How to Increase Motivation & Drive | Huberman Lab Podcast #12

Summary

• The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses science and science-based tools for everyday life
• The podcast is sponsored by Athletic Greens, Headspace, and Magic Spoon
• The topic of this podcast is increasing motivation and drive
• Motivation and drive are essential for achieving goals and for being productive
• There are both internal and external factors that can influence motivation and drive
• Internal factors include having clear goals, feeling competent and capable, and having a sense of control over one's actions
• External factors include having social support, receiving feedback and recognition, and having resources and incentives
• To increase motivation and drive, it is helpful to identify any barriers or obstacles that may be hindering progress, and to develop strategies for overcoming these challenges
• It is also important to set achievable goals and to break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks
• Building new habits and practicing self-compassion can also help to increase motivation and drive.
• Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in pleasure, reward, and motivation
• Dopamine is also a precursor to adrenaline, which stimulates movement and action
• The mesolimbic reward pathway, involving the VTA and the nucleus accumbens, plays a key role in motivation and addiction
• Dopamine release can be controlled through scheduling and understanding the dopamine system
• Supplementation may not always be the best way to increase dopamine, and can sometimes have negative consequences
• Dopamine release can be influenced by factors such as goal-setting, visualization, and mindfulness.
• Dopamine release in the brain is associated with pleasure and motivation
• Dopamine release is increased by 50% in response to food, 100% in response to sex, 150% in response to nicotine, and 1000% in response to cocaine and amphetamine
• Thinking about a reward can also increase dopamine release to the same degree as actually consuming the reward
• Social media and video games can also increase dopamine release, with video games releasing levels similar to nicotine and cocaine
• Addiction may occur when there is a progressively diminishing return of dopamine release in response to a reward
• Estrogen and testosterone can bias the dopamine system towards certain rewards
• The prefrontal cortex and the amygdala play a role in regulating dopamine release and addiction.
• Dopamine release and pleasure is diminished over time with drug use, and pain response is increased
• Dopamine is more about motivation and desire to relieve pain through pursuit of pleasure rather than just pleasure itself
• Desire for something is proportional to both how pleasurable it is and how much pain is experienced when it is not present
• Satiety and satisfaction involve the neuromodulator serotonin and hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin
• "Here and now" molecules, including serotonin, are responsible for feelings of bliss and are associated with the raphe nucleus
• The orbitofrontal cortex is involved in decision making and regret
• The amygdala is involved in fear and anxiety, and the hippocampus is involved in memory and spatial navigation.
• Wellbutrin and Prozac can increase dopamine levels and motivation, but can also increase risk of epileptic attacks in some people
• High levels of dopamine can lead to a desire for more and can make it so that "enough is never enough"
• There are mechanisms in the body that can suppress dopamine, such as the hormone prolactin, which is released after orgasm and can create a sense of lethargy and lack of desire
• The Coolidge effect refers to the phenomenon in which males (and sometimes females) will continue to seek out new sexual partners, in order to continue experiencing the dopamine rush that comes with novelty
• Exercise can release dopamine and can be a healthy way to increase motivation and focus, as long as it is not taken to extremes
• To have healthy dopamine levels, it is important to have a balance of activities and to not overdo any one thing
• It can be helpful to plan for "dopamine breaks" in order to allow for the suppression of dopamine and to avoid dopamine crashes
• Anti-doping synergic drugs can be effective in suppressing hallucinations, but can also cause movement problems because of their impact on dopamine's importance in movement circuitry
• Males taking these drugs may develop breast tissue (gynecomastia) due to elevated levels of prolactin caused by the suppression of dopamine
• Prolactin is released after intense experiences and can be responsible for postpartum depression and the "low" after a major event
• Vitamin B6 may help to offset the low after a major event, but people with diabetic neuropathy should be cautious and check with a doctor
• It is possible to extend the positive phase of dopamine release and blunt the pain response cognitively by thinking about past pleasurable experiences
• Dopamine release is subjective and can vary from person to person
• The speaker mentions the supplement PEA (beta fennel ethylamine) and suggests looking it up on examine.com for more information
• The speaker discusses attention deficit disorders and the use of drugs like Adderall to treat them in children
• The speaker talks about the role of dopamine in impulsivity and mentions the book "The Molecule of More"
• The speaker talks about the role of the prefrontal cortex in limiting impulsivity and the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to affect the prefrontal cortex
• The speaker discusses the link between obesity and impulsivity and mentions the hormone leptin
• The speaker talks about the role of sleep in the regulation of appetite and mentions the hormone ghrelin
• The speaker discusses the use of the supplement melatonin for sleep and the hormone testosterone's role in muscle growth and sex drive
• Dopamine release decreases as a person reaches their goals
• To avoid crashing, it is important to not intensely celebrate every win
• Blunting the reward response can help a person continue down the path of progress
• Celebrating wins, but not every win, can help keep the dopamine system in check
• Taking the reward out of one's own hands and having someone else control whether or not they are allowed to feel good about their wins can be helpful for long term performance
• Intermittent reinforcement (rewarding behavior only sometimes) can increase motivation and drive in the long term
• Focusing on the process rather than the outcome can be helpful for maintaining motivation and drive
• Ashwagandha may have negative effects on the fibroid and cortisol and melatonin systems when used long-term, based on a rat study
• Examined.com is a useful resource for information on the effects of various compounds on the body and brain, with a focus on human studies
• The Huberman Lab Podcast is now subtitled in Spanish, and other episodes will have subtitles available within the next few weeks
• The dopamine system is involved in reward and motivation, and can also be involved in pain
• The "molecules of more" include serotonin and endocannabinoids
• Vitamin B6 and zinc can affect prolactin levels
• The effects of Adderall can be replicated cognitively by giving people caffeine and telling them they have taken Adderall
• Adopting an intermittent reward schedule can help with long-term engagement in healthy pursuits
• The Huberman Lab Podcast is funded by sponsors, and the sponsors are disclosed at the beginning of each episode