Andrew Huberman's 5 Non-Negotiable Health Pillars for Peak Mental & Physical Health
In a day and age where cold plunges and 5 a.m. wake-ups dominate popular wellness trends, Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has a simpler message. In short, if you can focus on five specific "pillars" of mental and physical health, it'll go a long way toward improving your overall health and mindset. As the host of the Huberman Lab podcast explained best previously, "It's very hard to control the mind with the mind. So when your mind isn't where you want it to be, look to the body to shift the brain."
Huberman's five pillars to peak mental and physical health:
- Sleep
- Movement
- Sunlight
- Nutrition
- Relationships
We're going to break down Huberman's five pillars, including the primary reasons why each one is so vital to your mental and physical health.
The 5 Pillars: Sleep, Movement, Sunlight, Nutrition, Relationships
As Huberman details, "there's no replacement" for the five key aspects when it comes to general health. Not surprisingly, that begins with sleep, which is immensely important and can impact all other aspects of your life, including the other pillars.
*Note: All quotes from Huberman are from his rundown here, while he has also discussed the pillars in detail on his podcast, which are linked below.
Pillar 1 - Sleep
"Everyone needs to get [a] sufficient amount of quality sleep," Huberman explains. "Most people need between 6-8 [hours]. Teenagers, young kids, let them sleep as much as they want."
Huberman dove deeper into the importance of sleep during a previous segment on the Huberman Lab podcast and offered additional insight.
Sleep can be beneficial as a stress reliever, trauma releaser and immune booster, as the neuroscientist touched on previously. Giving yourself a wind-down routine and attempting to remain within the same bedtime and wake-up time each night (give or take an hour) is a great practice to focus on.
Pillar 2 - Sunlight
"Next one is sunlight. Get some sunlight in your eyes, ideally in the morning," the Huberman Lab host continues. "If you wake up before the sun comes out, flip on bright lights and get outside once the sun comes out. Get as much sunlight as you can."
Huberman has consistently supported the concept of getting sunlight immediately after waking, so it's not surprising that this headlines one of his biggest pillars to mental and physical health. Doing so within 30-60 minutes of waking (without sunglasses) helps to regulate circadian rhythm, and the serotonin from it can boost your mood.
Pillar 3 - Movement
"It is important to get movement," says Huberman of the second pillar. "Ideally, an hour a day of some sort of movement. Weight-lifting, running, cycling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu if that's your thing. Get your heart rate up, get your breathing up, you'll live longer, you'll feel better."
It's important to note that this can go beyond just working out. While not everyone loves the concept of exercise or working out, getting some type of movement worked into your daily routine is vital. Whether it's walking, getting up from your desk and doing various types of exercise snacks, such as a quick set of jumping jacks or any other short-burst option, all additional movements can help.
Incorporating movement throughout the day or doing so in the form of exercise can help with stress, longevity and much more.
Pillar 4 - Nutrition
"Nutrition," Huberman underlines. "Try and get 75-80 percent of your food from non-processed or minimally processed foods."
This is one of the toughest aspects for many people, and understandably so. Everyone loves to go out to eat, or have a special dessert/unique type of lunch or dinner. Regardless, the baseline from Huberman highlights the focus on targeting 75-80 percent of food coming from non-processed or minimally processed food.
Adding to that, Huberman has discussed the key additions of adequate protein, healthy fats, fiber and more. Adding protein to your diet early in the day can help with alertness and wakefulness. As Huberman highlights, along with nutrition, hydration is pivotal, and he discussed as much during the clip.
"I think the one thing we left out is hydration," Huberman said. "Try and drink enough water, make sure you get enough electrolytes, that's key too. I guarantee if you do those five ethings, your mental health and physical health is going to benefit."
Pillar 5 - Relationships
"Social connection," Huberman lists. "Do what you can to make the interactions that you have online and in reality, with friends, with family, as healthy as possible. Some people are more introverted, some people are more extroverted ... quality social connection."
Social connections can occur in various forms, but in almost all cases, focusing on the quality of connections vs. quantity is beneficial. This goes beyond just friendships, family bonds and romantic relationships, too. Having a strong relationship with yourself is something often mentioned and previously highlighted by Huberman.
Loneliness and lack of true connections/relationships can harm several areas of your mental health. In turn, taking part in quality conversations and connections is a great area to focus.
Related: Andrew Huberman’s Viral Morning Hack: 2 Steps to More Energy and Focus