Have you ever realized that, as a society, our daily routines seem almost entirely inverted?
We often find ourselves so “busy” that we struggle to fit in any exercise. Instead, we spend numerous sedentary hours in our cars each week, believing that driving will save us time.
To nourish ourselves during these hectic days, we often grab whatever convenient or appealing food catches our fancy at the moment, add in extra snacks between meals while watching television, and maybe indulge in a final treat before going to sleep.
In the remaining snippets of free time, we fill our minds with similarly enticing or accessible forms of entertainment or “content” that compete fiercely for our attention, much like a pen filled with eager pigs vying for leftover scraps.
Our food production systems, along with magazines, newspapers, television and streaming platforms, and even politicians, are more than happy to continuously produce low-quality options. The consequences are exactly what you might expect: disappointing.
However, there is some positive news: you can flip everything around and achieve remarkably positive outcomes. The most significant change you will notice is a substantial improvement in both physical and mental health, which together contribute to a happier, longer, and more fulfilling life in all aspects.
In essence, if there's anything worth aiming for—beyond financial independence, early retirement, or any individual aspirations—it’s likely the comprehensive goal of becoming a healthier person.
In recent months, I have established a new routine that appears to be improving continuously as its positive effects reinforce one another. It's become so effective that I thought it would be beneficial to share and exchange insights with you.
To get straight to the main point, let’s compare the progression of two hypothetical days side-by-side: the typical American lifestyle and a somewhat optimized, science-based life. After that, we can dive back in to elaborate on where all these aspects originate from, and the reason behind this blog post's unusual title.
So, What Is This About?
If you didn’t recognize the person in the image above, these insights have been carefully curated in my mind by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a Stanford professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology who has also become a leader in the podcasting arena.
The fundamental information isn’t entirely new—Huberman explores nearly every facet of the brain and body, and the scientific community has been researching this material for quite some time. However, the pace of discovery is quicker than ever, and he has become my knowledgeable guide to distill and relay the most relevant findings in an engaging and understandable manner. I find his episodes thorough, detailed, and focused on actual scientific findings rather than mere speculation.
The presentation is essential to me as well. I’ve been a health and fitness advocate since I was sixteen, but up to this point, the field often felt divided: there were the polished, muscular promoters—primarily marketers for their products with little substance (and a fundamental conflict of interest)—and then there were the actual scientists, who typically lacked flair and presentation skills and often didn’t embody what they preached, making them less motivating to follow, especially since they typically communicated primarily through academic papers.
Huberman combines both roles; he is a genuine scientist and an impressive presenter. Each time he delivers his focused insights through the screen with his piercingly intelligent gaze while expertly gesturing with his athletic form in a sharp black dress shirt, it becomes much easier to convince yourself that “This is probably valuable advice if it can help me become even a little like him.”
In July, as I began drafting this article, I shared a playful teaser on my Instagram account showing me in my sweltering “car sauna” parked on the sun-baked driveway behind my home. This marked the beginning of my exploration into intentional hot and cold exposure. I found it both enjoyable and remarkably uplifting (Huberman reveals in several episodes that the mood boost from a cold water plunge is nearly equivalent to taking cocaine—except this “drug” is actually beneficial for you!)
The Molecule of More
It all commenced when a friend shared a link to an episode discussing ADHD, knowing it’s something I constantly seek to optimize in my life. This dramatically transformed my understanding of my own cognitive processes, leading me to another episode on depression and another on Dopamine and its impact on our motivation and drive.
Things began to click into place as I delved into the effects of brain chemicals, particularly Dopamine and Adrenaline, on my life. I discovered that the levels of these molecules determine not only my typical ADHD symptoms—like difficulties with focus and memory—but also influence my capacity to feel joy, make plans, and engage in any activities at all. This realization clarified why days with pronounced “ADHD” traits could also resemble symptoms of depression.
This journey took me deeply into Dopamine research. Following Huberman's recommendation, I read a book titled The Molecule of More, which turned out to be a transformative experience. The book unravels some of the most significant mysteries
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Have you ever observed that our society's daily routines are, in many ways, completely inverted? We tend to be so "busy" that we scarcely find time for exercise. Subsequently, we invest countless...