The Unsupervised Learning Daily Routine

UPDATED: March 20, 2022

This methodology covers my daily routine from Monday to Friday. The system’s primary components are:

• Regularity

• Fasting/Diet

• Light

• Activity

• Breathing

• Temperature

• Mindfulness

• Longevity

• Brain Health

I created this methodology as part of my belief that certain types of learning need to be active rather than passive, or—algorithm-based instead of osmosis-based. We too often consume wisdom from various sources and then do nothing with it that modifies our behavior. In short, we don’t have a consumption problem with knowledge, but rather an integration problem.

This methodology is a living document that functions as a direct counter to that problem. It is the result of years of reading dozens of books on all these topics, and as I learn something new, or the science gets updated, I update this daily methodology accordingly.

Most importantly, I don’t just include the steps of the routine, but I also indicate the source for that step. This way, both I and others can see the research that’s gone into each step and the overall approach, and people can read more about the science if they’re so inclined.

The result of all this is a daily routine that’s concise, up-to-date, and that’s annotated with research behind each step. I hope you find it as useful as I have.

Measurement and supplementation

For all sidebar notes, see the references section below for specifics.

In line with the components above, I take a few supplements as part of my routine.

• Athletic Greens

• 5,000 IUs of Vitamin D

• Matter, a B-complex for brain health

• I wear an Apple Watch during the day but I don’t sleep with it.

• I wear an Oura Ring to track my sleep.

Starting the day (5AM-8AM)

The time doesn’t matter as much as regularity.

• Wake up at 7AM. Huberman

• Drink a serving of Athletic Greens with one teaspoon of German Creatine mixed in. 6

• Make sure you’re outside within 10 minutes. Huberman

• Find a place to sit exposed to lots of light, and do 3 rounds of Wim Hoff breathing exercises. That is, 30 fast and deep inhalations and releases followed by a hold on the 30th exhale. After you feel the need to breathe, take a giant breath in and hold that for around 15 seconds. Let that breath out and that’s round 1. Now do two more of those to take you to 3 rounds total. Wim Hoff Breathing Method

• After your breathing, start the 10-minute daily meditation in the Waking Up app. Sam Harris

I sometimes switch this up to just 4 reps, i.e., even heavier weight.

• After meditation, go inside, or to a local gym, and complete 3-9 sets (1-3 exercises) of 6 reps each, of the heaviest weight you can handle. So maybe just 3 sets of 6 in one exercise, or maybe 1 or 2 additional exercises on top of that. But at least 1.

• When done, go back home and make—or otherwise procure—a large coffee. No cream, no sugar.

• Get current on the following podcasts, at 2x speed: Making Sense, Prof G, My First Million, a16z Minutes, Pivot

Starting work until lunch (8AM-11:30AM)

• Depending on work schedule, start work at 8-9AM.

• Don’t eat anything through the morning. David Sinclair

• Drink at least 1 liter of high-quality water.

Lunch (1130-1300, 11:30AM to 1PM)

• At 11:30 to 12:00, go for a 15-30 minute walk around where you live, during which time you continue getting current on podcasts.

• When you get home, refill another liter of water and make yourself another large coffee. No cream, no sugar.

Afternoon (1300-1700, 1PM-5PM)

• Drink your water and refill as necessary.

• Drink your coffee, ideally finishing before 1400 to start tapering down caffeine for the day. Huberman

Evening (1700-2000, 5PM-8PM)

You will now be feeling extremely sharp and aware because you haven’t eaten yet.

• Prepare or procure your first meal. Not too much, mostly plants. Don’t stress on the calories too much, just try not to grossly overeat and try to make sure it’s got lots of greens and other high-quality ingredients.

• Avoid all caffeine. Huberman

• Go for a long walk or bike ride, by yourself or with a friend, near the time of sunset. Huberman

• If you are with a friend, focus on listening to them, and think about how you can help them to be the best version of themselves. Ask them to do the same for you.

• If you are alone, consider calling someone you care about to tell them you care about them, and to have the same conversation as above. Do this for at least 1 of your five weekday sunset activities.

• For the other 4, set Audible to 1.5 to 2.5 (based on the book you’re listening to), and enjoy your current book. Pause Audible and take a voice or text note if necessary for immediate follow-ups.

Dead tree or electronic readers.

• Walk or bike for at least 30 minutes outside during this sunset period, and continue listening to your book(s) for up to 2 hours afterward. Feel free to switch to sitting, driving, or legacy-reading for the rest of the reading period.

