In this episode, I discuss how our brain and body track time and the role that neurochemicals, in particular dopamine and serotonin, but also hormones such as melatonin, allow us to orient ourselves in time. I review the three types of time perception: of the past, of the present, and the future, and how dopamine and serotonin adjust both our perception of the speed of the passage of time and our memory of how long previous experiences lasted. I also discuss circannual entrainment, which is the process by which our brain and body are matched to the seasons, and circadian (24 hours) entrainment, both of which subconsciously adjust our perceived measurement of time. I explain the mechanisms of that subconscious control. And I cover the ultradian (90 minutes) rhythms that govern our ability to focus, including how to track when these 90-minute rhythms begin and end for the sake of work and productivity. I include ten tools based on the science of time perception that you can apply to enhance productivity, creativity, and relationships in various contexts. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introducing Time Perception, Note on Fasting & Supplements  

00:05:28 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:09:25 Entrainment, Circannual Entrainment, Melatonin  

00:13:20 Seasonal Oscillations in Testosterone & Estrogen, Tool 1  

00:16:06 Circadian Timing, Tools 1, 2, 3 (for Circadian Entrainment)  

00:21:13 Tool 4: Timing Physical Activity; Tool 5: Timing Eating Window  

00:23:00 When Circadian Entrainment Is Disrupted, Time Perception Suffers  

00:25:00 Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus  

00:31:42 Our Sense of the Passage of Time: Present, Prospective, Retrospective  

00:34:40 Dopamine (& Nor/epinephrine) Lead to Time Overestimation; Frame Rate  

00:37:18 Serotonin & Time Underestimation; Decreased Frame Rate  

00:39:10 Dopamine vs. Serotonin Across the Day; Tool 7: When to Do Rigid vs. Creative Work  

00:42:38 Example of Tool 7  

00:43:38 How Sleep Deprivation Degrades Performance  

00:44:38 Trauma, “Over-clocking” & Memories; Adjusting Rates of Experience  

00:50:04 Why Trauma Involves Dopamine & Epinephrine, Arousal  

00:51:03 Dopamine, Spontaneous Blinking & Time Perception; Tool 8  

00:53:38 Deliberate Cold Exposure, Dopamine, Tool 9: Adjusting Frame Rate in Discomfort  

00:56:30 Fun “Feels Fast” BUT Is Remembered as Slow; Boring Stuff “Feels Slow,” Recall as Fast  

01:00:54 Retrospective Time, Context Variation & Enhanced Bonding with Places & People  

01:03:00 Dopamine Release Resets the Start of Each Time Bin on Our Experience  

01:07:40 Habits & Time Perception; Tool 10 (Setting Functional Units of Each Day)  

01:11:58 Synthesis & Book Suggestion (Your Brain Is a Time Machine by D. Buonomano)  

01:12:27 Supporting the HLP: Subscribe, Instagram, Supplements  

Disclaimer & Disclosures