Focus Toolkit: Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration | Huberman Lab Podcast #88

In this episode, I provide a list of behavioral, nutritional, and supplement-based tools you can use to improve your ability to get into a focused state to do mental or physical work. I explain science-supported strategies for transitioning into focus, maintaining focus during the work bout, and exiting the focus session, which is also critical, including decompression/defocusing tools. I explain when and how to use: binaural beats, caffeine, deliberate cold exposure, the pros and cons of working in fasted vs. fed states, and supplements and foods that enhance dopamine, epinephrine (i.e., adrenaline) and acetylcholine to promote optimal focus. Also, I explain how short behavioral practices, such as meditation and visual gaze training, will benefit your ability to focus over the long term. As deep focus is crucial to significantly improve cognitive or physical performance in any realm, this episode should be useful to anyone. By the end, you’ll have an essential toolkit of science-supported, low- to zero-cost focus and concentration strategies to select from that can be tailored to your physical and mental performance needs. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): Thesis: LMNT: Eight Sleep: Virtusan: Supplements from Momentous Social & Website Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: TikTok: @hubermanlab LinkedIn: Website: Newsletter: Articles Acute Stress Improves Concentration Performance: Human physiological responses to immersion into water of different temperatures: Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators: Books Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body: Resources Huberman Lab Toolkit for Sleep: BrainWave (App Store): Brain Waves (Google Play): White, Pink vs. Brown Noise: Madefor NSDR: Reveri: Anna Park Yerba Mate: Examine: Timestamps 00:00:00 Focus Toolkit 00:04:25 Momentous Supplements 00:05:38 Thesis, LMNT, Eight Sleep 00:09:37 The “Arrow Model” of Focus: Epinephrine, Acetylcholine & Dopamine 00:15:15 Modulation vs. Mediation, Importance of Sleep 00:18:11 Tool: Binaural Beats to Improve Concentration 00:20:54 Tool: White, Brown & Pink Noise, Transition to Focused State 00:22:55 Warm-Up for Cognitive Work, Refocusing Attention & Neuroplasticity 00:26:14 Tool: Ultradian Cycles: Warm-Up, Maintaining Focus & Deliberate Defocusing 00:31:22 How Many Daily Ultradian Cycles Can One Perform? 00:34:14 AG1 (Athletic Greens) 00:35:35 Virtusan: Mental & Physical Health Journeys 00:36:52 Tool: Fasted vs. Fed States & Focus, Prevent an Afternoon Crash, Ketosis 00:45:52 Tool: Foods to Improve Focus & Regulating Food Volume 00:47:53 Tool: Caffeine & Focused Work, Dopamine Efficacy, Alertness 00:52:55 Tool: Stress & Improved Concentration 00:55:46 Tool: Deliberate Cold Exposure & Focus, Dopamine & Epinephrine 01:00:39 Layer Focusing Tools & Design Your Own Protocols 01:01:19 Tool: Short Meditation & Improved Ability to Refocus 01:07:40 Tool: Yoga Nidra, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) & Defocus Periods 01:12:13 Tool: Hypnosis & Focus/Deep Relaxation States 01:16:07 Optimal Time of Day to Use Specific Tools 01:16:46 Tool: Overt Visual Focus & Deliberate Gaze 01:20:42 Covert Visual Focus; Deliberate Gaze Warm-Up & Focused Work 01:24:43 Tool: Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids 01:27:28 Tool: Creatine Monohydrate 01:29:10 Tool: Alpha-GPC & Acetylcholine, Increased Risk of Stroke? & Garlic 01:33:52 Tool: L-Tyrosine Supplements & Food 01:34:47 Combining & Choosing Focus Tools, Variability 01:36:50 ADHD Prescriptions, Training Neural Circuits, Maintenance & Reduced Dosage 01:39:19 Tool: Optimal Order Approaching Focus Tools, Prescriptions & Dependency 01:42:56 Tool: Phenylethylamine & Dopamine 01:44:50 Tool: Other Supplements to Enhance Dopamine, Epinephrine & Acetylcholine 01:46:46 Behavioral, Nutrition & Supplement Tools for Focus 01:49:12 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Momentous Supplements, AG1 (Athletic Greens), Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer: Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac -