Personal rituals are essential for personal growth and can be incorporated into daily routines to improve our lives and relationships. Some common examples include setting aside time for self-reflection, creating art as an emotional expression, performing specific stretches or exercises each morning, and writing letters to ourselves at the beginning of each year to set intentions and reflect on growth.
Creating a meaningful ritual is not difficult, but it requires presence, perspective, and choice. Presence encourages slowing down and opening the eyes of our senses, while presence also helps develop positive habits and provide structure, focus, and motivation.
Healthy rituals to use in everyday life include morning meditation, gratitude journaling, digital detox, nature walks, deep breathing, mindset check-in, drinking water, acknowledging loved ones, and sanctifying the space in your home through conscious practice. Consistency and repetition are crucial for solidifying the ritual, as regular repetition reinforces the sense of meaning and helps us live our best life.
A new book illustrates how rituals can improve our lives and relationships, and how to create and recognize your own rituals. Examples of rituals include setting intentions, invoking prayer, practicing yoga and pranayama breathwork, and bringing full appreciation to the act. Rituals can also be used as emotional catalysts that energize, inspire, and elevate us, enriching our lives and helping us savor them.
In summary, personal rituals play a significant role in personal growth and can be created through various methods such as setting intentions, practicing yoga, and incorporating deep appreciation into daily life.
📹 3 Daily Rituals for Better Mental Health
Do you ever feel like your mental health is suffering and you don’t know where to start to improve it? In this video, we discuss three …
What is an example of ritualism in real life?
The term “ritualism” is used to describe a phenomenon whereby individuals may reject the goals of their society, yet still adhere to the methods by which those goals are pursued. This can be observed in the case of students who graduate from high school without having formulated a clear career plan, yet proceed to attend college or university, despite the absence of a discernible career trajectory.
Why are rituals important in our daily life?
Rituals serve as punctuation marks in our lives, providing structure and shared memories. They enable us to connect with our deepest thoughts, feelings, and experiences, as well as face the realities of our changing bodies and relationships. Rituals help us authentically articulate our experiences in the world, to ourselves and those closest to us. They acknowledge that we are a social species and feel the need to mark important moments in our lives with the people who matter most to us.
For example, in a wedding ceremony, the elements of the ceremony that matter are common, such as the love of the couple being spoken aloud in front of an audience. The ritual of the exchange of vows, often ringing, highlights the significance and solemnity of the occasion, reminding all attending that the couple is about to significantly change an aspect of their lives.
How do we perform rituals in our daily life?
The text presents eight healthy rituals for everyday life, including morning meditation, gratitude journaling, digital detox, nature walks, mindful cooking and eating, reading for pleasure, and evening reflection. These rituals are designed to help individuals ground themselves and promote overall well-being.
What are the 4 types of rituals?
Gluckman distinguishes four kinds of ritual, with rite of passage being a typical constitutive ritual. However, the terms “rite of passage” and “ritual” face difficulties as analytic concepts, making it difficult to differentiate between common behavior, rite of passage, and ritual in a strict sense. Van Gennep’s original expressions of the basic features of the rite of passage are vague, and the core problem is what people want to change through ritual.
Travel away from home but not for subsistence is a human behavior that has been widespread in all societies since ancient times. It wasn’t until the late twentieth century that tourism became a general necessity of life, promoting the development of related industries around the world. Determining the coordinates of tourism in cultural anthropology and establishing an analytic framework of tourism are frequently the focus of research for tourism anthropologists.
Graburn and Nash, two important researchers in the anthropology of tourism, have debated these basic questions. Graburn suggests that tourism is a “modern ritual” in contemporary society, where people are outside of their daily lives and in the travel life, which differs from routine work and life. He divides the life of the tourist into three stages: secular work-divine travel-secular work.
Nash later proposed that the purpose of travel, attitude toward travel, and the traveler’s behavior vary from person to person, and not all kinds of travel are similar to pilgrimage. While Graburn’s points of view can be useful for analyzing tourism, it’s important to be wary of being trapped into any one conceptual scheme, particularly one that may acquire a quality of truth in the minds of its proponents.
What are 5 examples of rituals?
Social practices, rituals, and festive events encompass a wide range of forms, including worship rites, rites of passage, birth, wedding, and funeral rituals, oaths of allegiance, traditional legal systems, games, sports, kinship ceremonies, settlement patterns, culinary traditions, seasonal ceremonies, and practices specific to men or women. These practices also include special gestures, words, recitations, songs, dances, clothing, processions, animal sacrifice, and food.
The changes in modern societies, such as migration, individualization, formal education, and the influence of major world religions, have significantly impacted these practices. The Vimbuza Healing Dance is an example of a healing ritual connected to this element.
How do you develop daily rituals?
