Essentials: Time Perception, Memory & Focus

Huberman Lab

Scicomm Media

Science, Health & Fitness, Life Sciences

4.8 • 26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore how biological rhythms and neurochemicals impact our perception of time. I describe how the body aligns with daily and seasonal light cycles to regulate hormones that influence energy, mood and motivation throughout the year. I share science-based tools to enhance focus and productivity, including strategies for structuring work intervals and optimizing the timing of exercise and daily light exposure. I also explain how neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin influence our perception of time and how factors such as novelty, emotion and routine impact how we experience and recall time. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AGZ by AG1: https://drinkagz.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman Timestamps (0:00) Time Perception (0:48) Entrainment, Circannual Rhythms & Melatonin (4:22) Circadian Rhythms, Tools: Exercise; Morning & Evening Light for Circadian Entrainment (9:01) Sponsor: AGZ by AG1 (10:30) Ultradian Cycles, Focus & Work (14:06) Time Perception, Past, Present & Future (16:21) Dopamine, Norepinephrine & Serotonin, Time Perception (18:40) Dopamine & Serotonin, Daily Fluctuations, Tool: Structuring Work, Sleep (20:23) Trauma, “Over-clocking”, Slowing Time & Emotions (24:59) Sponsor: BetterHelp (26:15) Event Perception (Fun vs Boring), Time & Memories (29:23) Novel Experiences, Places & People, Retrospective Time (31:24) Habits, Tool: Schedule Functional Units (32:59) Recap & Book Suggestion Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Huberman Lab Essentials,
0:02.4	where we revisit past episodes
0:04.4	for the most potent and actionable science-based tools
0:07.6	for mental health, physical health, and performance.
0:11.8	I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor
0:13.5	of neurobiology and ophthalmology
0:15.6	at Stanford School of Medicine.
0:17.5	Today we are talking about time perception.
0:20.7	Our perception of time is perhaps the most important factor in how we gauge our life.
0:26.7	And the reason for that is that our perception of time is directly linked to the neurochemical
0:32.1	states that control mood, stress, happiness, excitement.
0:36.9	And of course, it frames the way in which we evaluate our past.
0:41.5	It frames our present, whether or not we think we are on track
0:44.6	or off track, and it frames our sense of the future.
0:48.2	So let's talk about time perception.
0:50.2	And the most fundamental aspect of time perception
0:52.6	is something called entrainment.
0:54.7	Entrainment is the way in which your internal processes,
0:58.7	your biology and your psychology,
1:01.1	are linked to some external thing.
1:04.3	And the most basic form of entrainment
1:06.5	that we are all a slave to all year round
	...

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