Dr. Andrew Huberman's 10 Daily Health Protocols (Diary of a CEO Podcast)
Key insights: 60-second read
- High morning cortisol is good for you - it supports mood, focus, and learning while helping establish lower evening cortisol for better sleep.
- View sunlight within the first hour of waking - this triggers the cortisol awakening response and supports your circadian rhythm, mood, metabolism, and immune function.
- The "physiological sigh" is a real-time stress reducer - a double inhale followed by a long exhale can quickly slow your heart rate and calm your nervous system.
- Exercise in the first 3 hours of your day - this can help reinforce your cortisol rhythm, with a combination of cardio and resistance training providing well-rounded fitness.
- Behavioural tools are the foundation - supplements and peptides may have a role, but they should sit on a base of hydration, sunlight, exercise, nutrition, and sleep.
In a recent conversation on The Diary of a CEO, Dr Andrew Huberman - a renowned neuroscientist and tenured professor at Stanford - distilled decades of research into 10 daily protocols that he believes can significantly improve mental health, physical health, and performance.
These are the protocols he believes move the needle most. They cost nothing or fit into an existing budget, work well together, and are grounded in science.
Here's what you need to know about each one, and how to start implementing them today.
On this page
The Cortisol Curve: Why High Morning Cortisol Is Good
Everyone thinks cortisol is a "stress hormone" that you want as low as possible. Dr Huberman suggests this is a myth. Cortisol is actually an energy-mobilising hormone that helps you wake up, focus, and get things done.
The key is a healthy cortisol curve. You want a high cortisol peak within the first 60 minutes of your day. This supports mood, focus, and learning while helping establish lower cortisol in the afternoon and evening, which is important for sleep.
"If your morning cortisol level is lower or flat, you see shorter lifespan, less recovery from every kind of illness, and stress bouts last a very long time because they're riding on a higher baseline."
If your morning cortisol is too low, stressful events during the day may cause bigger and longer cortisol spikes. This can disrupt sleep and affect health. Dr Huberman suggests the next three protocols can naturally support your morning cortisol response.
Hydrate First Thing
Good hydration supports mental performance and, according to Dr Huberman, may also help boost your morning cortisol. He also describes an interaction between bladder emptying after waking and hydration that sends signals along the vagus nerve to help wake up the brain.
Dr Huberman recommends 16 to 32 ounces (about 500 ml to 1 litre) of water first thing in the morning. Electrolytes are optional. He suggests aiming for around 80 ounces (2.3 litres) of water throughout the day.
Morning Sunlight: The Most Powerful Tool
Within the first hour of waking, ideally within the first 30 minutes, get some sunlight into your eyes. Dr Huberman explains that this activates photosensitive cells in the retina, sending signals to the brain's master circadian clock and triggering the cortisol awakening response.
Key Concept: Morning sunlight can increase your cortisol peak, support stress regulation, and benefit metabolism, mood, learning, and immune function.
What if it's overcast? Daylight still works. Even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is brighter than typical indoor lighting. If you wake before sunrise, Dr Huberman recommends using a 10,000 lux artificial light until you can get outside.
He also emphasises that bright days and dark nights work together. Bright daytime light supports mental and physical health, while keeping nights dark helps protect your circadian rhythm.
Exercise in the First 3 Hours of Your Day
If you can exercise within the first 3 hours of your day, Dr Huberman suggests it can help reinforce your cortisol rhythm and support energy and exercise the following day. You can choose cardiovascular or resistance training.
For a well-rounded program, Dr Huberman suggests:
- Resistance training: 3 days per week, with 2-3 work sets per exercise and an emphasis on compound movements such as pull-ups, rows, dips, squats, and deadlifts.
- Cardio: 3 days per week - one long, slow session (about 1 hour), one moderate session (30 minutes), and one high-intensity interval session.
- Rest: Take a rest day after leg day.
Dr Huberman also addresses cold exposure. Cold showers and ice baths do not significantly raise cortisol, but they do increase adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which can support alertness and focus.
Reduce Stress Fast: The Physiological Sigh
When you're stressed and need to calm down in real time, use the physiological sigh. It's a double inhale followed by a long exhale: breathe in deeply through your nose, take a second short sniff at the top, then exhale slowly and completely through your mouth.
Dr Huberman's research found that repeating this pattern one to three times can immediately slow your heart rate and calm your nervous system. He describes it as one of the most effective real-time stress reduction tools he's studied.
"Do it once. You just go - [sighs and gasps] until your lungs are empty, and it's immediate. Real-time tools for stress are what we all need."
Dr Huberman explains that the second inhale opens collapsed air sacs in the lungs, while the long exhale helps offload carbon dioxide and slow the heart rate. It's free, takes seconds, and can be done anywhere.
Optimise Sleep: Dark Environment & Side Sleeping
At night, keep your sleeping environment as dark as possible. An eye mask can help. Sleeping on your side with your head slightly elevated may improve glymphatic clearance of waste products from the brain, which is important for feeling rested and potentially offsetting dementia. It may also help reduce bags under your eyes.