To start off 2022 with healthier habits, consider creating a daily routine. This can include making matcha tea instead of coffee, staying active with daily exercise, stretching, practicing meditation, practicing breathwork, and aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep. As adults, it’s important to establish a routine or healthy rituals to help build healthy habits. Repeated actions, even small ones, accumulate to help reach a goal.
Practicing discipline and committing to daily rituals or healthy habits work by accumulating marginal gains. By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can build a strong foundation for a healthier and happier life.
How do you develop rituals?
Ritual involves creating an environment, setting an intention, bringing presence, and deep appreciation. It is essential to be fully present and appreciate the act. In today’s world, technology and consumerism have become our religion, losing the ability to elevate something into the realm of the sacred. Rituals like the Eucharistic ritual in mass, Zen priests performing similar rituals, yoga practitioners, Muslims worshipping at mosques, and Buddhists practicing at temples all feel like a moment lifted into sacredness. This sacred ritual is a way to find oneself again and again, as it allows us to find ourselves again and again.
How do rituals rewire your brain?
The existing research demonstrates that rituals can enhance perceptions of control, order, confidence, and calmness, particularly in uncertain business contexts. This can facilitate the completion of challenging tasks with greater confidence and calmness.
What is an example of ritualism in everyday life?
The term “ritualism” is used to describe a phenomenon whereby individuals may reject the goals of their society, yet still adhere to the methods by which those goals are pursued. This can be observed in the case of students who graduate from high school without having formulated a clear career plan, yet proceed to attend college or university, despite the absence of a discernible career trajectory.
What are the six types of rituals?
Rituals are sequences of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or revered objects, often prescribed by community traditions. They are characterized by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance. Rituals are a feature of all known human societies and include worship rites, sacraments, rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations, presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, and more.
The field of ritual studies has seen conflicting definitions of the term. One definition by Kyriakidis suggests that a ritual is an outsider’s or “etic” category for a set activity or set of actions that seems irrational, non-contiguous, or illogical to the outsider. The term can also be used by the insider or “emic” performer as an acknowledgement that the activity can be seen as such by the uninitiated onlooker.
What are the 5 characteristics of rituals?
Catherine Bell identifies various aspects of rituals, including formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance. Rituals use a restricted code of expressions, which anthropologists call a “restricted code”. Maurice Bloch argues that this formal oratorical style limits what can be said, causing acceptance, compliance, or forbearance in response to challenges.
This form of communication makes rebellion impossible and revolution the only feasible alternative. Rituals support traditional forms of social hierarchy and authority, maintaining the assumptions on which authority is based.
Rituals often appeal to tradition and repeat historical precedents, religious rites, mores, or ceremonies accurately. Traditionalism varies from formalism, as the ritual may not be formal but still makes an appeal to the historical trend. Historians Eric Hobsbawm and Terrence Ranger argue that many of these rituals are invented traditions, such as the British monarchy’s rituals, which invoke “thousand-year-old tradition” but whose actual form originates in the late nineteenth century. Thus, the appeal to history is important rather than accurate historical transmission.
📹 The Optimal Morning Routine – Andrew Huberman
Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist and tenured Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University …
Remember these practical tips: Try to get natural light in your eyes within 1 hour of waking up. Try to incorporate exercise as early as possibly. Get in cold water after. Wait 90 minutes before drinking any caffeine. These simple tools can have a profound positive impact on mood, energy, metabolism, dopamine, sleep, focus, body temp and more. Big thank you to Andrew Huberman for sharing so much valuable insight. Please check out the Huberman Lab Podcast for more in-depth information. If you want to support After Skool, the best way to do so is on Patreon. Thank you! patreon.com/AfterSkool
I have seen this article several times and took the challenge. I am 73 years old, doing things in the gym, which I do at home now, that 16- my age can’t. The optimal morning routine didn’t seem like such small matters put together would be so meaningful. But WOW ! they definitely do. Yes I tried them, and still am and on my 3rd day and will continue to do so. I’ll always be grateful to Doc Andrew and my willingness to challenge this method. Thanks for saving the world to those who will try these methods.
