I Tried Andrew Huberman's Morning Routine - [30 Days + Blood Tests]

Summary

The video explores the impact of adopting Andrew Huberman's science-backed morning routine on the creator's productivity and well-being. Struggling with low energy, poor focus, and inconsistent habits, the creator follows Huberman's advice, including morning sunlight exposure, delayed caffeine intake, focused work sessions, physical exercise, and cold exposure. Despite initial challenges, significant improvements in mood, energy levels, and work productivity are observed. The creator emphasizes the benefits of discipline and overcoming discomfort, ultimately feeling more resilient and accomplished. The video concludes with a recommendation for HelloFresh, a meal kit delivery service that has positively influenced the creator's lifestyle.

Takeaways

• 😀 Andrew Huberman is a renowned neuroscientist known for his research and podcast on optimal habits and routines for a fulfilling life.
• 🌞 The video creator plans to follow Huberman's science-backed morning routine for 30 days to overcome a personal slump in energy and focus.
• ⏱️ The morning routine includes waking up around 6:30 AM, walking in sunlight for 10-15 minutes, and delaying caffeine intake for 90-120 minutes post-waking.
• 💧 The creator adds sea salt to water and drinks Athletic Greens, a supplement compatible with fasting, and skips eating until late morning.
• 📚 After waking, a 90-minute focused work session is conducted without phone distractions to enhance productivity.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Physical exercise is incorporated for about an hour after the cognitive work session.
• ❄️ Deliberate cold exposure, such as cold showers, is part of the routine for its energizing effects.
• 📉 The creator initially struggles with focus and work productivity despite following the routine, indicating the need for additional adjustments.
• 🔄 The creator revisits Huberman's advice, implementing workspace optimizations like eye-level computer positioning and low-level white noise for better focus.
• 📵 A significant improvement in focus is achieved by minimizing phone usage, especially during work sessions.
• 🚀 The creator experiences a flow state in work and feels more resilient against distractions, attributing this to the challenging daily habits adopted from the routine.
• 📈 By the end of the 30-day challenge, there is a noticeable improvement in energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, with the creator committing to continue the routine.

Q & A

Who is Andrew Huberman and what is his area of expertise?

Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist known for his research at Stanford University and his podcast. He is considered an expert on habits and routines for living a successful and fulfilling life.

What is the purpose of the 30-day challenge undertaken by the video's narrator?

The narrator is trying Andrew Huberman's science-backed morning routine to overcome a slump, increase energy, improve focus, and enhance overall productivity.

What is the first activity the narrator does after waking up at around 6 a.m.?

The first activity is to make a note of the time they woke up.

Why is getting sunlight vital according to Andrew Huberman's morning routine?

Sunlight exposure through a walk outside is vital for mental and physical health as part of the morning routine.

How does the narrator plan to delay caffeine intake in their morning routine?

The narrator plans to delay caffeine intake to 90 to 120 minutes after waking up, initially drinking water with a bit of sea salt and Athletic Greens.

What is the duration of the work session the narrator commits to after their morning routine?

The narrator commits to a 90-minute work session with the phone off and away from distractions.

What physical exercise does the narrator include in their morning routine?

The narrator includes about an hour of physical exercise in their morning routine.

What is the method of 'deliberate cold exposure' mentioned by the narrator?

Deliberate cold exposure refers to taking cold showers each morning, which is part of the narrator's routine.

What tests does the narrator conduct to track their progress during the 30-day challenge?

The narrator conducts a blood test to measure hormone levels, tracks daily energy and mood levels, and evaluates work productivity with the help of a family member who is also their boss.

What changes does the narrator make to their workspace to improve focus according to Huberman's advice?

The narrator props the computer up to eye level, uses low-level white noise, and tries to create an optimal environment for learning and workflow.

How does the narrator address the issue of phone distractions during their work sessions?

The narrator decides to keep their phone powered down until lunchtime to reduce distractions and improve focus during work sessions.

What is the final outcome of the 30-day challenge for the narrator in terms of energy, mood, and productivity?

