Let's dive into the importance of getting sunlight exposure, especially in the morning, as emphasized by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Huberman stresses that consistency plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy biological clock.
The Power of Morning Sunlight Andrew Huberman has extensively researched the impact of light on human physiology and behavior. He explains that exposure to sunlight, particularly in the morning, has numerous positive effects on both physical and mental well-being. Even a brief 10-minute exposure to natural light can make a significant difference in regulating your body's internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that governs various physiological processes, such as sleep-wake patterns, hormone production, and body temperature regulation. Huberman emphasizes that when exposed to sunlight, specifically the blue light spectrum, the body suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and increases the production of cortisol, a hormone associated with wakefulness and alertness.
By getting sunlight exposure in the morning, Huberman explains, you are essentially sending a signal to your body that it's time to start the day. This helps to synchronize your internal clock with the external environment, leading to improved sleep quality, better mood, and increased energy levels throughout the day.
The Benefits of Consistent Sunlight Exposure While getting some sunlight exposure is better than none at all, Andrew Huberman stresses that the key to maximizing its benefits lies in consistency. He emphasizes that the biological clock thrives on regularity, and making sure to get sunlight at roughly the same time every day can help to reinforce the circadian rhythm.
When your body becomes accustomed to a regular schedule of sunlight exposure, Huberman explains, it can more effectively regulate the production of hormones and neurotransmitters that influence sleep, mood, and overall well-being. Consistent exposure to morning sunlight has been linked to:
1. Improved Sleep Quality By aligning your internal clock with the natural light-dark cycle, consistent morning sunlight exposure can help to regulate your sleep-wake patterns. Huberman notes that this can lead to more restful and restorative sleep at night, as well as reduced symptoms of insomnia and other sleep disorders.
2. Enhanced Mood and Reduced Stress Sunlight exposure has been shown to increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood, anxiety, and happiness. Huberman highlights that consistent exposure to morning sunlight can help to elevate and stabilize mood, reducing the risk of depression and other mood disorders.
Additionally, Huberman discusses the stress-reducing effects of sunlight, which have been well-documented. Regular exposure to natural light has been linked to lower levels of cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, which can help to promote feelings of calm and relaxation.
3. Increased Energy and Alertness By suppressing the production of melatonin and increasing cortisol levels, consistent morning sunlight exposure can help to boost energy and alertness throughout the day. Huberman explains that this can lead to improved cognitive function, enhanced productivity, and a greater overall sense of vitality.
4. Strengthened Immune Function Sunlight is also essential for the production of vitamin D, a crucial nutrient that plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Huberman notes that vitamin D helps to regulate the immune response, reducing the risk of infections and autoimmune disorders.
Consistent exposure to sunlight can help to maintain optimal vitamin D levels, supporting the body's natural defenses and promoting overall health...

Of course, parents want to shower their kids with praise, highlighting their intelligence, talent, and athletic prowess. However, research suggests that simply labeling children as gifted and talented may not be the most effective approach. In fact, certain types of praise can inadvertently hinder a child's performance. Andrew Huberman, a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, explores the intricate connection between performance, grit, and the praise we receive and give ourselves. He also delves into the concept of a growth mindset and whether it can be learned and adopted. "It turns out that the kind of praise or feedback that we receive that attaches our identity to performance can actually undermine our performance," Huberman explains in the podcast episode focused on enhancing performance. From a young age, we often internalize beliefs about our strengths and weaknesses, Huberman notes. For instance, I've consistently told myself (and continue to do so) that I'm terrible at drawing—I could never create a proportional figure in art class. Conversely, I used to tell myself (but no longer do) that I was skilled at playing the piano, learning covers of popular songs in my spare time. "We tend to decide if we are good or bad at things, and we tend to integrate those beliefs with our identity to varying degrees, depending on whether we're professionals, amateurs, or how much we engage in an activity," Huberman says. Interestingly, being praised for our talent or intelligence in a specific area can actually limit our potential. As cliché as it may sound, emphasizing and commending the journey rather than the destination is the key to optimizing our performance. As renowned author Glennon Doyle's podcast title suggests, we can indeed do hard things.
How to praise your child the 'right' way Huberman references the work of Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University and author of "Mindset: How You Can Fulfill Your Potential." Dweck's 1998 research laid the groundwork for understanding the importance of effort-based praise over intelligence-based praise in improving performance. Children who were told they were great or smart after completing a task tended to gravitate toward easier activities that bolstered their sense of achievement. "They are likely to go with the least amount of challenge so that they can continue to receive that praise or feedback," Huberman explains. On the other hand, children who were praised for their effort and the process of diligently working on a problem were more inclined to seek out increasingly challenging tasks. Moreover, those praised for their effort actively sought out more challenges in general, aiming to capitalize on and enhance their effort. Paradoxically, telling someone they are a great athlete may lead them to play conservatively, as being good is tied to their identity, and they fear the consequences of losing. "If you're a parent or teacher, you have to be very careful about giving feedback to a child that is attached to their identity around an endeavor, especially if they're performing well at that endeavor," Huberman cautions. Praise with verbs Huberman breaks it down into simple terms: ditch the nouns. "If you attach effort verbs to why you got good at something, as well as why you are not good at something, then there's only room for improvement," he states in the episode.
Teach a growth mindset Emphasizing effort aligns with adopting a growth mindset—the belief that we can continuously find new ways to optimize performance and tackle challenges. Our identities are not fixed, Huberman asserts. "Growth mindset is really a way of connecting motivation to cognition," Huberman says, adding that it helps individuals bounce back from setbacks and transform frustration into action. As simple as it may seem, clearly outlining the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset is an...