increases oxygen intake, resets me for the next bout of work
Deliberate decompression! Maybe that is why I cannot focus all day and feel stressed. I’m walking with my phone listening to something all day long.
For another perspective on this topic I've made a video called "Is Huberman right about study breaks" at Peter Rogers MD.
Alhumdulillah, Thank you for this information
2:40 Examples of menial tasks for refocus? I would’ve thought phone would be a good way to get defocused...it’s definitely distracting for me 🤪most of the crap I do on my phone is wasting time and avoiding true work lol
Your phone is still causing you to focus and activate your dopamine circuitry, especially if browsing social media.
Best things are just to go dilate your eyes... Go for a small walk... Go to the toilet ... Watch horizon ... Tidy up around the house a little... Non sleep deep rest.
Pomodoro is what I follow 💁🏻♂️
Just saved it to watch later, when I might be able to focus
90 minutes or less focus, then a 10 minute defocus.
In those 90 minutes around first 10 minutes are going to be transition from normal to deep focus, and also accept the fact that your focus might flicker few times.
In those 10 minutes do task that require less concentration and are more automatic and requires less attention to be done.
is defocus really a term? just say it is a break
@@ShwetabhSenpai yes it is a word
Very interesting and makes sense. Well presented - Thanks for sharing!
I think our generation that grew with social media and quick dopamine hits, our focusing lenght drastically decreased.
Great content , thanks for sharing.
Subbed in hindi more podcast ❤❤❤
1:05 I know the sleeping states (rem, etc.). What are the waking states? Any video someone can link to to learn more?
great question! i would also like to know:)
Thanks for hindi language
Loved the video Dr Huberman,. But during the defocusing period, is talking to someone an activity which could be done? What I mean is talking about politics, news, or just casual talk, or meeting someone new.
That 10-30 minute break could be a 10-20 minute nap - that's what they're good for
10minute is enough to make me feel sleepy.
90 minutes of focus, divided in 2 parts.
Tracked.
Worked for me.
That is why I am obsessed with it.
God reward you with the best!
Vielen herzlichen Dank ❤
I couldn't find any research papers that proved this. The ones I found dismissed the validity of 90-minute cycles in productivity or cyclic cognitive performance. Although, I do realize that taking breaks works intuitively and anecdotally. Anyone find the papers that show the mechanism of these ultradian learning cycles?
You might wanna contact Dr. Hubberman for that.
I have no idea about this, but I've looked up a few other things he claimed and they are also sketchy. I feel like he definitely has Lex Fridman syndrome, as in he prefers the beautifully fitting story over the not very well understood reality. Or he just tells the story that will help people, who knows.
2:49 what are more resources in the “optimization world” besides the huberman podcast. Any recommendations?
You are a great mind sir
thank you so much!🙏
Hi @Andrew
Thanks for the videos. What is the impact of takling a 5-10 min break within a 90 minute study session?
It's recommended. You should take 5mins halfway through to dilate your eyes and that will help you avoid fatigue, especially if staring at a screen.
I can't drive car after 3 hours even after delibrate defocus I drop into lack of focus very fast what can I do I am an adhd diagnosed person
How can I lengthen this time please help
00:03 The key to focus is to follow the 90-minute ultradian cycle
00:41 An ideal duration for focus is 90 minutes or less
01:21 90 minutes of focused mental work or learning
01:56 The brain's metabolic energy is chiefly consumed by brain function.
02:36 Deliberate defocus can improve productivity
03:12 Stay off your phone to decompress and improve focus
03:54 Our ability to focus is not just related to sensory information on devices, but also to deliberate decompression and sleep restoration.
04:38 Take breaks throughout the day to improve focus
What are more examples of these tasks to do during a brain break?
People are so very different from each other. It takes me about an hour to get into something and then when I am in the flow time just vanishes. Chopping and changing every ninety minutes would cause me so much mental pain. I think I suffer from Lenz Law.
Great info for traders
Thank You!
Staying off your phone in the bathroom :D so true😀
Great Advice!
In the past, I've use the Pomodoro Technique. I think 90 minutes makes more sense, as the 25 minute seems too short.
How do chessplayers mantain focus from 4 to 7 hours per game? Certainly they don't de-focus for 30 minutes.
Great episode
I don’t know how many times have I rewinded this video because I lost focus on and on, Idk how many minutes I spent watching this video 😂
What about if we done some exercises (light to heavy )in between sets of focus work
Please go to campuses and mention this to the professors teaching lectures longer than 90 minutes.
Professors:🗿🛸
Students: 💀💩
Here, here!
Me watching this in the bathroom: 😮
Thank You
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:03 ☕ Caffeine and Focus
02:27 🧠 Caffeine's Dopaminergic Effect
03:54 🚀 Caffeine's Wakefulness Mechanisms
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I am watching this from the bathroom 😂