Dr. Andrew Huberman: How Dopamine Warps Your Sense of Time

Dopamine makes your internal clock tick faster, serotonin slows it. Huberman shows 90-min ultradian blocks and why novelty makes life feel longer in memory.

Andrew Hubermanhost

Oct 9, 202530mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: October 9, 2025
Duration: 30m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this ⁠Huberman Lab Essentials⁠ episode, I explore how biological rhythms and neurochemicals impact our perception of time. I describe how the body aligns with daily and seasonal light cycles to regulate hormones that influence energy, mood and motivation throughout the year. I share science-based tools to enhance focus and productivity, including strategies for structuring work intervals and optimizing the timing of exercise and daily light exposure. I also explain how neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin influence our perception of time and how factors such as novelty, emotion and routine impact how we experience and recall time. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/cns2pS3 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/8IWDAqodDas 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 Time Perception 00:00:48 Entrainment, Circannual Rhythms & Melatonin 00:04:22 Circadian Rhythms, Tools: Exercise; Morning & Evening Light for Circadian Entrainment 00:09:01 Ultradian Cycles, Focus & Work 00:12:37 Time Perception, Past, Present & Future 00:14:53 Dopamine, Norepinephrine & Serotonin, Time Perception 00:17:11 Dopamine & Serotonin, Daily Fluctuations, Tool: Structuring Work, Sleep 00:18:52 Trauma, “Over-clocking”, Slowing Time & Emotions 00:23:30 Event Perception (Fun vs Boring), Time & Memories 00:26:37 Novel Experiences, Places & People, Retrospective Time 00:28:38 Habits, Tool: Schedule Functional Units 00:30:13 Recap & Book Suggestion 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: How Dopamine Warps Your Sense of Time explores how Your Brain Shapes Time: Rhythms, Dopamine, Memory, and Focus Andrew Huberman explains how the brain’s internal clocks—from yearly to 90‑minute cycles—are entrained by light, activity, and neuromodulators, and how this entrainment shapes health, mood, and performance.

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