The narrator reports improved energy levels, mood, and work productivity, with a significant increase in focus and a better ability to manage distractions.

What is the role of HelloFresh as the sponsor of the video?

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery company that sponsors the video, offering a service to make cooking healthier and more time-efficient by delivering recipes and ingredients to the viewer's door.

Outlines

00:00

🌞 Embracing Andrew Huberman's Morning Routine

The speaker expresses gratitude to HelloFresh for sponsoring the video and introduces Dr. Andrew Huberman, a renowned neuroscientist from Stanford University, as an expert on optimal daily habits. The speaker acknowledges their own recent slump in energy and productivity and decides to follow Dr. Huberman's science-backed morning routine for 30 days to overcome this rut. The routine includes waking up around 6:30 AM, seeking sunlight with a walk, delaying caffeine intake, and abstaining from food until late morning. The speaker also plans to work for 90 minutes without distractions, engage in physical exercise, and practice deliberate cold exposure. They track their progress through blood tests, daily energy and mood levels, and work productivity assessments with the help of their brother, Brendan.

05:02

🔬 Struggling with Focus and Productivity

Despite implementing Dr. Huberman's morning routine, the speaker continues to struggle with focus and productivity during work sessions. They express disappointment in their testosterone levels being below average and the lack of significant improvement in work performance. The speaker decides to revisit Huberman Lab episodes for additional insights and makes adjustments to their workspace, such as elevating the computer screen and using low-level white noise to enhance alertness and workflow. They also share their feelings of defeat and frustration with self-discipline and focused work, highlighting the ongoing battle with distractions and the impact on their potential and future.

10:04

📵 Overcoming Distractions and Achieving Flow

The speaker identifies phone usage as a major distraction and decides to keep the phone powered down until lunchtime to improve focus. This strategy leads to a more productive work state, allowing the speaker to experience flow states during work sessions. They also credit the routine's challenging aspects, such as cold showers and saltwater drinks, for building resilience against distractions. The speaker reports improvements in energy, mood, and work performance, culminating in a perfect day with high energy and mood levels. They express gratitude for the routine's positive impact on their life and share their intention to continue with it.

15:04

🍽️ Promoting HelloFresh for Healthier Eating

In the final paragraph, the speaker transitions to promoting HelloFresh, a meal kit delivery service that simplifies cooking by providing healthy and easy-to-prepare recipes. They share their personal experience with the service, highlighting the convenience of having portioned ingredients and a variety of recipes to choose from, which has improved their cooking experience and reduced food waste. The speaker encourages viewers to try HelloFresh using a provided discount code and emphasizes the positive impact it has had on their life.

Keywords

💡Morning Routine

A morning routine refers to a series of activities or habits that one performs upon waking up to start the day productively. In the video, the theme revolves around trying out Andrew Huberman's science-backed morning routine to improve energy, focus, and overall life fulfillment. The script details the steps of this routine, which includes waking up at a consistent time, exposure to sunlight, delayed caffeine intake, and a period of intense work followed by physical exercise.

💡Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist known for his research at Stanford University and his popular podcast. He is considered an expert on habits and routines for successful living. The video script mentions him as the inspiration for the 30-day challenge the narrator undertakes, focusing on his recommended morning routine for mental and physical health.

💡Caffeine Intake

Caffeine intake typically refers to the consumption of caffeinated beverages like coffee to boost alertness. The script describes a deliberate delay in caffeine consumption as part of the morning routine, suggesting that waiting 90 to 120 minutes after waking up can be beneficial. This practice is part of the experiment to test its effects on productivity and energy levels.

💡Sea Salt

Sea salt is a type of salt that comes from the evaporation of seawater and is often used as a dietary supplement. In the context of the video, the narrator adds a bit of sea salt to their water in the morning, which is part of the routine to enhance hydration and possibly support electrolyte balance during fasting.

💡Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens is a health supplement that is compatible with fasting, as mentioned in the script. It is consumed by the narrator as part of their morning hydration routine to provide nutrients without breaking the fast, which is a practice aimed at maintaining health and supporting the body's natural processes.

