Podcast appearances and mentions of amishi jha

Plus: maximizing the benefits of sleep, exercise, and meditation. To celebrate the show's 10th anniversary, we're producing episodes that share top 10 lists of practices, strategies and more from our favorite experts. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has listened and supported the show over the years. None of this would be possible without you. Amishi Jha, PhD is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She is also the author of the bestselling book Peak Mind and the creator of the app Pushups for the Mind. Wendy Suzuki, PhD is the Dean of New York University College of Arts & Science and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University. She is the author of the books Healthy Brain, Happy Life and Good Anxiety. In this episode: What neuroplasticity is, and why your brain is not fixed How exercise changes your brain, including mood, memory, and attention Reframing the burden of optimization  The minimum effective dose for meditation to improve attention Why sleep is essential for memory, brain cleanup, and long-term brain health The myth of multitasking How anxiety can be used as a tool instead of just something to avoid How your daily habits are shaping the brain you'll have tomorrow Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Join Dan and Emmy Award-winning journalist Allison Gilbert at 92NY on May 17th for a live conversation about how mindfulness can deepen connection and combat loneliness, available in person and via streaming. Register here. Join Dan, Sebene Selassie and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18, 2026. Register here.  This episode is sponsored by: Gainbridge — Guaranteed-rate financial products with no hidden fees. Learn more at https://www.gainbridge.com Warby Parker — Prescription glasses, contacts, and sunglasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Equanimity isn't about staying calm—it's about staying present when it matters most Explore the role of equanimity, mindfulness, and compassion in navigating an increasingly complex world. Special guest Margaret Cullen alongside co-host Sue Marriott discuss the evolution of mindfulness in modern culture, the foundations of compassion-based practices, and how these approaches can support resilience and emotional balance. Grounded in both clinical insight and lived practice, this conversation offers a thoughtful, accessible perspective on cultivating steadiness and clarity in the midst of ongoing challenges. “Equanimity is love meeting vulnerability.” – Margaret Cullen, LMFT Timestamps for Inner Stability in an Unstable World: Margaret Cullen on Equanimity (296) 02:10 The evolution of mindfulness in western culture 06:29 Cultural backlash and the search for peace 09:44 The role of social media in our lives 19:09 Equanimity: A deep dive into its meaning 26:00 Recognizing equanimity in daily life 30:13 Practices to cultivate equanimity 37:16 Resources for mindfulness and equanimity About out Guest – Margaret Cullen, LMFT Margaret Cullen is a licensed psychotherapist and a pioneer in bringing contemplative practices into mainstream settings. She was one of the first ten people to be certified as an MBSR instructor and has taught around the world. As a therapist, she facilitated psycho-social support groups for cancer patients and their loved ones for over 30 years. She has led research studies on the impact of contemplative programs for a wide variety of populations across the US and co-developed the Compassion Cultivation Training with Thupten Jinpa at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Mindfulness and Compassion Training for military spouses with Amishi Jha at University of Miami. She is the founder of Compassion Corps, a program which brings compassion programs to underserved populations around the world. She also developed Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance and co-authored a book about it with Gonzalo Brito Pons. She was a Senior Teacher and Curriculum Developer for Humanize, a contemplative-based dyad program founded by German neuroscientist Tania Singer. Margaret is a Mind and Life Institute Fellow, on the advisory board of the Global Compassion Coalition, and has been a meditation practitioner for over 40 years. Resources for Inner Stability in an Unstable World: Margaret Cullen on Equanimity (296) Margaret’s Website – Additional information, resources, and opportunities Quiet Strength – Margaret’s newest book, purchase your copy HERE! Beyond Attachment Styles course is available NOW!   Learn how your nervous system, your mind, and your relationships work together in a fascinating dance, shaping who you are and how you connect with others. Online, Self-Paced, Asynchronous Learning with Quarterly Live Q&A’s! Earn 6 Continuing Education Credits – Available at Checkout As a listener of this podcast, use code BAS15 for a limited-time discount.     Get your copy of Secure Relating here!! You are invited!  Join our exclusive community to get early access and discounts to things we produce, plus an ad-free, private feed. In addition, receive exclusive episodes recorded just for you. Sign up for our premium Neuronerd plan!! Click here!!