1. Get decent solid sleep on a decent basis (aligns cell circadian rhythm clocks) 2. Get (5-10mins) natural light in eyes within 1 hour of waking up – get that modulated cortisol pulse (natural big spike sets alertness, focus, mood) as early as possible in the day (otherwise a shifted cortisol pulse towards the dead zone noon time could increase anxiety, depression, and difficulty falling asleep) —- get it in early, eyes send ‘wake up’ signal to hypothalmus in brain, which sets tone for melatonin release 16 hrs later (otherwise wonder why you’re wide awake at midnight) 3. Dopamine (main role = drive, motivation, pursuit – NOT PLEASURE) … sunlight on eyes and skin increase that, also increase in testosterone = net result = ya feel good sunshine ☺️ live that good life! Enjoy baby 4. You wake up and feel ‘I don’t wanna do this man, so tired, no energy’ — go easy, baby steps: hydrate, some light exercise, slowly slowly build up 🙂 natural part of your amazing healthy life giving routine baby 5. (20 second—1-3mins) cold shower – become super saiyan 6. THE AMOUNT OF PLEASURE THAT YOU EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO HOW MUCH PAIN YOU EXPERIENCE (13:13) .. seek pain = gain pleasure / seek pleasure = get pain
Thank you for these articles. I am part Cherokee Indian and my grandpa taught me many things exactly what you are discussing right now as a small child with his love of nature. I still apply his knowledge he imparted to me which has similarities to what you are discussing now. Indigenous cultures have great knowledge we all may learn from. Affectionately. Reverence. ❤ Light ✨️ Running rivers of cold waters. Hot springs coming up from earth. Nature is the source.
Ok. I watched this article last night. The caffeine advice not only worked immediately, but I needed far less for even better results than what my usual intake provides. Unreal. I feel fully on point, no crash, no jitters from trying to beat the lethargy, just cruising. Thank you and thank God for bringing this to my attention.
Props to Huberman and the cartoonist for syncing the drawings along with the talk. I’m 55, and for some reason over the last couple of years, I’ve struggled to retain most of what I’ve read or listened to. But when accompanied by simple diagrams and drawings, the attention, comprehension, and retention to the subject skyrockets. Thanks
Couple of months ago I had a massive breakdown and needed to rethink how I build my life. I was a bit lost on where to start and choosed to focus on “what felt right”. I basically got out of bed, hydrated, went for a morning jog, had a cold shower and held back on caffeine until miday. Never felt better It’s funny to see it’s actually backed up by science
I have gotten into the habit of going out for a morning powerwalk right after I wake up every day. Because I go out so early, I get to watch the sunrise every day and it has a great effect on my mood. I stay outside for maybe 1-2 hours (depending on how far I walk) before coming back home, having a big glass of water, jumping in the shower (I did cold showers during the summer, but now it’s getting so damn cold that I have started taking hot showers again for now – otherwise I’d sit and shiver all day) and then have my morning coffee. I have been sick for the last few days so I took some time off from this routine to rest and even though it was only for 3 days, I immediately felt very different. The muscles in my body became stiff, my mood got worse and I started having trouble going to sleep at night. I woke up this morning and immediately headed outside for the first time since my days off and I already feel so much better. I admit that getting (back) into the habit can be difficult (I spent about 10 minutes sitting in bed grunting and moaning about having to go outside this morning) but the reward is worth it, 100%.
Just wanted to comment saying THANK YOU for acknowledging shift workers! So often I feel like influencers and other people on the internet just say “sleep during the same hours every night” without realizing that there are entire industries that have to be staffed 24/7. So thanks for remembering the night shifters ❤
I’m a 25 yr old student and I had no idea about the morning sunlight thing. For the past few days I’ve been waking up around noon because my classes are super late. I also have anxiety and depression. I’m so glad I now understand why I’ve been feeling a bit worse recently. You guys are amazing pls keep the great advice coming ❤
NOTES 📝 Prerequisite: Try to get good sleep 80% of the time. – Get natural sunlight in your eyes between 6-8 AM. 5-10 mins in summer and 30 mins in Winter. (Modulates the timing of Cortisol. Once in 24 hours you get a boost in Cortisol pulse, it’s a healthy boost. You want the Cortisol boost as early in the day as possible. It sets your temperature rhythm in motion. Sets your level of alertness, focus, and mood.) – Postpone caffeine by 60-90 mins. It blocks Adenosine. If you wake up and feel like you didn’t quite sleep very well, then it means you have a buildup of Adenosine in your system. Exercise and hydrate to get rid of it or Postpone caffeine as pointed out earlier. – 2 hours before your wakeup time your body is at its lowest temperature (called ‘temperature minimum’). At the time of waking up the Cortisol pulse occurs as the body temperature rises gradually. Viewing morning sunlight anchors this wakeup time so it’s the same everyday. Around afternoon you temperature is at the max and your system revving at the max capacity and gradually the temperature will drop until the temperature minimum. Hence, for quick sleep it is advised to keep the room cool. – Goal is to increase the body temperature to be awake and decrease to stay asleep. Cold shower causes the core body temperature to rise. Pain seeking like exercise and cold showers lead to a sustained dopamine and epinephrine release spanning throughout the day. This prevents the crashes of these same chemicals. Anna Lembke’s patient who was a Cocaine addict was subjected to cold baths and he gradually overcame his addictions as the sustained feel-good after the cold bath mimicked the cocaine high to some level.
