The Ideal Length of Time for Focused Work

Dubbed by ElevenLabs

Dr. Andrew Huberman describes the ideal length of time for doing focused work.

Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.

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The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[carsonbates]

My summary: Try to keep your bouts of mental and physical exertion to ~90 minutes. Remember that losing focus now and then is normal. Redirect your focus on the task at hand when it has drifted. Take at least ~10 minutes for a mental break in between each ~90 session of mental and physical effort, during which you should avoid narrowing your focus. Let your brain idle during this mental break. Doing this can make it easier to focus on your priorities again.

[dzimi]

It is refreshing to see someone finally being able to speak for 5mins without video cuts and corrections which fill Youtube today.

[jofortin]

Personally, I have noticed recently that what works best for me is that after doing 5 to 10 minutes of focused work, I take the rest of the day off.

😆

On a more serious note... thank you very much Dr Huberman! You are definitely an ELITE teacher.🙌

[BijouBakson]

As a computer expert, I cannot agree with you more. I found that staying on an electronic device(using it of cours!), even for watching entertainment, does drain you after a while. I have the bad habit of taking too short breaks and then complain that I am not able to perform as well as before, to myself. This was very helpful. Thank you very much

[steelyscott]

Dr Huberman, you are a welcome well-spring of education, information and learning! Thank you for giving all of us your time, expertise, and attention. 💪

[ZbyszekMichalak]

Doc, this work you're doing is a contribution to world's happiness and productivity on a scale that's hard to overstate. Not just empty ideas but actionable concepts. And they feel so intuitive, almost obvious. The body has it's ways

[bengoodey]

I`ve studied now for the last 8 years. After a lot of trial and error my most productive study cycle is 80 minutes of focus, then a 10 minute break where I get something to drink, move around, check messages etc. for 10 minutes. Then I rinse and repeat. After three cycles of 80min I take a longer break for 30min or more depending on my schedule that day.

[Ykpaina]

Wow this is exactly the kind information I needed to hear about right now being a data scientist who lifts eights and a father to two small babies I’ve been getting really hard on myself when I loose focus and concentration. This is echoing advice my biofeedback therapist told me about years ago. 10 minute breaks 90 minute cycles . It’s replay good to be reminded so thank you Dr Huberman

[ColinCaptures]

This 5 minutes can be life changing.. thank Andrew for this!

[thedarkmask]

Dr. Andrew, I am a student from India.
I have been a long time consumer of the incredibly useful, helpful content. Personally you have single handedly saved me from one of the worst times of my life that came in covid.
I cannot thank you enough for that.
Today, I have a question for you, I have developed a habit of studying for 45-50 mins or an hour then taking a break to watch an episode of a sitcom(20 mins), then getting back to studying.
I find that this works for me. What would be your first thought on this as a fellow learner, and from a neurobiology perspective.
Should I continue on this or turn towards the 90 minute cycles for more benefits?

[jovenesmockusfajardo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:03 🧠 Our brain and body operate in 90-minute ultradian cycles for optimal focus and performance.
01:01 ⏱️ Set a timer for 90 minutes to focus on mental or physical tasks; include warm-up time.
01:56 🎯 Maintain focus, even if it flickers; shift back actively. Understand your brain's metabolic energy demand.
02:25 💤 After a focus bout, take at least 10-30 minutes for deliberate defocus to recharge.
03:23 📱 Deliberate decompression is essential for sustained focus; avoid phone use during breaks.
04:20 💤 Ultimate restoration comes during sleep; focus bouts are followed by deliberate decompression.
04:48 🔄 Alternate between intense bouts of focus and automatic tasks for optimal productivity throughout the day.

Made with HARPA AI

[ritacummings]

What happened to the 7.5 minutes, first of a study time, being the most productive in a 30 or 90 minute session? I heard this a few months ago from one of your podcasts but couldn't get back to it to review. Bytheway, found your podcasts Professor Huberman when I did a google search on sleep in 2020. Studied and have degree in Biochemistry, I am subscribed and have benefitted from your lectures. Surprised to learn that most podcasts take 11 hours to make. Wow. And we get a zero-cost to the public service. Grateful. Lastly, the Chris Voss extensive interview a true gift to those of us wanting to always improve out communication skills. I am sharing with Law Enforcment contacts at Galveston Island Police Dept and Galveston County Sheriff's office.

[JahnosSardonis]

You know, John Cleese (yes, that John Cleese) in his book about creative writing also said that you need about 8 minutes to get into the zone to become fully concentrated. To hear Andrew Huberman say that you require 10 to get to that stage must mean something about this, arguably, golden timeframe.

[dio]

control your blood sugar level if you want good focus.
observation: morning i eat protein fat rich meal i+ coffee I'm sharp AF as soon as i eat something that spikes insulin my focus is broken.

[andrewandy]

Dr. Andrew Huberman "knows what is up!" He knows what is going on. I like his suggestion of 90-minute sessions. Very good suggestion!

[PatrickDale]

What about the Pomodoro method, where you focus/work for 25 minutes, take a 5 minute break, repeat four times, and then take a 15 minute break.

[robns]

Thank you. This is very insightful and useful. Am interested to learn about a few things
- why techniques have been found to be great for the initial transition/ warm up?
- what techniques have been found to bring attention back after a flicker?
- from material and research I’ve read (as an armchair person interested in brains) it would appear that the great creatives (music, science, etc.) did on average 4-5 hours and no more of deep focus across a day. Be interested in your comments if the fact that they did no more than 4-5 (and 4 1/2 seems TK be the norm). Is this like not overtraining the body. And that allows for sustained lifetime effort?

[keithb]

Pomodoro theory and stats converge closer to 55 min (ON), and 10 min (OFF). That can fluctuate up 65 min on, but there's a measurable -massive dropoff in focus, accuracy, etc., after right around 1 hour (even 70 min+ has a measurable loss)

[opedroqueiroz]

This helped me so much. I love understanding the biology behind performance topics. Today I am replanning the way I schedule my tasks based on this video.

[miguelalvarez]

Finally, some clips from the Huberman Lab Podcast without any background music!