Using Failures, Movement & Balance to Learn Faster | Huberman Lab Podcast #7

🌰 Wisdom in a Nutshell

Essential insights distilled from the video.

1. Behavior can change the brain, but requires different actions.
2. Representational plasticity, a key brain function, can be shifted through alignment and neuroplasticity.
3. Learning involves making errors, triggering neurochemical release and dopamine release, accelerating learning.
4. Enhance brain plasticity through education, emotional development, and learning activities.
5. Leverage frustration to enhance brain plasticity and growth.
6. Incremental learning, focused on one aspect, enhances adult plasticity.
7. Enhance plasticity and brain health by challenging your vestibular system.
8. Manage limbic friction for optimal neuroplasticity and sleep.
9. Plasticity can be enhanced through behavioral tools and learning approaches.

📚 Introduction

In this blog post, we will explore the fascinating world of brain plasticity and its role in learning and growth. We will discuss the different types of plasticity, the importance of behavior in triggering plasticity, and techniques to enhance learning and memory. By understanding the principles of brain plasticity, we can unlock our full potential and achieve personal and professional success.

🔍 Wisdom Unpacked

Delving deeper into the key ideas.

1. Behavior can change the brain, but requires different actions.

The brain controls behavior through two categories of neurons: lower motor neurons and upper motor neurons. Lower motor neurons are in the spinal cord and connect with muscles, allowing for movement. They do not have memory, but rather receive signals from central pattern generators in the brainstem. Central pattern generators control repetitive patterns of movement, such as breathing and walking. Upper motor neurons reside in the motor cortex and send specific signals for deliberate actions. To change motor patterns, it is important to understand where changes can occur in the circuitry and how to signal the brain for necessary changes. While exercise is beneficial for overall health, it alone does not open up plasticity in the nervous system. To change the brain, behavior must be different enough from what you already know how to perform. This applies to various learning goals, including athletes, dancers, language learners, and those who want to unlearn difficult emotional experiences. The goal is to use behavior as a gateway to enter states of mind and body that allow access to plasticity. There are different types of plasticity available to us.

2. Representational plasticity, a key brain function, can be shifted through alignment and neuroplasticity.

Representational plasticity, the ability of our internal maps to adapt and change, is a crucial aspect of our brain's functioning. This plasticity is facilitated by the alignment of our maps, such as auditory, visual, and motor maps, which help us navigate and control our movements. This alignment is achieved through the superior colliculus, a structure in our nervous system. However, these maps can be shifted through neuroplasticity, and there are specific rules that allow us to do so. For example, wearing prism glasses can shift the visual field and eventually affect the representation of auditory and motor maps, demonstrating the plasticity of these maps. This plasticity is more pronounced in young individuals, but older individuals may take longer or never shift. To achieve plasticity as adults, researchers are exploring signals that mimic juvenile plasticity.

3. Learning involves making errors, triggering neurochemical release and dopamine release, accelerating learning.

The process of learning involves making errors, which triggers the release of neurochemicals like acetylcholine, epinephrine, and dopamine, signaling the need for change. This process, not reaching failure in a workout, is a fundamental aspect of learning new skills. The release of dopamine, associated with pleasure, accomplishment, and motivation, is crucial for accelerating learning. To enhance learning, it's important to attach dopamine to the process of making errors, combining two modes of plasticity and accelerating learning. Dopamine can be released based on subjective beliefs, making it a highly subjective molecule. It's also important to understand how to release dopamine and to keep learning sessions relatively short.

4. Enhance brain plasticity through education, emotional development, and learning activities.

The brain's plasticity, which allows for learning and memory, is highest in early childhood and tapers off with age. However, adults can enhance their brain's plasticity by engaging in activities that stimulate the release of chemicals that enhance learning and retention. This can be achieved through a broad education, emotional development, and focusing on learning activities during specific times of the day. The key is to attach dopamine to the learning process, seeking frustration and finding pleasure in the process. These techniques can be applied to various activities and can be combined with other important tasks or therapy sessions, tapping into the mechanisms of plasticity.

5. Leverage frustration to enhance brain plasticity and growth.

The process of learning and making mistakes can enhance brain plasticity, leading to improved adaptability and growth. However, if frustration is not leveraged to continue learning, it can rewire the brain to feel miserable. Therefore, it's crucial to stay with the process, even when it becomes challenging.

