The Neurohacker community is made up of people looking to optimize every aspect of their lives, beginning with the mind.
Each day fellow neurohackers, biohackers, and health conscious creators share their knowledge and techniques with us via our Instagram posts. This space has quickly become a resource known within the community as a place to learn alongside each other on the road to peak performance. Before we offer the full list of over 50 neurohacks for your examination, let’s define and explore the top 7 most cherished tools for energy, cognition and longevity.
7 Most Important Neurohacks for Energy, Cognition and Longevity
Breathwork
Coming in at number one was breathwork. Learning to control the breath is one of the most powerful (and free!) neurohacks we have for improving concentration, managing stress, developing optimal health, and guiding our spiritual advancement. Which breathwork techniques are particularly hot within the community?
- Wim Hof Method (especially when combined with cold therapy!)
- Box Breathing
- Pranayama
Here’s what one neurohacker had to say about utilizing breathing techniques for greater mental energy:
The Wim Hof Method breathing technique has changed my paradigm!! - Jerrid Leo
The Science Behind Using Breathwork For Greater Mental Focus
A recent study explored breathwork affecting levels of noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter. When we’re stressed, noradrenaline production spikes, making it difficult to focus. When you’re feeling lethargic, you produce too little of it, which also makes it hard to focus.
Michael Melnychuk, PhD candidate at the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and lead author of the study had this to say: “Put simply, this means that our attention is influenced by our breath and that it rises and falls with the cycle of respiration. It is possible that by focusing on and regulating your breathing you can optimize your attention level and likewise, by focusing on your attention level, your breathing becomes more synchronized.”
Cold Therapy
A close runner up in hacks to boost mental energy was cold therapy. Cold therapy is a neurohacking tool peak performers use for increased focus, greater energy, improved sleep quality, and an optimized immune response.
Cold therapy! Cryotherapy and cold showers. Does wonders for mental clarity and energy! - Marie
Cold therapy. Game changer for me. Lifts my mood every day. - Claire Gibbs
While cold therapy was mentioned in over 80 comments, Neurohackers seem to love cryotherapy and cold showers the most. Looking to get started? Here’s everything you need to know about cold therapy and a few tips to DIY cold therapy at home.
The Science Behind Cold Therapy
Cold therapy is linked to a number of health benefits. For example, scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold boosts mitochondrial health. Another study shows that ending hot showers with 30 seconds of cold water resulted in a 29% reduction in sickness absence. Even 30-90 seconds of cold water can have profound health effects.
Meditation
Meditation was mentioned in a whopping 76 of the 743 mental energy comments! The act of taking charge of our time and energy and learning to focus our attention is powerful. In focus we find energy. And meditation is one of the ultimate neurohacks for leveling up our focus.
Daily meditation, fasting and cold showers = game changers. - Nicholas Couvaras
Meditation for 10-20 minutes every morning. - Alana
How Meditation Rewires The Brain
The meditation-and-the-brain research has been rolling in for years now. Meditation has amazing neurological benefits - from altering grey matter volume, to stress reduction, improved focus, and increasing creativity.
Even skeptics have to acknowledge the science supporting how meditation helps relieve subjective levels of anxiety and depression, improves concentration and aids in overall psychological well-being. If the research is right, even a few minutes spent meditating will impact your life in large, meaningful ways. And the benefits are not limited to focus alone.
Light Therapy
Another popular mental energy hack was light therapy. Neurohakckers aplenty mentioned what a game-changer early morning sunlight has been in boosting their mental energy. Others are using red light therapy to help ease them into sleep, boosting next day mental energy.
Consistent morning sun and Joovv red light panels. - Jennifer Thibodeau
Red lights before bed, no screens past sunset, and staring straight into the sunrise in the mornings. - Iris
The Science Behind Light Therapy For Greater Focus and Optimized Sleep
Early morning light features a unique composition of frequencies that set our body’s circadian rhythm accurately for the day. Studies show the wavelengths at sunrise and sunset have the biggest impact on brain centers that regulate our circadian clock, mood and alertness.
Fasting
Neurohackers recognize the power of fasting for mental clarity, to awaken the senses, and for boosting cognitive function. Comments related to fasting reveal that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to fasting protocols to boost mental energy.
Fasting is a solid one, especially If I have fasted for at least 16 hours. I become way more alert mentally. - Ibrahim Anwar
Not eating 3-4 hrs before bed has been a game-changer! - Jenna Costello
It’s worth mentioning that while fasting was frequently mentioned in the thread, a 16:8-hour time-restricted eating model was the most popular technique referenced.
The Science Behind Fasting For Greater Mental Acuity
Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson, Ph.D., had this to say about intermittent fasting, “When changes occur with this metabolic switch, it affects the body and brain.” One of Mattson’s studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed data about a range of health benefits associated with the practice. These include a longer life, a leaner body and a sharper mind.
Exercise
Alongside fasting, one of the most effective habits for improving cognitive performance and wellness is exercise. Here’s how the community is getting their movement on:
Working out four times a week and a long walk in nature first thing in the morning - Rebbeca Li
If I get a workout in during lunch hour it’s amazing how much more mental energy I have to complete work that seemed daunting before my workout. - Lori Doyle
The Science Behind Exercise and Mental Energy
Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention.
A systematic review published in the journal Translational Sports Medicine found that as little as two minutes of exercise can temporarily boost memory. Longer periods of exercise (around 60 minutes) can improve cognitive function for up to two hours afterwards.
Nature Therapy
We loved reading comments highlighting how neurohackers are prioritizing time in nature. Some are practicing earthing, while others are setting aside time to take a break from their screens and get outside. Either way, we’re big fans.
Earthing. My sleep improved tremendously thus kicking my anxiety issues and boosting my mental energy. - Travis Baker
Bought a cheap tent, packed a bag, went to a nearby forest with a view and spent a couple of nights away from everyone and everything. - Gеоrgi Iliеv
Science-Backed Benefits of Time Spent in Nature
In a recent study 10-50 minutes in natural spaces was effective to improve mood, mental focus, and physiological markers like blood pressure and heart rate. Check it out.
The full list
We’ve barely scratched the surface of our most beloved neurohacks. For easy reference, here’s a list of more than 50 tools for mental and physical optimization.
1. HRV training
2. Increasing water intake
3. Gratitude
4. Brain dumping
5. Sobriety
6. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
7. Float tanks
8. Binaural beats
9. Mouth taping
10. Screen time limits
11. Tai chi
12. Social media detox
13. EMDR therapy
14. Lymphatic massage
15. Psychedelics
16. Surfing
17. Keto diet
18. Vegan diet
19. B6 supplementation
20. Essential oils
21. Creatine supplementation
22. Yoga
23. Jiu jitsu
24. Journaling
25. White noise
26. Mindfulness/reframing
27. Celibacy
28. Prayer
29. No caffeine
30. Zen Nasal Spray
31. MCT oil
32. Maca root
33. ChiliPad
34. Methylene Blue
35. Solid sleep routine
36. Primal screaming
37. Rebounding
38. Magnesium glycinate
39. L-theanine
40. Lion’s Mane
41. Qi Gong
42. CoQ10
43. Peptide injections
44. Reducing sugar intake
45. Krill oil
46. Coffee enemas
47. 5-HTP
48. Ashwagandha
49. Solitude
Do you have a favorite thing you do to boost your mental and physical health? Add it to the thread and tag us so we can learn alongside you. Cheers, Neurohackers!
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