Ep. 229 (Part 2 of 2) | In part 2 of our What is Real Greatness Series podcast with Margaret Cullen, author of Quiet Strength, Margaret continues to enlighten us about equanimity: its power, its wisdom, and its practice. She relates some of the history of equanimity—first considered a supreme virtue in Stoicism, then passed on to Sufism and Judaism—and explains that throughout time, equanimity (and humility) have always been an integral part of people who have made a true difference in the world. Margaret talks about how humor can break the spell of our trance (“when we lose equanimity, we get caught in a trance, believing in something that has us prisoner—humor breaks the spell”), and, in the spirit of “The Serenity Prayer” (“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference”), she encourages us to make peace with what we can realistically do and let the rest go.While Part 1 of this dialogue focuses on the power of equanimity in relation to the big picture and what is going on now politically, in Part 2 Margaret looks at practicing equanimity in personal relationships and in our individual lives. She marvels at Thoreau's equanimous approach to his own death, and shares that she has found forgiveness to be the most important equanimity tool in relationships. “We reclaim our wisdom when we say ‘I'm sorry,'” Margaret explains. Margaret's deep and nuanced understanding of the power and practice of equanimity is inspiring and illuminating, and bringing this virtue to our attention as a pragmatic tool we can use is also incredibly timely, leaving us with a sense of hope and empowerment. Recorded January 14, 2026.“What aids in my equanimity more than anything else is self-forgiveness.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2Welcome teacher, what am I supposed to be learning? (00:59)How humor can break the spell that holds us prisoner (03:03)The relationship between equanimity and peace (05:17)The praise and blame algorithm has exponentially increased our reactivity (08:14)Equanimity was a supreme virtue in Stoicism; the Stoics passed it on to the Sufis, who passed it on to Judaism (11:11)Thoreau's equanimous approach to death (12:24)Nature's effect on one's equanimity (13:29)Equanimity is an integral part of true change makers, also humility (14:27)What practice would Margaret most recommend to cultivate equanimity? (17:19)Making peace with what you can do and letting the rest go (21:03)Practicing equanimity in relationships (22:13)Using self-forgiveness as an equanimity tool (23:44)In relationships, softening where we're most triggered helps more than imposing ideals of how we should be (26:25)One key flavor of equanimity is non-defensiveness (28:51)Resources & References – Part 2Margaret Cullen, Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of EquanimitySwami Beyondanda on the Deep Transformation podcast: Laugh Yourself Sane, Enlighten Up & Awaken to Cosmic Comic ConsciousnessMaimonides introduced the concept of equanimity to JudaismStoicism, a philosophical movement & practical guide to living originating in ancient GreeceWhen asked about facing death, Thoreau said, “One world at a time.” Henrietta Christian Wright, American Men of LettersSri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of YogaSufi teacher Habīb Boerger, “Rather than making the ego your boss, make it your personal assistant”The Serenity Prayer (Reinhold Niebuhr's original version)Richard Davidson & Daniel Goleman, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and BodyPaul & Eve Ekman's Cultivating Emotional Balance training“We could not help contrasting the equanimity of Nature with the bustle and impatience of man. His words and actions presume always a crisis near at hand, but she is forever silent and unpretending.” – Henry David Thoreau---Margaret Cullen, a Licensed Psychotherapist (MFT), has been at the cutting edge of translating contemplative trainings into universal and accessible formats in mainstream settings ranging from elite military to maximum security prisons. She was one of the first certified Teachers of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); is the founder of Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance; and is co-developer of Compassion Cultivation Training at the Stanford School of Medicine (with Thupten Jinpa). Margaret also co-developed Mindfulness Based Attention Training for military spouses with neuroscientist Amishi Jha at the University of Miami, and is the founder of Compassion Corps, offering free compassion and mindfulness programs to under-resourced communities around the world. Margaret is a Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 228 (Part 1 of 2) | In part 1 of our second What is Real Greatness Series podcast, Margaret Cullen, author of the newly published book Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of Equanimity, explains there is far more power in the virtue of equanimity than we may have thought. Because equanimity is associated with non-reactivity, people often confuse it with a neutral sort of feeling, a dampener of emotions, when actually, equanimity allows us to expand our capacity to feel; it widens our tolerance and empowers us to be comfortable with change. “Equanimity is big enough to include our broken, despairing hearts,” Margaret says. “We can hold a vision of equanimity that is completely inclusive