💡Fasting

Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food and drink for a period of time. The script mentions that the narrator does not eat until around 11 A.M. or noon, which is part of their fasting routine. This is believed to have health benefits and is a common practice among those looking to improve their physical and mental well-being.

💡Physical Exercise

Physical exercise refers to activities that involve bodily movement to improve health and fitness. The video script includes an hour of physical exercise as a component of the morning routine, emphasizing its importance for maintaining both mental and physical health.

💡Cold Exposure

Cold exposure involves deliberately subjecting oneself to cold temperatures, which is believed to have health benefits. In the script, the narrator describes taking cold showers as part of their morning routine, suggesting that this practice provides an energizing effect and contributes to overall well-being.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency with which tasks are completed. The video's narrative focuses on the narrator's struggle with productivity and their attempt to improve it through the morning routine. The script details the steps taken to enhance work focus, including a 90-minute uninterrupted work session and the use of white noise.

💡White Noise

White noise is a type of noise that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies. In the context of the video, the narrator uses low-level white noise to create an optimal state for learning and workflow, which is a strategy for improving focus and productivity during work sessions.

💡HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service mentioned in the video's sponsorship segment. It provides easy-to-prepare recipes and ingredients, which simplifies the cooking process and helps reduce food waste. The script highlights HelloFresh as a solution for those looking to eat healthier without spending a lot of time on meal planning and shopping.

Highlights

Sponsoring acknowledgment: HelloFresh supports the video.

Expert introduction: Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist from Stanford University, is known for his research on optimal habits and routines.

Personal challenge: The narrator aims to follow Huberman's morning routine for 30 days to overcome a slump in energy and focus.

Morning routine details: Waking up around 6:30 AM, walking in sunlight for 10-15 minutes, and delaying caffeine intake.

Health practices: Drinking water with sea salt and Athletic Greens, fasting until late morning.

Work productivity: A 90-minute focused work session without phone distractions.

Physical exercise: Engaging in physical activity for about an hour after the work session.

Cold exposure: Incorporating deliberate cold exposure as part of the daily routine.

Initial struggle: Despite the routine, the narrator still faces challenges with focus and work productivity.

Workspace optimization: Adjusting the computer screen to eye level and using low-level white noise for better focus.

Energy and mood improvement: Noticing benefits in energy and mood from the routine.

Productivity plateau: Despite improvements in other areas, work productivity remains a challenge.

Phone distraction: Identifying phone use as a major distraction and its impact on work focus.

Phone usage change: Keeping the phone powered down until lunch to enhance focus during work sessions.

Flow state achievement: Experiencing flow states and increased productivity by controlling phone usage.

Resilience building: Developing resilience through daily challenging habits, like cold showers.

Overall improvement: Noting improvements in energy, mood, and work productivity over the 30-day challenge.

Health test results: Positive changes in vitamin D levels, cholesterol, and overall health.

Long-term commitment: The narrator's decision to continue the routine due to its benefits.

Challenge completion: Celebrating the end of the challenge with a cold plunge and sharing the routine with friends.

Sponsor promotion: HelloFresh advertisement and its benefits for healthier and time-saving meal preparation.

