How to Increase Motivation & Drive
from Huberman Lab
by Scicomm Media
Published: Mon Mar 22 2021
Show Notes
This episode explains the science of motivation and drive. I describe how dopamine — a chemical we all make in our brain, underlies our desire for and pursuit of our goals, as well as our capacity to move and experience pleasure. I describe how we can leverage specific behaviors, reward schedules and dopamine-prolactin balance to help ensure we can maintain motivation and capacity for pleasure over the long term. I also discuss dopamine in the context of ADHD, craving and addiction, and some absolutely amazing results about specificity of drug effects based purely on belief.
Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab
Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman
Timestamps
Introduction
Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up
Announcement: Spanish Subtitles
Emotions, Addiction & Mindset
Motivation & Movement: The Dopamine Connection
A Double-Edged Dopamine Blade
Dopamine Fundamentals: Precursor to Adrenalin
The Reward Pathway: An Accelerator & A Brake
Motivation = Pleasure Plus Pain
The Dopamine Staircase: Food, Sex, Nicotine, Cocaine, Amphetamine
Subjective Control of Dopamine Release
Social Media and Video Games
Addiction & Dopamine: Progressively Diminishing Returns
Novelty, Sensation-Seeking & Anticipation
Craving: Part Pain, Part Pleasure & Pain Always Prevails
Desire Scales With Pain: The Yearning Function
The Croissant Craving Circuit
“Here and Now” Molecules: Serotonin, Bliss & Raphe Nucleus
In Your Skin Or Out In the World
Cannabinoids Lethargy & Forgetfulness
The Almond Meditation
Drugs That Shift Exteroception Versus Interoception
Emotional Balance, Active & Passive Manipulation
Procrastination: Leveraging Stress, Breathing, Caffeine, L-Tyrosine, Prescription Drugs
When Enough Is Never Enough; How Dopamine Undermines Itself
Dopamine-Prolactin Dynamics: Sex, Reproduction & Refractory Periods
The Coolidge Effect: Novelty-Induced Suppression of Prolactin
Vitamin B6, Zinc As Mild Prolactin Inhibitors
Schizophrenia, Dopamine Hyperactivity and Side Effects of Anti-Dopaminergic Drugs
Prolactin, Post-Satisfaction “Lows” & Extending the Arc of Dopamine
The Chemistry of “I Won, But Now What?”
Healthy Emotional Development: Child and Parent
Never Say “Maybe” (Reward Prediction Error)
Surprise!
Are You Suppressing Your Drive and Motivation By Working Too Late?
Disambiguating Pleasure and Drive: Dopamine Makes Us Anti-Lazy
Beta-Phenylethylamine (PEA), & Acetyl L-Carnitine
Attention Deficit Disorders, Cal Newport Books, Impulsivity & Obesity
Leveraging Dopamine Schedules
Subjective Control of Dopamine and Drug Effects: The “Adderall” Experiment
Caffeine May Protect Dopamine Neurons, Methamphetamine Kills Them
Nicotine: Dopamine, Possible Neuroprotection, Prolactin Increase
Gambling, Intermittent Reinforcement, & Persistent Goal Seeking (Bad and Good)
Intermittent Halting of Celebration; Enjoy Your Wins, But Not All of Them
A Story Example of Intermittent Reward to Maintain Long-Term Drive and Motivation
Corrections & Notes About Spanish Captions & Other Languages Soon
Synthesis & Framework, Zero-Cost Support & A Note About Sponsors