Thank you so much for this, I need help in this area, I’m a terrible insomniac, always have been, literally since childhood …🤯& I’ve been an acute care registered Nurse for 23 years, so fast paced, high stress shift work & this article gave me some great ideas and inspiration and I always appreciate your time & effort, this is an amazing website, thanks again 😻✌️
I work in the early am before the Sun comes up… when I get home it’s finally up… one day I had a really bad headache and I went outside with my dogs to let them go to the bathroom… I have no idea why, but I felt this urge to shut my eyes and point my face directly at the Sun… my headache was gone almost instantly, blew my mind… I do that every day now for about 5 min at a time
Such a good article! Just change my life!! I am the mom of five kids my oldest kid is special needs . To know that I can get light in the morning and it is going to help my whole day is such a blessing thank you!! If it wasn’t for God if my life I would not have made it so will!! Please everyone hear the gospel message! Ray Comfort has the gospel on YouTube! Thanks again for the article!! It is so fascinating to hear how God made us!!
The take way: Get sunlight asap after waking up to align circadian rhythm Exercise to get unsleepy Take cold a** shower to shock brain into revving up Finally, use caffeine to its maximum potential. So how I would apply this lesson is: When I am ready for bedtime, take a hot shower and sleep in darkness. Go to sleep at a set time to ensure optimal circadian rhythm function. Wake up a few minutes before sunrise, go outside and pray and meditate as the sun comes up. When it is so, stretch and do some light dancing to some music for a few minutes in the sunshine. Drink water and thank God for it and everything. Gratitude is the attitude of happines. Then go inside, put the coffee pot on and while I wait for it to brew, do some quick weight lifting. Drink the coffee quickly and do some more weightlifting as I wait for the inevitable bowel movement. Take that dump. Then take a quick cold shower. Once this is all done, I can get dressed and begin my day with confidence that I did what I could to have as good a day as i can. 😁👍
Thank you for this article. I have several people in my life that need to optimize their mornings, because they are wasting away, not living the life they have. I hear excuses like work sucks, I hate mornings, I need a nap, I’m tired. Hopefully this article will open their eyes to a better mood, higher energy levels, more focused thought, higher productivity, better relationships, better sleep. I hopeful 😊
Optimal Morning Routine 1. Get natural light in your eyes within 1-hour of waking up, 5-10 minutes (Summer), 30 minutes (Winter) 2. Caffeine only after 60-90 minutes of waking up 3. Exercise after waking up, helps with afternoon crash 4. Ice shower wakes up the brain as it inc the adrenaline 5. Inc temp = awk, dec temp = aslp
This is an excellent excellent article. Once, when I was 15 y.o., I took a medicine that caused horrible itching. Now, I’m over 30 and I keep having those episodes of itching when the temperature suddenly rises; going out in the sun or entering a warm room coming from the cold outside temps before. That’s why I’ve been avoiding the sun for ages. And also, ever since I started wearing sunglasses, my eyes burn when I go out without it. I’ve been in a perpetual sleepy state since then. I wonder why other lights don’t work or why sunlight through sunglasses doesn’t work..but yeah, I suppose, that’s just how it is. I shall try my best to put this knowledge into practice.
Great content. In addition to this: If you live in an area where you experience cold winters, try rolling the car windows down like on the way to work, or if you do rideshare work- while you’re working. The sense of euphoria and alertness when you get out of the vehicle is great. I’ve also notice it helps my skin and muscles, along with popping in my knees. Interesting content though, I’ll have to try the delaying coffee as well, I’ve noticed coffee seems to be actually making me more tired recently.
The information about how the dopamine baseline works is interesting. Those who only seek out pleasure without doing things that push themselves can become more depressed. As Huberman explained dopamine is not a pleasure chemical, it’s about drive/pursuit, life-force. So if you are seeking pleasure eating ice cream and perusal TV, it hurts your baseline of dopamine (drive and pursuit), and maybe you get depressed, possibly to the point you don’t even feel like getting up in the morning. But what is also interesting is that this can relate to a bigger overarching message. There are a lot of people who believe they should live life optimizing happiness, well if you don’t understand how dopamine baseline works, then you would probably attempt to optimize happiness by completely avoiding the tough stuff, the “pain” activities, like working out, or studying hard, or climbing mountains, being outside in the cold, rain, etc. You might equate happiness with being comfortable/warm, relaxing on a beach, going with the flow, being mellow, etc. But in reality, you would not be optimizing happiness; you’d just be avoiding being uncomfortable in the short-term. The overarching message is that pain is a requisite for happiness, or perhaps more accurately fulfillment. The true happiness is the fulfillment you achieve by pushing yourself through something challenging, and in doing so actually increase your skills and experience, raising what you are capable of as a person. The expectation of a stable baseline of happiness “on tap” goes against physiology.
