Neuroplasticity – The brain and nervous system function like an adaptive machine. If you’re mentally on a gravel road, the car turns into a jeep—on a Formula 1 track, into a race car. This neuroplasticity is undoubtedly the reason we are the stewards of the planet and the dominant species, and not some other. Thanks to this ability to adapt, we can also deal with major crises. We just need to become aware of our neuroplasticity.
Finding meaning in a global crisis – As humans, we possess the conscious ability to regulate dopamine rewards in a subjective way. This is where dopamine levels play a crucial role in times of crisis. Huberman points to famous examples such as Viktor Frankl and Nelson Mandela, who, under extreme conditions, developed inner mechanisms that allowed them not just to survive but to truly thrive in the face of adversity. People who overcome hardships like the coronavirus pandemic learn how to dose dopamine rewards themselves.
Finding purpose in life in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Living with disappointments and setbacks – Huberman explains what a reward prediction error is and how it applies to situations where disappointment follows an expected outcome. Especially when a new pandemic wave worsens the situation again, we must learn to cope with setbacks. The amount of dopamine we receive before reaching the goal should be less than the dopamine released when the goal is achieved. This is especially important in times of crisis.
How friends and family positively influence our brain – In difficult times such as a pandemic, chemical messengers like serotonin and oxytocin help create a sense of well-being and emotional reward for things that are not beyond our reach and will soon become part of our lived experience. These are released when we meet loved ones, see close friends, or even observe meaningful objects. They trigger neural circuits connecting the heart and gut to the brain and create a warming sensation in the upper body. These neurochemical processes are extremely important during a pandemic.
Stress and the COVID-19 pandemic – Many people feel overwhelmed and exhausted because we now do much more in serial processing mode. In the past, you’d wake up, brush your teeth, check your phone, and start the day. Today, we think about whether we can touch a doorknob or how to buy groceries. There’s much more planning involved—we think harder about things we never used to. Right now, we’re living in a state of deep uncertainty. The brain primarily wants to understand three things: the duration of the crisis, the path through it, and the outcome. The nervous system works in overdrive—100 to 1000 times more intensely—to anticipate what’s next and how to navigate. But this intensified function can also be used positively in other areas of life, because the nervous system is operating at its peak. The pandemic will end eventually—that is certain. We will emerge from this crisis stronger.