of the human experience.” Practicing equanimity allows us to deepen our love—for the world and for others—without becoming attached.Margaret shares practical ways we can access equanimity—ways we can achieve conceptual clarity or a “wedge of spaciousness” when a moment has been hijacked by out-of-control emotions; how we can learn to turn directly and fully to what is arising in the moment; and how we can unhook from reactivity by not taking things too personally. “How can we respond heroically to the times we live in?” co-host John Dupuy asks. Margaret shares what she has learned teaching military units and special forces to cultivate equanimity—equanimity can save lives—and describes a compassion cultivation training program that has been established for police officers in California. Takeaways from this discussion may have important, powerful, timely effects on your life—and all of our lives; as John put it, “Never before have we had such a need for the medicine Margaret brings us.” Recorded January 14, 2026.“How do we care about this world that is in so much trouble without feeling overwhelmed? The answer is equanimity.“Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing podcast #2 in our What is Real Greatness Series with Margaret Cullen, psychotherapist, meditation & compassion cultivation trainer, author of Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of Equanimity (00:48)What is equanimity and how did Margaret begin to experience it? (03:07)Coming to understand we don't have control over the happiness of our loved ones (07:27)Finding a way to deepen our love without attachment (11:21) How can we respond heroically to the times we live in? (13:21)Equanimity is wisdom; wisdom is equanimity (17:16)Equanimity is big enough to include our broken, despairing hearts—we can hold a vision of equanimity that is completely inclusive of the human experience (18:11)Ways to access equanimity: perspective taking (22:12)Remembering the reality of impermanence (26:18)Unhooking from reactivity: Am I taking things too personally? (26:31)Cultivating equanimity in the military can make a huge difference—it can save lives (30:55)Compassion cultivation training program for police officers (32:51)The reframing technique & the power of turning directly to what is arising in the moment (37:31)Emotions are packed with important information for us; we gradually learn we can turn towards an emotion and survive it (38:28)Studies show that when subjected to provocative stimuli, practiced meditators actually feel more than other people (40:03)Resources & References – Part 1Margaret Cullen, Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of EquanimityMargaret Cullen founded Compassion Corps, offering free compassion & mindfulness training to under-resourced communities around the world; co-developed Compassion Cultivation Training at Stanford University, and is a founding faculty of the Compassion InstituteChögyam Trungpa, preeminent teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, founded Naropa UniversitySharon Salzburg, co-founder of the Barre Insight Meditation SocietyDr. Dan Siegel's window of tolerance is described in ​​The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We AreJoseph Goldstein, co-founder of the Barre Insight Meditation Society, on Deep Transformation: Living on the Spiritual EdgeAmishi Jha & Elizabeth Stanley, pioneers of bringing mindfulness into the militaryCourageous Heart, compassion cultivation training program for police officers in CaliforniaChief Ryan Johansen & former officer Chris Orrey on Deep Transformation: Enlightened Ways to Make Policing Work For EveryonePaul & Eve Ekman's Cultivating Emotional Balance trainingRichard Davidson & Daniel Goleman, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and BodyJames Baraz on the Deep Transformation podcast: Awakening Joy---Margaret Cullen, a Licensed Psychotherapist (MFT), has been at the cutting edge of translating contemplative trainings into universal and accessible formats in mainstream settings ranging from elite military to maximum security prisons. She was one of the first certified Teachers of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); is the founder of Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance; and is co-developer of Compassion Cultivation Training at the Stanford School of Medicine (with Thupten Jinpa). Margaret also co-developed Mindfulness Based Attention Training for military spouses with neuroscientist Amishi Jha at the University of Miami, and is the founder of Compassion Corps, offering free compassion and mindfulness programs to under-resourced communities around the world. Margaret is a Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

If you're feeling distracted, mentally fogged, and unable to pay attention to the task at hand, you're not alone. The human brain is highly susceptible to often unproductive mind-wandering, and modern technology has only made the problem worse. But we all know that the best work comes when you're able to really zero in on an idea or problem for a sustained period of time. So, we need better strategies for blocking out the external and internal noise. Dr. Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami and the author of “Peak Mind,” offers recommendations based on studies of people in some of the most high-pressure jobs in the world.

