The “Big 6” core pillars for mood and mental health by Andrew Huberman

1. Sleep
   • Get 6-8 hours of quality sleep per night
   • Maintain consistent bedtime and wake up schedule (+/- 1 hour)
2. Sunlight
   • Get 10-30 min of morning sunlight, even on overcast days
   • Sit near sunlight or invest in bright light therapy lamp (~10,000 lux)
   • Getting sunlight throughout day ideal for mood
   • Dim to no lights at night
3. Exercise
   • Get 180-220 min/week of cardio in zone 2 heart rate
   • Incorporate resistance/strength training
   • Daily movement also beneficial
4. Nutrition
   • Focus on quality, minimally processed whole foods
   • Emphasize foods high in vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and fiber
5. Social Connections
   • Invest time in positive relationships
   • Limit physical/screen-based isolation
   • Reflect on which relationships are draining vs. energizing
6. Stress Management
   • Use tools like cold exposure, deep breathing, meditation
   • Physiological sigh - inhale deep, inhale again, long exhale
   • Deliberate cold exposure elevates adrenaline / noradrenaline

Mental Health Tools:

• Emotional granularity - label emotions with specificity
• Respiratory sinus arrhythmia - alternate breathing pattern to increase heart rate variability and vagal tone
• Cyclic physiological sighs - set aside 5 min/day for pattern of 2 inhales via nose, 1 exhale through mouth
• Build life narrative - document key life events in electronic folders
• Dream journal - record dreams immediately upon waking
• Journaling - free associative and structured journaling for self-reflection
• Process trauma and difficult emotions verbally and emotionally