Preparing for bed (2000-2300, 8PM-11PM)

• Start avoiding bright light. Huberman

• Dim the lights in your house to around 30%, and if you have smart lights, consider removing some of the blue from the spectrum. Huberman

• If you have the option of floor-level lighting, switch to those lights instead of overhead lights. Huberman

• Commit to yourself not to think about work or any unpleasant/stressful upcoming projects after 2200 (10PM). This is relaxation time, and time to reflect on positive and peaceful topics. Huberman, Walker

• Stop phone use at 2200 (10PM) to avoid getting pulled into potentially distracting or stressful activity. Huberman, Walker

• If you have a smart thermostat, configure it to cool the house to around 19C (67F) starting at 2200, and set it to warm the house to 22C (72F) starting at 6AM. Huberman, Walker

• Use your mobile operating system’s sleep features to set your sleep time from 2300 to 0700, and make sure you’re able to see and follow those alerts to keep you on schedule.

Going to sleep (2300, 11PM)

• If you have any ambient light in your room that you can’t remove with blinds or other methods, I recommend using a sleep mask. I use the MZOO Sleep Eye Mask, which I found on Amazon.

You don’t want the content to be practical and actionable, because that might make you want to take notes.

• If you have any trouble falling asleep, consider listening to interesting but dull content on a smart speaker that you can set to turn off after 60 minutes. I don’t normally do this, but when I do I listen to language courses on Audible. Huberman

Huberman recommends against taking Melatonin because it’s been shown to affect puberty and hormone levels.

• If you’re still having trouble falling asleep, consider supplementing with Magnesium and/or L-Theanine. Huberman

Notes and references

• Jan 5, 2022 — I switched out my Elysium Basis for 1,000mg of NMN, based on David Sinclair’s appearance on the Huberman podcast where he said NMN works a lot better than just NR. The Huberman Podcast, David Sinclair

• Our wake (and sleep) times need to be the same every day because the strict schedule improves everything, but the 7AM time can vary. This need for regularity is repeated constantly by both Huberman and Walker, as well as many other sleep experts in many books. This schedule concept is one of the core tenants of the entire system as a result. The Huberman Podcast, Episode 2

• Our bodies fall and stay asleep better when the body temperature is lower, and a warming temperature is a signal to wake. Dr. Mathew Walker on the Sam Harris Podcast, Kingdom of Sleep

• A key idea in much of this sleep research, which Huberman talks about a lot, is maximizing both wakefulness and sleep. This means doing things in your routine that make that trigger maximum wakefulness when you wake up, and thus set timers to make you sleepy at the end of the day. One of the biggest components in this is light exposure, because light exposure starts and stops timers for the release of key hormones. Exposing ourselves to large quantities of good (sunrise light has a particular balance of yellow and blue light that wakes us up) light in the morning, sets our timers related to sleep for that day—specifically around melatonin release.The Huberman Podcast, Episode 2

• As for fasting for the whole morning, I’m getting this from multiple sources, but especially from David Sinclair in his podcast appearances and his book, Lifespan.

• Getting sunlight near sunrise maximizes our wakefulness, and getting light near sunset maximizes our transition towards sleepiness. Huberman

• I don’t have any affiliation with Athletic Greens. It’s just my current go-to for a healthy way to get vitamins every day. But I do have a discount code if you want to sign up (everyone gets one). It’ll get you some travel packs and me $15 dollars off my next month. My Referral Code

• There are actually 50 calories in the morning serving of Athletic Greens, so we may not be technically fasting according to some definitions.

• I am working out with low reps and high weight because that’s just my choice of workouts. The science seems to say there isn’t a huge difference between that vs. low weight and high reps. This makes me stronger and saves time. The German Creatine reference is for a brand of creatine I use. I have no affiliation with it; it’s simply the brand that was recommended to me when I asked my most dedicated workout friend what I should use. Feel free to drop or adjust the creatine usage. Where I Buy It On Amazon

• Dr. Sinclair runs the most prominent age research lab out of Harvard, and he’s confirmed that Resveretrol does actually slow a key aging mechanism. Plus he and his father both take 1 gram daily. David Sinclair

• I take Vitamin D not because I believe some superdose will benefit you, but rather to ensure I’m not deficient. The science does not support Vitamin D superdoses being beneficial, but it does support deficiency being bad for you, including repeated studies and metanalysis showing that you’re more likely to get COVID if you’re deficient. Note: Medical professionals thus far have been very clear that this doesn’t mean it provides extra protection, but rather it removes extra vulnerability.

• The Unsupervised Learning Github Repository is where I’ll be storing non-member versions of this methodology and many like it in the future. This resource will remain a member-only page because it’s going to get enhanced by the community, for the community. More