If you wake during the night, don't start worrying. Try long-exhale breathing or this technique from Dr Huberman: close your eyes and move them slowly to the side, then up and down, then in a circle, then point them toward your nostrils. He suggests this can help shut down the circuits that make you aware of limb position and help you fall back asleep.
Dr Huberman also notes that viewing daylight in the late afternoon can "buffer" your eyes against the effects of artificial light at night. He refers to this as his "Netflix inoculation" - allowing you to use screens later at night without affecting melatonin as much.
Daily Focus Work & Learning
You need a period of effortful mental work every day - ideally 90 minutes to 2 hours. This type of challenging work is important for focus and learning. The friction you feel while learning is associated with the neurochemical processes involved in neuroplasticity.
Dr Huberman also challenges the idea that every experience changes your brain. He argues that genuine attempts and making errors are important drivers of neuroplasticity. Put your phone in another room and focus on something that genuinely challenges you.
Nutrition: The Best Diet for Most People
Dr Huberman's research has led him to a practical nutrition framework:
- High complete protein-to-calorie ratio: Prioritise lean meat, fish, eggs, and other high-quality proteins.
- Vegetables and fruits: Focus on micronutrients and fibre. Low-sugar fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi may also support lower inflammation.
- Starches: Useful for fuelling muscles and the brain. Eating starches such as rice, pasta, or oats later in the day may help lower cortisol and support sleep, but avoid eating too close to bedtime.
- Use olive oil and small amounts of butter. Dr Huberman notes that the research around seed oils is complex, while olive oil has clear benefits.
- Don't overdo starches with fats: Sourdough bread is great. Sourdough bread with lots of butter is less so.
Post-Meal Movement: Walk for 5-10 Minutes
Walking after a meal can significantly improve blood glucose regulation. Repeated low-level muscle contractions help buffer blood glucose peaks, reducing energy crashes and supporting metabolic health.
Dr Huberman also highlights spontaneous movement - pacing during calls, taking the stairs, or even bouncing your knee. These activities can burn more calories than expected and support glucose regulation. The decline in metabolism associated with ageing is influenced not only by age, but also by loss of muscle mass and reduced spontaneous movement.
Relationship to Self: Shut Up, Suit Up, Show Up
In the final chapter of his book, Dr Huberman draws on the wisdom of Jungian analyst James Hollis. Hollis's advice for a good life is simple but profound:
- Shut up: Practice gratitude. There's always someone suffering more than you.
- Suit up: Prepare. Get up, take care of your health, and get organised. You can't perform well without preparation.
- Show up: Fulfil your outward roles. Happy people fulfil roles as a parent, sibling, teacher, worker, or friend.
- Exit stimulus-response mode: Once a day, step away from role fulfilment. Sit quietly, draw, listen to music, and allow your unconscious mind to surface information about your deeper desires.
Dr Huberman's Supplement Stack (If He Had to Pick 5)
If he were forced to choose only five supplements for the rest of his life, Huberman recommends:
- Magnesium (threonate or bisglycinate): For sleep support.
- Omega-3 (EPA): At least 1 gram per day for brain, cardiovascular, and inflammation benefits.
- Vitamin D: 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day - most people are underdosing.
- Alpha-GPC: 600-900 mg to increase focus and REM sleep, taken with garlic to mitigate TMAO risk.
- Creatine: 5-10 grams per day for muscle strength and cognitive enhancement, especially when sleep-deprived or stressed.
The message from this conversation is clear: behavioural tools - hydration, sunlight, exercise, stress management, sleep, nutrition, and movement - are the foundation.
These 10 protocols aren't about "biohacking" or optimisation for its own sake. They're about being a healthy, functional human being. They cost nothing or very little, work well together, and can make a meaningful difference.
The key is consistency. These aren't one-off fixes, but daily practices that add up over time. Like any rehab or training program, the key is sticking with it.
It just helps to know what might actually be worth your time and focus.
- Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is high morning cortisol a good thing?
High morning cortisol, supported by hydration, sunlight, and exercise, helps establish the energy and alertness needed for the day. It also helps establish lower cortisol in the afternoon and evening, which is important for sleep. A flattened cortisol curve is associated with poorer health outcomes.
Does morning sunlight work on an overcast day?
Yes. Even on a cloudy day, daylight is significantly brighter than indoor lighting and still provides the wavelengths that signal your circadian clock. If you can't get outside, a 10,000 lux artificial light can be used.
What is the "physiological sigh" and how do I do it?
It's a breathing pattern designed to quickly calm your nervous system: inhale deeply through your nose, take a second short sniff at the top, then exhale slowly and completely through your mouth. Repeat one to three times.
Do I really need to walk after every meal?
A 5-10 minute walk after a meal can help buffer blood glucose peaks and support metabolic health. It doesn't need to be vigorous - gentle movement is enough.
One key insight from this conversation
"The behavioural tools - hydration, sunlight, exercise, stress management, sleep, nutrition, and movement - are the foundation. Great things can happen when you build on a foundation. The combination of behavioural tools and targeted supplementation can be pretty awesome, especially if somebody has the means and the interest."
Want personalised guidance for your health and performance?
If you would like help with an ache, pain or injury, you can book with Grant either in Port Macquarie or via an online telehealth consultation.