Transcripts

thank you to hellofresh for sponsoring

this video

then Drew huberman

the internet's favorite neuroscientist

Andrew huberman Andrew Huber Andrew

huberman through his research at

Stanford University in his excellent

podcast he has become the go-to expert

on the best habits and routines for

living a successful and fulfilling life

and this is me

while I don't think I have the worst

habits in the world lately I've been in

a slump

less energy throughout the day slacking

off in healthy habits and an inability

to focus on my work leading to a

constant feeling like I'm going through

the motions at half speed so for the

next 30 days I want to try Andrew

huberman's science-backed morning

routine to see if he can pull me out of

the rut that I'm in but what is Andrew

huberman's morning routine for me I tend

to wake up sometime around 6 a.m 6 30

and I write down the time in which I

woke up the second thing I do after I

wake up is I make a beeline for sunlight

so getting outside for a 10 minute walk

or a 15-minute walk is absolutely vital

to mental and physical health

we get back I start craving caffeine but

I purposely delay my caffeine intake to

90 minutes to 120 minutes after I wake

up so for me I just drink water I also

put a little bit of sea salt in the

water

and I also drink my athletic greens

which is compatible with fasting so I

don't eat anything until about 11 A.M or

12 noon

next I would do a 90 minute bout of work

and that's typically phone off and out

of the room you'd be amazed how much you

can get done in 90 minutes if you are

focused

after I finish that cognitive workout I

do some form of physical exercise for

about an hour very last but certainly

not least deliberate cold exposure

and that's what I do each morning and

I'm certain that these tools work

on day one I wake up craving coffee

however instead I get ready and I head

out from my morning walk and while it's

definitely no morning coffee it actually

is really really nice and I feel pretty

good afterwards

what doesn't feel so good though is

drinking salt water

but I don't want to rely on how I'm

feeling to evaluate my progress on this

goal as feelings can change pretty

quickly I don't want to do this

here we go

to track my progress with this challenge

I'm gonna be conducting three tests the

first is I just took a blood test for

day one that's gonna measure things like

my testosterone levels and judging by

how scared I was to prick my finger oh I

can't do it I can't do it I'm worried

they might be a little low oh test

number two is by tracking my energy and

my mood levels at the end of each day

I've already been doing this for the

past month so at the end of this I'm

going to compare my numbers and see if

I've made any improvements and finally

I'll be testing my work productivity to

help me evaluate that I've asked for

help from the one person who knows my

work habits better than anyone else my

name is Brendan I am Cam's brother and

his boss

that's

I'm evaluating how you do at your job

that makes me your boss

sure you procrastinate get distracted

procrastinate more just a Serial

scroller bad communication bad time

management missed deadlines

yeah I think that sums it up and sadly

he's not wrong I am terrible at focusing

and in my first week in this challenge

that seemingly has not changed even with

a science-backed checklist to help my

brain is still struggling to get into

the zone and work effectively and even

though it's still early into this goal

I really need to figure this out or a

bit more context I work from home most

days and if you come through here you

just gotta come through the bathroom

past the toilet and voila

this is where I work staring at a screen

in a storage room closet that is

connected to

my bathroom now I have done the best to

make this space feel cozy however it is

still

kind of a shitty place to work no pun

intended and with that I've become

really good at getting out of this room

and distracting myself at any chance I

can get even with my phone out of the

room I am getting up constantly to top

up on coffee or look for snacks that I

can't even eat because I'm fasting and

with each of these interruptions I'm

killing my momentum when I try to dig

into a task and I'm falling further and

further behind in my work and this is

definitely the area I need to improve

the most

or at least that's what I thought

testosterone

that's your ideal range 2.49

2.4

I'm below average

I am speechless I am speechless

so one weekend and I am failing in two

categories

great

with the discouraging week one complete

I really want to hone in on improving my

work sessions for week two so I decided

to revisit some huberman lab episodes to

see if there's any tweaks I can make to

improve my focus

couple of things for optimizing

workspace that are grounded in

neuroscience and physiology so what I do

is I prop the computer up such that it's

at least at eye level when our eyes are

directed upward it creates a state of

heightened alertness in addition I use

low level White Noise turned on at a low

volume not with headphones most of the

time puts the brain into a state that's

optimal for Learning and workflow the

one single perk of working in a bathroom

white noise is easy to come by

I'm hoping that if I compare as much of

huberman's advice on focus with the rest

of my morning routine that it can put me

in the best possible position to lock in

on my work and really start to see some

progress this feels crazy to say this

early into a challenge

but I feel like I'm already noticing

benefits from this strictly from like an

energy and mood standpoint I used to

wake up every morning and just like do

them scroll Twitter and now I like I

genuinely look forward to these walks

but get some natural light in my eyes

get some fresh air some steps I'm like

halfway through an audiobook that I

started this week

things are going well even with my cold

showers while they're definitely not fun

during I do feel energized afterwards

and it feels like it fuels the rest of

my day this next blood test is about to

be

so much better

[Music]