6. Incremental learning, focused on one aspect, enhances adult plasticity.

Adult learning is enhanced by breaking down tasks into smaller increments, focusing on one aspect at a time, and engaging in intense learning bouts. This process, known as incremental learning, can activate plasticity in the brain, allowing for significant changes. The key is to understand that motor movements are the most straightforward way to access states of plasticity. The importance of something determines the rate and magnitude of plasticity, and when there is a strong incentive, the nervous system can change quickly. This has implications for people trying to learn faster or better, as well as those battling addiction. Our brain breaks up our sleep into different cycles of sleep and waking states, and we can tap into plasticity by focusing on a task and making errors repetitively. The all trade-in cycle suggests that for the first 10-15 minutes, our mind may drift, but then we can have about an hour of focused learning. Towards the end of the cycle, our mind may start to wander. To enhance learning, we can take breaks and return for another learning bout. Making errors during a 7-30 minute intense learning bout can activate the chemical cues for plasticity and signal the specific neurons involved. This intense work can help us remember and improve our skills. It's important to note that this type of learning is not about finding shortcuts or tricks, but rather about cueing the nervous system to change.

7. Enhance plasticity and brain health by challenging your vestibular system.

The vestibular system, responsible for our sense of balance, plays a crucial role in maintaining our physical and emotional well-being. Engaging in activities that challenge our vestibular system, such as inversions, yoga, or stationary bikes, can enhance plasticity and promote brain health. These activities, which create a mismatch between the visual experience and the actual vestibular motor sensory feedback, signal the cerebellum to release neurochemicals that promote learning. The key is to create a sense of novelty relative to gravity, either by being in a new position or slightly unstable. This can be achieved through activities that involve the vestibular system, such as running, cycling, or sports that involve inversions, lateral movement, and gymnastics. The more novel a motor behavior is in terms of your relationship to gravity, the more it opens up the opportunity for plasticity. To enhance learning, it's important to arrive at the appropriate level of autonomic arousal, as some anxiety or tiredness can lead to making errors. The vestibular motor sensory relationship is crucial for heightened plasticity. Setting a contingency, or a reason for learning, can accelerate the learning process. These four elements are essential for plasticity, both for adults and young people.

8. Manage limbic friction for optimal neuroplasticity and sleep.

Limbic friction, a state of alertness or fatigue, can hinder access to neuroplasticity. Techniques like respiration and sleep protocols can help manage these states. Neuroscience provides insights into accessing neuroplasticity and sleep, and understanding these mechanisms can be applied to different practices. The goal is to tailor these practices to individual learning needs. Supporting the podcast and exploring high-quality supplements can enhance sleep and neuroplasticity, but behavioral practices should be the first line of entry.

9. Plasticity can be enhanced through behavioral tools and learning approaches.

Learning conversational French to save a relationship is an example of high contingency, where the motivation to learn is strong. However, there are limits to the extent of plasticity, although the ceiling is not infinite. It is not possible to download conversational French instantly, as there is a limit to the amount of knowledge that can be processed. Currently, there are no specific pills or chemicals that can increase plasticity. Instead, behavioral tools and structured learning approaches can be used to access more plasticity regardless of age. Incremental learning and engaging the vestibular system can enhance plasticity. While yoga practices may also promote neuroplasticity, it is important to note that they are not the only way to achieve it.

💡 Actionable Wisdom

Transformative tips to apply and remember.

To apply the insights from this blog post in your daily life, focus on engaging in activities that challenge your brain and body, such as learning a new language, practicing yoga inversions, or breaking down complex tasks into smaller increments. Embrace the process of making mistakes and learning from them, and attach dopamine to the learning experience. Take advantage of the different cycles of sleep and waking states to optimize your learning sessions. By incorporating these strategies, you can harness the power of brain plasticity to enhance your learning, adaptability, and overall well-being.

📽️ Source & Acknowledgment

Link to the source video.

This post summarizes Andrew Huberman's YouTube video titled "Using Failures, Movement & Balance to Learn Faster | Huberman Lab Podcast #7". All credit goes to the original creator. Wisdom In a Nutshell aims to provide you with key insights from top self-improvement videos, fostering personal growth. We strongly encourage you to watch the full video for a deeper understanding and to support the creator.