Mixed feelings about the core temperature increase when exposing oneself to cold water, more specifically related to the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system)… From my experience (and knowledge I believe from a Tim Ferris podcast with Kelly Starrett), if I take a hot bath or shower before bed, I have difficulty falling asleep because I’m too warm. If I take a cool shower before bed, I believe it triggers/primes my PNS, as I feel more tired than the former method and fall asleep quickly and stay asleep longer
You put it all together. Ive been getting up and hydrating, then coffee drinking before exercise starts. I get outside into the sun naked every other day, even in winter as I have a home in NorCal. I take cold showers in winter. Your advice puts it all together properly. Delay the coffee! Immediate exposure to sunlight upon waking up.
When I was a teenager, my mom got me an incredibly bright makeup mirror. I didn’t understand why at the time, but I started feeling substantially better. I struggled with depression, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms, and living in Colorado made the winters almost unbearable. I’m glad to know that I wasn’t crazy or making it up. I still have the mirror, and it seriously changed my life.
Getting natural light within an hour of waking up can be such a huge game changer. I find having breakfast outside, whether that be in the garden, the local park or just sat on the porch, is really therapeutic before work and the hustle and bustle of the day begins, it’s help me a lot with anxiety. Also, so true about cold showers, I started doing this a few years ago after I read an article about the benefits of taking cold showers in the morning and there’s definitely a lot of truth in it. I always feel more positive, awake and refreshed after doing this 🚿👌
I take cold showers in the morning (because I’ve not installed the replacement hot water heater) even in the winter (I’m in Florida). Seems like the colder the water, the warmer I am by the time I’ve toweled off. And I do mean toasty warm, even in a cold room. I love exercise in the morning because it pops me into the day. It is very different when I don’t exercise. I pretty much always exercise because I only ride a bicycle for transportation, unless I’m hurt. Seems like the more I live like I did as a kid, the better off I end up being.
Thank you for this. I’ve been at, let’s just say, Less than Optimal in virtually every aspect of my life for a while now and perusal this article has revealed at least some of the reasons for that. Based on this presentation I will, starting right now, begin to implement some changes in my behaviors and routines to take advantage of these natural rhythms.
Ultimate Summary start to end the day wake up – cold water – high temp – light – caffein (if need some more “kick”) – productive stuff (work, class, etc) – hot water – low temp – no light – sleep add water anytime (min 3.7 liters/ days) add exercise if you have time to spare add “good food” roughly 5 hour per day
As a person from a northern city mentioned in the article, Trondheim, I can confirm that light is essential. In December we usually have about 2-4 quality hours of daylight around noon before the sun is too low (depending on how mamy mountain you have nearby blocking it). The term “winter depression” is often used, and I’ve felt it multiple winters. Seeing the connection to dopamine was interesting, I’ve always felt more motivated in spring/summer than autumn/winter, maybe this is why!
I hardly know how I made it this far in life engaging in mindless impulsivity 😅 this info applied earlier in life might’ve saved a lot of self made grief from regret from suboptimal performance and/or life tantrums, etc. best time to plant a tree was 20 yrs ago second best time is now. Thanks for being apart of planting the tree, Huberman + After Skool
I have always struggled at waking up and feeling horrible in mornings. I always said it was because i am too stressed and depressed but now I realise I have been lacking sunlight in mornings. I get up and I walk to my desk to start working from home. I also exercise in the evening and my bedroom gets super hot at night. I honestly feel so good perusal this to know the science behind my body and am going to do everything to align my bodyclocks and create an internal summertime 🥳
What if increased temperature (bodily or external) makes you sick? We have cool winters but quite warm summers (22-28 degrees C average in summer) and I spend most of that time with headaches, rashes, intercranial pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, incessant tiredness and the list just goes on. This is no matter what my diet, caffeine, water, exercise, sleep habits are. I’ve tried everything, including a crazy idea I had of slowly desensitizing myself to summer – I wore winter clothes and pajamas until a month and a half into summer!! Not to mention that part nearly killed me, but it did help a little. I’ve been heat sensitive from young 🤷.
Watching this as I sit in the basement coding, after waking at 0400. Some days I am up at 0230. I still prefer early starts (it’s just who I am), but based on this, I think there are some additions I need to make: a quick ten minute warmup/workout during which I delay caffeine; and a conscious goal of meeting the sun when her lazy ass decides to catch up with me in the morning.
