Yahoo Finance Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman: Make These 6 Mindset Changes and Watch Money Flow In
There’s a lot about money that we can’t control, such as the course of the stock market, the cost of living in our city, interest rates and inflation. But we do have more say in money matters than we may recognize, and one of the lesser-discussed aspects we can control to a large extent is our mindset. Research shows that how we think and feel does impact our finances, particularly when it comes to decision making.
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Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. — a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine — has talked about how the way we think affects our financial well-being, or lack thereof. In 2023, the YouTube channel Money broke down Huberman’s tips about how behavior, actions and habits steer our ability to succeed.
These are six mindset changes Huberman says will help you be more productive so that you can financially prosper.
Get Outside in the Morning
Go outside for 10 to 30 minutes every morning (as early as possible and without sunglasses), even if it’s cloudy out. Sunlight triggers a release of hormones like cortisol. It will also promote concentration, and 12 to 14 hours later, it will stimulate the release of melatonin, which helps us fall asleep quickly and for the entire night. Try to get more light later in the day too, as this helps fortify against the sleep-disrupting effect of screens.
Implementing this habit of embracing sunshine, at the right time of day, will boost your productivity so you can get more done as efficiently as possible, which, in turn, will help you make the most of your life every day — both financially and otherwise.
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Don’t Drink Coffee When You Get Out of Bed
Caffeine is a global go-to stimulant. It gives us the boost we may be lacking when we get up in the morning or feel a midday slump coming on. It’s also pretty bad for our brains, which, of course, controls our money decisions. Our body has a molecule called adenosine, which builds up and tells our neurons it’s time to go to sleep. This happens naturally in the evening — unless you’re pumped up with coffee from earlier in the day.
The intake of caffeine stimulates the release of adenosine earlier than normal, making you tired earlier and less able to focus and take control. You don’t need to ditch coffee altogether. Instead, Huberman says just to wait 60 to 90 minutes after waking up before you drink it.
Strengthen Your Willpower
One of the issues holding people back from getting rich, in Huberman’s opinion, is that they spend too much of their time doing tasks they’re not passionate about and don’t want to do, rather than dedicating time to the things they really enjoy. Of course, it’s hard to go through life without having to do a ton of stuff that isn’t particularly thrilling or fulfilling, but we can productively power through them by strengthening our willpower.
To strengthen our willpower, we need to become forceful with ourselves, just as we would when going to the gym and tackling an exercise we know will wear us out but ultimately make us stronger. This means not giving in to temptations like snacking on empty calories or scrolling mindlessly on our phones. By forcing ourselves to tackle “meh” but necessary tasks, we trigger friction in our limbic system and forebrain that helps us build wealth and success.
Create Negative Visualizations
It’s important to visualize a beautiful and prosperous future, but Huberman says it’s equally important to visualize a negative one, as fear can build motivation. Consider all the unfortunate consequences of, say, buying something you want but can’t afford. Think about the cost of things you didn’t do but should have done that could have helped you financially. Promise to accomplish these things and really think about what will happen if you fail.
This exercise will likely make you uncomfortable, but visualizing and writing down fears and consequences of failure will make you stronger and help you get to the next level of unlocking financial freedom.
Make Mistakes
None of us sets out on a feat with the intention of mucking it all up, but it’s important that we make mistakes and embrace them. Mistakes are teachers — if you use them correctly. Your path to self improvement and new horizons (including financial ones) relies in part on your ability to make and deeply reflect on mistakes.
To better your odds of making mistakes, try to learn new things often. The higher you set the bar for yourself, the more likely you are to fail. Adapting to mistakes stimulates the front part of your brain and adapts your body to new situations.
Act at the Right Moment Using the 90-Minute Cycle Technique
According to Huberman, any human body has a cycle of 90 minutes in which all of our senses are focused on productivity. Follow this cycle and make it rigid.
In the first five to 10 minutes of this 90-minute cycle, your brain will be resistant. Don’t let that resistance make you stop. Keep going. Your brain will soon adjust to a state of deep concentration and allow you to productively and efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Then, you should rest for 20 minutes. During this period of relaxation, disconnect from everything, including your phone. Doing so will allow to you be more productive in general and in your financial life.
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