If you're feeling tired, unfocused, and like your mind is being hijacked, today's episode is for you. The world today is designed to steal your focus. In today's episode, cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha joins Mel to deliver a wake-up call: Every scroll, every ping, every mindless click – these aren't just distractions. They are rewiring your brain and reshaping your priorities. If you can't control your attention, you can't steer your life. But the good news? You can train your brain to pay attention again. Dr. Jha is one of the world's leading experts on the science of attention. She's worked with elite athletes, military special forces, and medical professionals under pressure – and what she's discovered will change how you think about your mind. In this eye-opening and empowering conversation, you'll learn: -Why your brain defaults to distraction -The three types of attention and how to strengthen each one -How just 12 minutes a day can change your mental performance -Why multitasking is a myth (and what to do instead)Whether you feel chronically scattered, mentally drained, or just want to sharpen your edge, this episode will give you the tools and science to take your attention back. This isn't just about focus. It's about your ability to be present, perform better, and stay grounded in a chaotic world. Let's train your brain. For more resources related to today's episode, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: Mindset Reset Toolkit: How to Make Your Mind Work for You (Using Simple Neuroscience)Connect with Mel:  Get Mel's newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration.Get Mel's #1 bestselling book, The Let Them TheoryWatch the episodes on YouTubeFollow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast InstagramMel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-freeDisclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is a fan fav episode. When you are committed to hitting major goals, experiencing life on the next level, and showing up as a better version of yourself, being able to focus becomes a critical skill. Being able to give your full attention to what matters in the moment is necessary whether your focus is work or involves being present in a conversation. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at University of Miami and author of the new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. She is unpacking why your wandering mind isn't as big a problem as you think, how memories are formed and stories are ultimately created and stitched together to create our version of reality. If you're struggling with being distracted, the different types of practices Amishi shares will give you a place to start immediately! ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 3-24-22 Check out Amishi Jha's book, Peak Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Mind-Attention-Invest-Minutes-ebook/dp/B08THNJ978 SHOW NOTES: 0:00 | Introduction to Amishi Jha 0:52 | Why Mind Wandering Happens 4:13 | Memories and Neural Configuration 13:20 | Assigning Meaning to Dreams 16:20 | Accurate or Altered Memories 21:11 | Nostalgic Story Making 28:53 | Risky Story Making 34:31 | Break Story Mode 39:34 | Developing Meta Awareness 47:06 | Constructing Reality 53:07 | The Power of Mindfulness 1:02:07 | How to Practice Being Mindful 1:11:14 | Types of Mindfulness Practice 1:17:01 | Why Positivity Doesn't Work 1:24:27 | Loving Kindness Follow Amishi Jha: Website: https://amishi.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmishiPJha Twitter: https://twitter.com/amishijha Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amishipjha/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amishi.jha What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here. Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** Join me live on my Twitch stream. I'm live daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am PT at www.twitch.tv/tombilyeu ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a fan fav episode. When you are committed to hitting major goals, experiencing life on the next level, and showing up as a better version of yourself, being able to focus becomes a critical skill. Being able to give your full attention to what matters in the moment is necessary whether your focus is work or involves being present in a conversation. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at University of Miami and author of the new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. She is unpacking why your wandering mind isn't as big a problem as you think, how memories are formed and stories are ultimately created and stitched together to create our version of reality. If you're struggling with being distracted, the different types of practices Amishi shares will give you a place to start immediately! ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 3-24-22 Check out Amishi Jha's book, Peak Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Mind-Attention-Invest-Minutes-ebook/dp/B08THNJ978 SHOW NOTES: 0:00 | Introduction to Amishi Jha 0:52 | Why Mind Wandering Happens 4:13 | Memories and Neural Configuration 13:20 | Assigning Meaning to Dreams 16:20 | Accurate or Altered Memories 21:11 | Nostalgic Story Making 28:53 | Risky Story Making 34:31 | Break Story Mode 39:34 | Developing Meta Awareness 47:06 | Constructing Reality 53:07 | The Power of Mindfulness 1:02:07 | How to Practice Being Mindful 1:11:14 | Types of Mindfulness Practice 1:17:01 | Why Positivity Doesn't Work 1:24:27 | Loving Kindness Follow Amishi Jha: Website: https://amishi.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmishiPJha Twitter: https://twitter.com/amishijha Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amishipjha/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amishi.jha What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER SCALING a business: see if you qualify here. Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here. ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** Join me live on my Twitch stream. I'm live daily from 6:30 to 8:30 am PT at www.twitch.tv/tombilyeu ********************************************************************** LISTEN TO IMPACT THEORY AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/impacttheory ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There is a lot of content out these days about attention, attention spans, and distraction. What is with the seemingly dramatic deficit we have with attention? I know for myself, I seem to look for distraction and struggle to focus, even when I'm greatly interested in what I'm working on. I make it harder for myself when I have access to all my internet connected devices. I'm bringing back a conversation I had with an expert on the matter. Dr Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami where she serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. Amishi's work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, The Dalai Lama's Vision Summit, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more. She is the author of the book, Peak Mind, which we discuss in this show.  Amish has spent nearly 30 years researching the science of attention through extensive work with the US Military, medical professionals, elite sports teams, and more to address the issue. Her TED Talk on "How to Tame Your Wandering Mind" has nearly 6 million views. We spend every day tuned in to screens whose sole purpose is to get our attention, to the degree we now must make a focus on, “How do I get my own attention?” Our attention is in many ways, the only power we have. The only thing we have an influence and impact on, the only thing we can help or find success in or enjoy, is what we give out attention to. We all know the concept of budgeting our money, and our time. Now we're faced with budgeting our attention, and if we can't control our attention, all hope seems lost toward much progress in our lives. That's why we have Amishi with us now. Find her at amishi.com Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For episode 266, Amishi Jha returns to the Metta Hour for our ongoing Anxiety Series.In this series, Sharon is speaking with Mental Health experts, providers and different researchers for tools to work with anxiety in increasingly challenging times. This is the sixth episode in the series.Amishi is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She studies the brain's attention system and the effects of mindfulness training on resilience and performance in high-demand professions, including the military, emergency services, and medicine. Her research has been supported by the Dept. of Defense and featured by TED, NATO, the World Economic Forum, The New York Times, and NPR. She led the first large-scale study of mindfulness training with active-duty service members. She is the author of the national bestseller Peak Mind and creator of the Pushups for the Mind app.In this episode, Amishi and Sharon speak about:• Mindfulness in mental health• Cognitive resilience• Eustress and how it serves us• Mismatch between capacity and challenge • Attention as resilience• Flashlight attention for clarification & focus• Floodlight attention for situation awareness • Executive Functioning• How to begin attention training• Myths about stress and anxiety• The participatory nature of the brain• The attentional decline of burnout• Compassion Fatigue• Cognitive versus emotional empathy• Amishi's new app, Pushups for the Mind• The minimum effective dose of meditation To learn more about Amishi's work, you can visit her website right here and download her new app right here. Please note that the Pushups for the Mind app is free for all U.S. active service military members.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