but as much as I've seen Improvement in

my energy and in my health my work

sessions still seem to come up short if

I'm being honest there hasn't been as

much improvement as I was hoping

it's hard to point to anything and say

you've accomplished more than you

normally do

determined to improve my performance I

opted to switch where I was going to be

working and and hopefully get myself

into a better zone for focused work

[Music]

three days working out of my house

my work still hasn't improved and it's

starting to look more and more like the

problem isn't where I'm working

the problem is me yet another day

where I am not as productive as I should

just feels like the story of my life at

this point ever since I started working

for myself ever since it's just me and

my computer in my house

like it is like pulling teeth it it just

feels like my brain cannot do this

and I don't know what that is but it

feels like I've been fighting against

the same thing number one problem in my

life is being able to work for myself be

disciplined be focused in my own work

and I like it's been eight years of

fighting this same thing

like how does it make any sense it

starts to just feel like like it just

starts to feel like this

is who I am like this is

like

maybe I'm just like not the person that

I thought I was maybe this is just like

it you know and that's that is scary and

I just feel like I'm leaving so much

potential on the table for myself for my

future and that like that thought is

like horrifying you know

goodness gracious

feeling defeated my only hope now is to

try and work backwards through the past

two weeks to hopefully try and figure

out what has been holding me back

why is it that everything feels like

it's working except for this one thing

ever since it's just me and my computer

in my house it is like pulling teeth

just a Serial scroller halfway through

an audiobook that I started this week

and I just feel like I'm leaving so much

potential on the table for myself for my

future like that thought is like

horrifying

even though I've been working with my

phone off and out of the office I am

still constantly using it throughout

this routine on my walks before I get

ready to work and after my 90 minutes

are up I immediately go to my phone and

if I'm constantly distracting myself

before I sit down

it feels like I just keep craving that

distraction when I'm working

[Music]

the next morning I decided to try

keeping my phone powered down until it

was time for my lunch break to see if it

would help me Focus

the moment you sit down to do some

serious work and you flip off the

internet all of a sudden it's as if the

phone has a voice but we all are

familiar with the fact that if we are

focused on something that all that just

kind of melts away

so I'm creating this space I'm funneling

my brain into a state where I set up a

relationship not just between me and the

work that I'm doing but between me and

my ability to control my own State of

Mind

the more I avoided using my phone the

more focused I felt allowing me to move

throughout my mornings faster and more

productively

and on the days where I really wanted to

use my phone the most

I straight up stashed that in my

car because I need to focus

and I have to say that while it can be a

challenge to try and achieve this state

and this tunnel of work some days you

start to get kind of addicted to it it

feels really good it's like a workout

for the mind

I don't remember the last time I had an

experience where I I feel like I was in

a flow state twice today

twice oh and it feels good I cannot say

it enough that felt so good today

as strange as this may sound I feel like

the habit of jumping in the cold showers

and drinking those awful salt water

drinks has actually made me more

resilient when it comes to distraction

because just practicing that daily habit

of doing something hard that I know will

be satisfying once it's over

literally the exact same thing with

getting in focused work it's hard it's

challenging but I feel so much better

than I have in some time we got a 10 in

energy in a 10 in mood that is the first

perfect day of this challenge

today was a good day a really really

good day and when I tally up my numbers

from the last 30 days there's been

Improvement in both my energy levels and

my mood with my reported energy levels

increasing almost two whole points not

just that you've turned in everything on

time this week which I appreciate it's

that it's really good work which leaves

just one final test here we go

day one day 30 let's go I'm average

vitamin D got better my cholesterol got

better

everything is better

things have been going so well I even

started putting my friends onto the

routine

and how did you hear about it

you told me about it

things have been going so well that I am

honestly going to continue doing this

and I'm so thankful that I gave this a

try and to celebrate on the final day I

invited my brother and my friend Matt

out to go for a cold plunge to finish

this off by doing something challenging

that I know will feel good afterwards

and my hope is that going forward after

this challenge that I can do that more

often that I can force myself to do

difficult things

that I know will pay off in time

[Music]

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