Motivating Matters

 

    Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and associate professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, in an interview with Joe Rogan said that it is more than just a lack of time, although that does contribute to the difficulty. It can be traced to a deeper source as being a part of our innate biological system as humans. Dr. Huberman states that “we were basically designed to come into the world and be customized to our experience.” His point is that children have a higher susceptibility to learning. They are able to soak up their experiences like a sponge because their brain has an increased level of neuroplasticity.

 

    Neuroplasticity is defined by Oxford Languages as being the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury. Research suggests that neuroplasticity is present in our brains throughout our life, which means that we do have the capability of learning new things. That’s encouraging! It is more difficult to learn as an adult because neuroplasticity is at a decreased rate. Many of our neurons are already connected as adults, whereas children are making those initial connections. It takes more effort and intention as adults to form new connections or rewire the old, but it is possible.

 

    During the interview, in response to Joe Rogan’s question about the best way for a 35 year old man or woman to learn a new skill, Dr. Huberman said, “if you want to learn and change your brain as an adult there has to be a high level of focus and engagement.” These are used as the catalyst for adrenaline in your brain. Most people stop when they feel the sense of agitation associated with adrenaline, when in reality it was “designed to get us into movement.” If we can harness this adrenaline rush and give it direction toward something we’re trying to learn visually or audibly, our brain releases acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a type of chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, that plays a vital role in the central and peripheral nervous system. Thus, increasing the rate of neuroplasticity in our brain.

 

    Focus and engagement trigger the possibility for creating new neural pathways, but are not what guarantee that you have learned a new skill. Dr. Huberman makes it clear that in order to strengthen neural connections or create new ones, and have that new skill become reflexive, states of deep sleep are needed. Sleeping or deliberately decompressing allows our brain to make these changes. High performance athletes and military personnel alike “understand that the ability to toggle back and forth between these high alert, high attentional states and deep rest is not just the key to performing what you can already do. It’s also the ability to get better over time.” This was a mind blowing bit of knowledge for myself that helped me better understand the process of learning and how it can be optimized.

 

    Don’t listen to the sentiment of others concerning the difficulty of learning as an adult. Take it upon yourself to make the time to focus and engage on a new experience, and follow it up with deep sleep. This process should applied daily to maximize your potential for growth and learning. I read another gem in James Clear’s “3-2-1” newsletter recently that fits this discussion topic perfectly. The idea was, “Stop learning, die young. Keep learning, stay young.” If we can master the process Dr. Huberman described, we can unlock a part of ourselves we never knew existed.

 

If you’re interested in listening to the full interview between Joe Rogan and Dr. Andrew Huberman click here.