Andrew Huberman: My Exact Routine To Optimize Brain & Body, I Do All Of These Every Day!

**Andrew Huberman** (0:00)
Here's the diabolical thing. The risk of dying early, if you have bright nights, goes up immensely. There have been a lot of studies on people after 6 p.m., on devices, getting artificial LED exposure, they live shorter lives, cancer rates go up, they're metabolically unhealthy. But here's the really scary thing. We have a generation of kids that are metabolically sick. They cling to their iPads, they're on devices. But the problem is the most things are designed to make people do less of what's good for them. And we don't talk about this enough.

**Steven Bartlett** (0:28)
And Andrew, you're one of the most trusted voices in health today. And we've waited many, many years for this. Protocols, an operating manual for the human body.

**Andrew Huberman** (0:36)
Yeah, these 10 protocols are well established. They're the ones that are going to move the needle the most in terms of one's mental health, physical health and performance.

**Steven Bartlett** (0:44)
OK, so let's get into it.

**Andrew Huberman** (0:45)
So protocol number one, you want to get sunlight because exposure each day to the skin increases testosterone and estrogen in both women and men and is important for libido. And then the second, and this is really key, is to reduce stress fast. I'll explain how to do that in a moment. And then number three, working out with weights for 45 minutes, taking your sets near to failure. It will triple or quadruple your cortisol levels. But a lot of people have been told, don't spike your cortisol, it's the stress hormone. But it's a preparation hormone. You're preparing for adversity but also great things. The next thing, and this is one of the most valuable skills, if you do it for five minutes per day, you will experience a significant improvement in mental and physical health. And then sleeping on your side, very important for offsetting dementia, getting rid of bags under your eyes. But Steven, the number one thing that you need to know about is the moment I started, my life got so much better. And I really started to see what I could only describe as miracles.

**Steven Bartlett** (1:33)
Andrew, I have this outstanding question that I have to ask you. You don't really talk in depth about supplements.

**Andrew Huberman** (1:37)
Oh, I do. I go ham.

**Steven Bartlett** (1:39)
So you can only do five for the rest of your life. Oh, gosh.

**Andrew Huberman** (1:41)
I highly recommend getting it.

**Steven Bartlett** (1:47)
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Andrew Huberman, we've waited many, many years for this. And now it has arrived. This is your long-awaited book called Protocols, An Operating Manual for the Human Body. And inside this book, I counted roughly 50 different protocols, split across seven different areas.
Sleep, exercise, stress control, nutrition, light, focus, motivation and learning, and personal growth. You've written 10 of the protocols you want to focus on sharing today. Can I ask, why did you choose those 10?

**Andrew Huberman** (2:52)
They're the ones that are going to move the needle the most in terms of one's mental health, physical health, and quote unquote performance. Your life will be so much better if you do them.

**Steven Bartlett** (3:02)
And do they cost a lot of money to do the 10 that you've picked?

**Andrew Huberman** (3:05)
No, they could be done either at completely zero cost or on an existing budget.

**Steven Bartlett** (3:09)
And do you do these 10 things?

**Andrew Huberman** (3:10)
Every day.

**Steven Bartlett** (3:12)
Every day?

**Andrew Huberman** (3:12)
There's one on there that I don't do every single day. I take off one day per week, but every single day without fail.

**Steven Bartlett** (3:18)
And when you wrote them, did you write them in order of sequencing?

**Andrew Huberman** (3:21)
Yeah, throughout the day, from start to finish. Because this is the other thing, protocols synergize. They ratchet together. How well you slept last night is dictating how well you feel now.
These are gears in a larger system. One moves, the other ones move. And while there is a place for pharmacology and supplements and things that you take, ultimately these gears fit together based on what you do.