June 03, 2023, June 04, 2023
Andrew Huberman, Optimization

https://youtu.be/yb5zpo5WDG4
Extra: https://hubermanlab.com/focus-toolkit-tools-to-improve-your-focus-and-concentration/
Extra: https://podcastnotes.org/huberman-lab/episode-88-focus-toolkit-tools-to-improve-your-focus-concentration-huberman-lab/ (They modify the notes with some of their own research.)
Extra: https://eightify.app/summary/productivity-and-focus/improve-focus-concentration-with-huberman-lab-s-focus-toolkit-podcast-88

• 13 Minute Meditation caused improvements in concentration.^{[1] [2]}
• Sodium is integral for effective neural communication. Especially in the case of People following Low Carbohydrate diets, or ingesting a lot of Caffeine. Ignore this if you have hyper-tension related issues.^[3]
• Note: Adrenaline and Epinephrine will be referred to interchangeably.
• Epinephrine is a pre-requisite for Focus. It does not cause focus, but it is must be present for focus to occur.^[4]
• Acetylcholine causes an uptick in neural activity for certain groups of neurons.^[5]
• For sustained focus, Dopamine is required.^[6]
• Get quality, lengthy sleep.^[7]
• Use 40Hz Binaural Beats.^[8]
• BrainWave is an excellent app (IOS/Android) for 40Hz Binaural Beats.^[9]
• Huberman recommends that you use it for five minutes before starting, and to not listen to it during the focus period.^[10] He listens to it for the entirety of the focus period when he's feeling particularly distractable.^[11]
• White Noise and Pink Noise allow people to enter the Focused State easier.^[12]
• Our body works in 90-minute Ultradian Cycles. The ideal focus period length is 90 minutes or less.^[13]
• 10-30 Minutes of Deliberate Defocus after an Ultradian Cycle of Focus. This can be any menial task that doesn't require much concentration.^[14]
• During Deliberate Defocus, do things that feel automatic or reflexive. Do not do anything that constrains your vision to a small area - This includes Reading a book, and Using your Phone. Do not partake in this activities during Deliberate Defocus.^[15] This abstinence is integral for multiple bouts of Deep Focus per day.
• Limit yourself to 2-3 Ultradian Cycles of Deep Focus per day.^[16] Most work does not require Deep Focus.
• The better your concentration quality, the longer your Deliberate Defocus sessions should be.^[17]
• Ketosis allows one to think clearly.^[18]
• Huberman ingests Ketones on occasion for Cognitive and Physical enhancement.^[19]
• Your ability to focus and perceive the world is proportional to an extent, to your Blood Glucose Level.^[20]
• Upon the Ingestion of Food, the Parasympathetic System takes over. It makes us relaxed and sleepy. Excess carbohydrates can make us sleepy as well.^[21]
• Caffeine is Four Times more Potent on a Empty Stomach compared to one after a carbohydrate rich meal.^[22]
• Andrew Huberman does one session of Deep Focus while fasting in the Morning, and he does another, after eating sometime ~11 AM, during the afternoon.^[23]
• Caffeine Users: To avoid crashing in the afternoon, delay your first intake of Caffeine by 90-120 Minutes.^[24]
• Ketones form an Optimal Fuel for Neurons.^[25]
• Reduce Simple Sugar Intake to improve Attention.^[26]
• Eating large volumes of Food diminishes Focus. As blood is primarily concentrated around the Gut.^[27]
• Foods that contain Tyrosine (Parmesan Cheese) improve Focus. This is a decreasing returns statistic, and over-consuming will lead to a reduction of Focus.^[28]
• 100mg-400mg of Caffeine is appropriate for Focus, for Users who are afflicted with Anxiety or Panic attacks - Gradually increase your Dosage.^[29]
• 100mg-200mg of Caffeine before Deep Focus leads to Improvements in Focus.^[30]
• Avoid Smoked Versions of Yerba Mate, they contain Carcinogenics.^[31]
• Huberman buys Anna Park Yerba Mate.^[32]
• Regular Ingestion of Caffeine promotes Dopamine Receptor growth, and will cause them to become denser. This will allow Dopamine to have a stronger affect on you.^[33]
• Stop Caffeine at least 8 Hours, 10-12 Hours if possible, before sleeping. Consumption close to sleep time causes a tangible degradation in sleep quality.^[34]
