Dr. Andrew Huberman: Why Being Thanked Moves Your Brain More

Receiving gratitude fires prosocial circuits more than making lists; one recalled story also cuts inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 within a few days.

Andrew Hubermanhost

Oct 23, 202534mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: October 23, 2025
Duration: 34m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore the science of gratitude and how to develop an effective, research-supported gratitude practice. I explain why common gratitude practices (like simply listing things you're grateful for) are far less impactful than engaging in story-based gratitude practices. I also explain how being grateful activates specific brain regions, which enhance calm, social connection and motivation, while reducing anxiety and inflammation. Finally, I share why we can't simply trick our brains into feeling grateful and describe a practical weekly gratitude practice that will improve both your mental and physical well-being. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/bpHpAWB Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/KVjfFN89qvQ Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Gratitude 00:00:30 Gratitude Practice Benefits 00:03:22 Pro-Social vs Defensive Behaviors, Gratitude 00:06:25 Serotonin, Brain & Context; Gratitude Mindset 00:12:21 Context, Can You Lie to Yourself? 00:13:06 Effective Gratitude Practice, Tools: Receiving Gratitude, Story 00:19:36 Tool: Find & Revisit Inspirational Stories 00:24:19 Heartfelt Intention, Genuine Thanks 00:26:31 Gratitude Practice Benefits for Anxiety, Fear & Motivation 00:28:58 Gratitude Practice Benefits for Immune System 00:31:31 Recap: Establishing an Effective Gratitude Practice Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman, Dr. Andrew Huberman: Why Being Thanked Moves Your Brain More explores gratitude Rewired: How Receiving Thanks Transforms Brain, Body, Motivation, Health Andrew Huberman explains that most popular gratitude practices—like listing things you’re grateful for—are surprisingly ineffective at changing brain and body states. The research instead shows that the most potent gratitude practices center on *receiving* genuine thanks, or deeply internalizing stories of others receiving help and expressing gratitude. These story-based practices activate specific brain circuits (medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate) and neuromodulators (notably serotonin), shifting the balance from defensive to prosocial states and improving motivation, emotional well‑being, and social connection. Regular practice has been shown to reduce fear and anxiety circuitry, lower inflammatory markers like TNF‑alpha and IL‑6, and enhance brain–heart coupling.

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