Thank you. I’m a 63 year-old man that rises at 5 naturally and exercise has transformed my life. I started working as an art model in my late fifties as a direct result of my body’s appreciation for movement. I can do physical things now I have never been able to do my entire life.I am far from optimized, however. These tips you are offering I will attempt to incorporate. Holding off on my morning coffee and cold water are challenging for me but let’s see how I do…thanks again.
After reading Atomic habits book and trying to implement new healthy habits I found this article. These are my notes: Sleep is VERY important. Try to get good sleep ( 7-8 hours ) at least 80% of time. Other 20% spend on very good reasons. You can still perform well even if you didn’t had good sleep one night but problem comes if you are not having good sleep often. NATURAL LIGHT: Get at least 5-10 minutes of natural light in your eyes within one hour of waking up. If you wake up before sun then turn on ( artificial) lights in the room and go outside when sun comes out. If outside is dense cloud ( dark cloud/rainy ) its still better to go outside compared to artificial light because there are still photons and light energy. Why? You get boost in cortisol. Its healthy cortisol that is activated every 24 hours and its healthy because it sets your temperature rhythm in motion, sets level of alertness, focus and mood. You want that cortisol boost to happen AS EARLY as possible after you wake up ( within 1 hour ). If you spend couple of hours in bed and then on phone or computer and go outside on sunlight 3-4 hours after you wake up, then you will get that cortisol boost in wrong time ( cortisol pulse is shifted ) and that’s what actually triggers anxiety, depression and difficulty falling a sleep. Light from electronic devices ( phones. computers etc. ) is not enough because its not natural and you need photons from sunlight. Sunlight in the morning have huge positive effect because indirect rays from the sun trigger cells in the eyes called melanopsin ganglion cells, they are our neurons and they send signal to hypothalamus, then hypothalamus releases this peptide which is a WAKE-UP signal for your WHOLE brain and body and then sets timer for melatonin release in 16 hours.
PLEASE DO MORE articleS AS SKOOL articleS. They are excellent for training teens as well as the rest of the population. “The Evening Routine”, “Maximizing Focus”, “Eating for Energy (including intermittent fasting), “Restoring Vision”, Lifting for Life”, “Brown Fat/Cold Therapy for Health”, “Nature/Forest Bathing impact”, etc. People really need to re-learn how to manage how they live in order to recover their health so they can support their community and recover their local economy.
Its Winter here. Around 0 Degrees🥶. I was outside today in shorts, barefeet doing breathing excerise learned from Wim Hof and feeling great. I felt energy flowing all threw my body and finished with a 10 min workout, I finally feel alive again! It really helps guys, just try it! Do sports, breath, feel the cold all threw your body and relax into it🤯
Awesome article. Thank you. Just want to say how much I appreciate the artwork – it is phenomenal – REALLY helps those of us who learn faster with visual input As an adult with ADHD my mind has a tendency to automatically “tunes out” to the sound of someone talking (even a voice as well-modulated as Dr Huberman) but these beautiful time-lapse drawings provide a point of focus as well as a visual summary that always leave me feeling like I’ve actually learned something new.
I’m in a situation where I’m going to work before the sun comes up and I don’t have a single window in my office. And most of the time the sun is already gone when I drive home. It’s an awesome job other than that. What would you suggest I do for myself in this situation? I purchased an artificial morning light that i use daily…would this be enough?
Thank you for this great explanation of why movement and natural sunlight are so critical first thing upon waking for our bodies natural rhythms. With this understanding I’m much more committed to developing this as my standard morning routine. Have only recently found you Dr. Huberman but very grateful! ❤️🙏🏻❤️
I work 2 jobs, 50+ hours a week and sometimes finish one job and get to sleep at 1am, waking up at 5:30am for the next job. But I’ve made a schedule based on Andrew Hubermans fitness protocol, cold water protocol and sleep advice (going to be getting 90min+ naps on those days with less sleep). I think it’s possible to work, get enough rest, exercise and be creative/play – it’s just all about timings.
Can you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE talk about the best routines for people who work NIGHTSHIFT?! I wake up when it’s dark the night (10pm) and don’t see the sun until I leave the building the next morning. Then I (try) and go to bed in the early afternoon. I find that I’m always depressed, always chasing any little pleasure spike I can find, low willpower, and despite having worked this job for over 6 years it is such a struggle to get to bed on time. At first I thought it was bedtime revenge procrastination, but now I’m not sure. HELP
I’m trying to plan a morning routine but am not sure on the optimal order to do things. I hear it’s good to eat as soon as possible as well? At the moment I’m thinking Get up Go in the sun Do exercise Eat Cold shower What do you think? I’m thinking 30 mins in sun and then my ten mins exercise is quite long before eating…
What an amazing article! These steps are so simple to take, but in today’s world, we have stopped thinking about our self-care and have moved towards getting that high as soon as possible. Seeing the science behind all this definitely drives me to keep trucking with this morning routine. Thanks for posting this
I should confess this was what I needed. It has been for a year and a half that I have been struggling with late-rising bed habits. I should say, it was the most scientific and practical article I watched about this bad habit I have been trying to get rid of. I will apply these tomorrow and will break this habit. You guys are doing such a great and professional work.