• Larger Pupils mean greater focused, Narrower Pupils is a sign of relaxation.^[35]
• Stress makes it easier to Focus.^[36]
• Stressed people are twice as focused as non-stressed people.^[37]
• Cold Showers cause sustained increases in Dopamine (2x) and Epinephrine Levels.^[38]
• An old practice was to use Cold Exposure to boost Memory Retention immediately after learning.^[39]
• Meditation: For 13 Minutes, bring your awareness to your breathing, and to an inch inside of your forehead. It improves Mood, reduces Stress, and improves concentration ability.^[40]
• Meditation also improves Sleep and boosts Memory.^[41]
• Restrict Meditation to before 4 Hours before Bedtime.^[42]
• Huberman engages in NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest) / 'Yoga Nidra' for 10-30 Minutes per day. It's particularly useful when Sleep Deprived, and consists of lying down and following an audio script, which usually involves Body Scans, Long Exhales, etc. It allows practitioners to fall asleep better at Night, and allows them to feel refreshed right after engaging in NSDR.^[43]
• Hypnosis is a state of Deep Focus and Deep Relaxation.^[44]
• Hypnosis accelerates Posts/Notes/Optimization/Terms/Neuroplasticity and allows one to Focus and Concentrate better.^[45]
• Huberman recommends the Reveri app.^[46]
• Huberman repeats his Self-Hypnosis every 3-4 Days.^[47]
• Our Cognitive Focus follows our Visual Focus.^[48]
• Overt Visual Focus: Schools have employed a focus technique where Students direct their gaze to a point for 30 seconds to 3 minutes.^[49]
• Overt Visual Focus: To perform this technique. Pick a location, ensure there are no distractions on it, mark a point and put your attention on that point. Breath relaxedly.^[50]
• Covert Visual Focus: Looking at an object, but focusing your attention on a point in your periphery.^[51]
• Use these visual techniques to enter a focused state.^[52]
• Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: Getting 1-3g of EPA - Essential Fatty Acids, can improve Mood and Cognitive Function.^[53] They can be derived from Supplementation, Fish Oil, and Cod Liver Oil.^[54]
• Creatine Monohydrate: 5g of Creatine Monohydrate per day supports the Creatine Phosphate System in the Brain.^[55] The time of day at which this is ingested does not seem to be significant.
• Adrenaline, Acetylcholine: Acetylcholine provides increased focus and enables Posts/Notes/Optimization/Terms/Neuroplasticity.^[56] Huberman uses Alpha-GPC, it improves Acetylcholine Transmission.^[57] He uses 300mg-600mg 20m prior to any focus intensive task, and says that it improves his focus and concentration. He consumes Alpha-GPC four days a week.^[58] Alpha-GPC might increase Risk of Stroke, to prevent this, ingest 600mg of Garlic.^[59]
• L-Tyrosine: This compound promotes Dopamine Transmission in the Body, it's an amino acid and be derived from food sources. Huberman ingests 500mg in Capsule Form alongside Alpha-GPC. Huberman consumes L-Tyrosine prior to Focus Intensive Tasks, and consumes it about 4 days a week.^[60]
• Phenylethylamine: Huberman uses Phenylethylamine as a Drop-In Replacement for L-Tyrosine. When he uses it, he consumes it before, and during a workout, due its shorter lived nature. He consumes them in 500mg Capsules.^[61]
• Caffeine: Huberman doesn't exceed 100-200mg of Caffeine per day, this allows him to stay focused, but not jittery and anxious.^[62]
• Huberman uses 2-3 of the above techniques for a focus period. At times, when he's looking forward or when he sleeps exceptionally well, he doesn't use any of these techniques.^[63]
• With supplementation and such techniques, the neural circuits responsible for focus and concentration become stronger. After a while, it'll be possible to enter a state of Deep Focus purely through behavioural tools, without any supplementation.^[64]
• Use Behavioural Tools first, then rely on Supplementation. Only in the absolute worst case should one use Prescription Medication.^[65]
• Ensure that supplementation is performed earlier in the day, before noon, to avoid disrupting sleep.^[66]
• Huberman strongly lauds and recommends using Examine to analyze how different supplements play off of each other.^[67]