How to Grow From Doing Hard Things

<p>My guest is <a href="https://eastermichael.com/">Michael Easter</a>, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and best-selling author. We discuss how particular daily life choices undermine our level of joy, our sense of purpose, our physical and our mental health and the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly steps we can all take to vastly increase our level of motivation, gratitude and overall life satisfaction. We discuss how effortful foraging for information, undistracted reflection and physical exercise are ways to ‘invest’ and therefore grow our levels of dopamine, energy and motivation, whereas low-friction activities are specifically designed to hijack or diminish them. We also discuss dopamine reward circuitry in the context of how to build and reset one’s energy levels and create a deeper sense of purpose in work, creative pursuits and relationships.</p>
<p>Read the episode show notes at <a href="https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-to-grow-from-doing-hard-things-michael-easter">hubermanlab.com</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Timestamps</strong></p>
<p>00:00:00 Michael Easter</p>
<p>00:02:14 Discomforts, Modern vs Ancient Life</p>
<p>00:07:35 Sponsors: Maui Nui &amp; Helix Sleep</p>
<p>00:10:17 Modern Problems, Exercise, Trail vs Treadmill Running, Optic Flow, Hunting</p>
<p>00:20:01 Risk &amp; Rewards, Intellectual vs Experiential Understanding</p>
<p>00:23:39 Modern Luxuries, First-World Problems, Gratitude, Tool: Volunteer</p>
<p>00:34:33 Rites of Passage, Tool: Challenge, Narrative &amp; Purpose; Embracing Discomfort</p>
<p>00:40:43 Sponsors: AG1 &amp; Mateina</p>
<p>00:43:33 Choice, 2% Study, Silence, Tools: Do Slightly Harder Things; Notice Resistance</p>
<p>00:54:05 Cognitive Challenges, Walking, Screens, Tool: Sitting with Boredom</p>
<p>01:01:53 Capturing Ideas, Attractor States, Tool: Being in Nature</p>
<p>01:06:50 2% Rule, Rites of Passage, Tool: Misogi Challenge</p>
<p>01:14:12 Phones, Sharing with Others, Social Media, Tool: Reflection vs Screen Time</p>
<p>01:23:23 Dopamine, Spending vs Investing, Guilt</p>
<p>01:29:48 Sponsor: Function</p>
<p>01:31:35 Relaxation, Shared Identities &amp; Community, Music, Tool: In-Person Meeting</p>
<p>01:38:58 Loss of Gathering Places, Internet &amp; Distorted Views, Hitchhiking</p>
<p>01:45:06 Misogi &amp; Entry Points; Daily Schedule, Caffeine Intake</p>
<p>01:54:37 Optimal Circadian Schedule, Work Bouts, Exercise</p>
<p>01:59:12 Outdoor Adventures, Backpacking &amp; Nutrition</p>
<p>02:04:57 Camping &amp; Sleeping, Nature, Three-Day Effect</p>
<p>02:10:10 Sea Squirts; Misogi Adventures &amp; Cognitive Vigor, Writing, Happiness</p>
<p>02:17:55 Effort &amp; Rewards, Addiction, Dopamine, Catecholamines</p>
<p>02:22:36 Humans, Running &amp; Carrying Weight, Fat Loss, Tool: How to Start Rucking</p>
<p>02:32:32 Physical/Cognitive Pursuits &amp; Resistance; Creative “Magic” &amp; Foraging</p>
<p>02:39:27 Motivation; Slot Machines, Loss Disguised as a Win, Speed</p>
<p>02:46:06 Gambling, Dopamine, Addiction</p>
<p>02:50:29 Tool: Avoid Frictionless Foraging; Sports Betting, Speed; Junk Food, Three V’s</p>
<p>02:56:22 Conveniences, Technology; Upcoming Book, Satisfaction</p>
<p>03:02:57 Substack Links, Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify &amp; Apple Follow &amp; Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter</p>
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