Great helpful article. I will say, should’ve also discussed the individual aspect of a better life as well. If you get someone who’s failing in life, put them on this routine, it’s not going to yield the same results. We have a machine aspect to our being, but we’re not ONLY machine, like a car for example. Great info, but to the audience, listen with caution. It’s also a matter of the individual, not just the function of his parts
Those of us with young children struggle with sleep for factors outside of our control. My wife and I have paid for sleep specialists to help us refine our bedtime routines and encourage the most sleep of our children without the use of crying it out to no avail. Here’s to hoping our children figure it out sooner rather than later so I can return to optimizing my morning routine.
This is a life changer. From an average funny guy to an elite master. I have been doing so for much more than 10 years. If I miss it a day. I do profoundly feel bad. Otherwise I am the happiest man and the most productive. Thank you for puting all these informations in 1 article. You deserve more than “thank you”.
Oh and I used to go surfing first thing in the morning and that is cold ass water. Especially in the winter when I lived in Santa Cruz. The first couple waves that go over your head give you an icecream headache for a min. You think to yourself, “Why am I out here?.” Then you catch a wave and it’s all good.
ive been taking cold showers for over 2 years now. and by cold showers i actually mean ill take a hot shower but finish it off with cold water for at least 20 sec. i actually really enjoy it and it has become such a good habit 🌊 i reccomend for anyone wanting to take more 🥶 showers is imagine that you are under a waterfall. makes the experience more magical and tolerable
I drink caffeine almost immediately after waking and then I go for a run anywhere from 2.5 – 10 miles. I fast all day and then eat from 530-9 pm. I never have an afternoon crash. During duck season I was waking up at 330am to go hunting and then going for a run after that at around 10-11. Drinking a decent bit of caffeine in the morning those days. Still never had a crash. I think most people have afternoon crashes because they eat a bunch of carbs throughout the morning and early afternoon and it crushes their energy levels.
No wonder seeing the sun (after LONG fucking winters) makes me happy. I always feel better on sunny days and never quite understood the biological reasons as to why, just figured I like sunny weather. Especially if there happens to be a breeze. Is there a scientific reason why the wind might bring about a sense of calmness or soothing?
It does not matter if I get up at 7 or 9, I get super sleepy at around 12-13 o’clock and can barely open my eyes if I work at office that day. Usually I would get a dip at 16-17 o’clock but last years I have stated to get a dip in the noon aswell! I get around 6-8 hour sleep and I get this dip at noon even if I have slept 8 hours:/
1. Give your dog/loved one a pat 2. Hydrate 3. Meditate 5 mins 4. Cold shower 5. Quick workout at 80% Push ups, pull ups, 1 legged chair squats 6. Make bed and tidy room 7. Do serious workout/surf when you can 5 days a week I heard on Joe Rogan with David Goggins that you should cold shower before you’re warm/have exercised. I’m keen to try this coffee fast and the rest of your routine with mine!
Thank you 1. Get decent solid sleep on a decent basis 2. Get (5-10mins) natural light in eyes within 1 hour of waking up 3. Dopamine (main role = drive, motivation, pursuit – NOT PLEASURE) 4. You wake up and don’t feel “I don’t wanna do this man, so tired, no energy” 5. (20 second—1-3mins) cold shower 6. The amount of pleasure that you eventually experience is Directly related to how much pain you experience
Doing a PhD just now where I’ve had an amazing routine my entire life. What I’ve found is due to the PhD routine being sporadic. 6 hours driving Wednesdays. Sleeping after work where I can. It’s not healthy but there’s no avoiding it so sleeping in car is essential at times. As far as focus and memory, this comes pretty naturally now, I’m motivated and brain is kinda trained to retain information I want to. It’s a conscious thing but priorities. Gym is dogshit now, went from shredded with 40 mile running events and 120kg working set bench. Enjoy experiencing the different lifestyles this life has to offer. Agree with the above article, but also if you do this all the time you’re a damn robot 😅
1. Trata de dormir bien 2. Busca la luz natural para tus ojos en un plazo de una hora nada más levantarte ( 5 -10 minutos de Sol) 2:19 3. Tomar sol en nuestra piel de 20-30 minutos 2-3 veces por semana ( aumenta los niveles de testosterona en los hombres y estrógeno en las mujeres) 4. Hidrátate nada más despertar. Haz actividad física ligera 5. Duchas frías 6. Buscar el dolor ( el costó) = mejores niveles de dopamine. Si buscas placer tendrás menos niveles de dopamine….. por consiguiente, menos motivación, ánimo o ganas de hacer cosas.
Fascinating! I wonder why my Sleep Neurologist has had me look at an indoor brite lite when I wake up for many years if I only need 3-5 minutes of natural sun. That seems much healthier and doesn’t take up so much time. I have Narcolpesy and some other sleep disorders. Im going to read about natural sun vs sitting near this light for 45 minutes each morning. So glad I discovered Dr. Huberman!
And here I am, listening to this at 12:30 a.m.! But I’m making notes, this is my 2nd listen through, and have changed my routine starting tomorrow. There are days when I don’t go outside at all, so I’ve scheduled in a short walk in the mornings to boost the cortisol. Not sleeping has been a problem for me for almost 70 years. Better to change late than never. Thanks for putting this info out there.
I like this image a lot 13:25 because it summarizes how people today ruin their lives with social media and can’t figure out why they feel sad and unfulfilled and “have ADHD” when all they need is to understand how to naturally release dopamine on command and how to protect it from useless activities that waste it. Can I get a hoyeaaa? :face-blue-smiling:
One time I landed an Amazon internship and I was so excited. They told me 9-5 mon-fri when I was applying. Got there and it turned out to just be a glorified warehouse job. Did 12 hour shifts, AT NIGHT. And they forgot to give me the extra money for being a night shift, so when I brought it up they went “oh uhhh our bad” and then gave me a bonus. If I never mentioned it I would’ve gotten even more fucked.
The military made me switch from days to swings, to nights, for no more than a few weeks at a time, for over a year. I started complaining about it about 7 months in, because I could not regulate my sleep, I was starting to get wierd, and my marriage was getting rocky. My complaints were ignored for months. All I asked for was to be left on any shift long enough to adjust. I previously had worked a year and some months at night, and ot was no big deal, just takes a few weeks to adjust.
i started to work shifts in the industry. 1 week 05 to 13:30, 1 week 13:30 to 22. what I do is wake up at 04 to get ready. work till 13:30, do usual daylie stuff, get into bed at 21:00, or 22:00 the next week i wake up at 08:00. do stuff, go work till 22:00 drive home, shower and straight into bed. this way i don’t shift my rythem to much and I get up out of sleep kinda well.
00:12 Foundational behaviors for optimizing morning routine. 02:16 Exposure to natural sunlight in the morning affects cortisol pulse and mood. 04:06 Morning sunlight exposure is crucial for regulating sleep and mood. 06:09 Exposing skin to light can increase testosterone and estrogen levels 08:07 Delay caffeine intake by 60-90 minutes after waking to avoid afternoon crash 10:11 Body temperature regulation impacts wakefulness and sleep 12:07 Cold water exposure triggers release of adrenaline and dopamine. 14:06 Increasing core body temperature creates a dopamine release and epinephrine effect.
Hey, so there’s a problem. I live in the Caribbean, and as much as the sunlight and heat things, these tips are amazing but here the nights are also hot and the water is always lukewarm (only a little bit cold at night or pretty early, like 4 am) so the cold shower is not an option, any alternatives?
even though this may be the best morning routine from a scientific standpoint, the best morning routine is the one that works for you, is sustainable and makes you happy. the last part is very important because there’s no point of planning the perfect routine and then avoiding and procrastinating starting it because it makes you miserable.
10:18 so what about when say me with narcolepsy sleep and then am up again… and repeat this through the night. I mean i nap anywhere from 5-60 min max And sleep 60-120 mins max unless I am sick… then I am up anywhere from 20 mins to 60 mins sometimes longer…. It’s super annoying…. And yes I have the tv on.
Thank you so much. Very, very good article. Very much information, that everyone can easily understand and very good graphics. I like that style of infos and illustrations. But what about cold showers? Can’t cold showers replace ice baths? I can’t just go ice bathing somewhere here every week. It’s not cheap either. Apart from exercise, what is an alternative?
Hey, I’ve only watched a little over 4 mins of this, but would you be able to explain this and how it can be helpful for people who have narcolepsy? Like I understand what you are saying, but um sleep/wake cycles are a little different in people with narcolepsy. I mean i would love to have a normal get you at 5-6 and go to bed at 8-9 at night schedule….
I watched the first half of your article which has useful information. I had to stop perusal because of your voice. I don’t mean any disrespect by my observation. As you speak a sentence or phrase your voice “falls off” meaning it gets very quiet and the pitch goes lower and lower. I couldn’t hear a lot of what you said so I turned closed captions on and turned the sound off. That was a frustrating way to watch a article. I apologize if this offended you. I offered it as a helpful observation.