418. Why You Can't Pay Attention—And How to Get It Back with Dr. Amishi Jha Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, Dr. Amishi Jha joins us to discuss how we can cultivate and develop our attention in a way that allows us to maximize the meaning, fulfillment, and joy in our lives.  -The three types of attentional systems –and how we use them in our daily lives; -Why attention is a limited resource – and how to make the most of it; -Why multitasking is a myth; and -A mindfulness practice to fuel your attentional capacity in just 12-minutes. Dr. Amishi Jha, PhD is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance in education, corporate, elite sports, first-responder, and military contexts. In her national bestseller, Peak Mind she shares her discoveries on how attention can be trained for optimal performance and well-being.  For the Peak Mind book, go to: https://amishi.com/books/peak-mind For the Peak Mind Interactive app, go to: https://peakmind.media/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Check out the full episode here: https://pod.fo/e/283b56

In stressful times, what if the key to mental and emotional well-being was not a mystery, but a set of daily, accessible practices that you could start today? In this special compilation episode we've curated guidance from some of the world's leading voices in the science of wellbeing—including Dacher Keltner, Kristin Neff, Robert Waldinger, Marc Schulz, Judith Moskowitz, Marisa Franco, Amishi Jha, and Oliver Burkeman—to explore how awe, self-compassion, relationships and mindfulness shape our lives and minds. You'll learn how experiences of awe can dramatically improve immune health and reduce anxiety; why self-compassion trumps self-esteem for lasting mental strength; how healthy relationships are not only the greatest predictor of happiness but even protect against physical illness; and how intentional mindfulness combats stress and boosts attention. Through science and lived experience, this episode offers a toolkit for building a more connected, reflective, and flourishing life of greater mental well-being. Show Notes Similar Episodes: Kristin Neff Curt Thompson Meghan Sullivan Heather Holleman Kelly Corrigan Transcript Want more NSE? Join NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and early access to tickets to our live shows. Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. If your organization has a message that deserves to be heard, start your podcast at helpmemakeapodcast.com. Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program desi… Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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Order my newest book Make Money Easy! https://lewishowes.com/moneyyouCheck out the full episode: greatness.lnk.to/1178Dr. Amishi Jha, Professor of Psychology and Author shares the secret to becoming a high performer in every area of your life.Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter

In this episode, Dr. Amishi Jha explores how to stop losing your mind (literally) and the surprising science of attention. She shares how mastering your mind isn’t about more effort, it’s about understanding how attention really works. You’ll learn how to train the three systems of attention (the flashlight, the floodlight, and the juggler), why mindfulness isn’t just a trend but a mental upgrade, and how to reclaim your focus—12 minutes at a time. Key Takeaways: How your attention isn’t broken; it’s just overwhelmed. Understand the three key attention modes Embrace how mindfulness strengthens attention Learn the concept of reframing and deframing and why this is so important Discover the relationship between stress, mood, and attention Uncover the micro-moments in your life and why they matter If you enjoyed this conversation with Amishi Jha, check out these other episodes: Stolen Focus and Attention with Johann Hari How to Focus and Accomplish Goals with Emily Balcetis For full show notes, click here! Connect with the show: Follow us on YouTube: @TheOneYouFeedPod Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Follow us on Instagram See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Attention and focus may be at the top of every employer's list and every woman's dating requirements. We live in a society that highly values attention and praises anyone who can focus long enough to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Yet, many of us continue to struggle with both. Mindfulness is viewed as something that would be nice but very few are actually mastering the practice of being present and attentive in the here and now. With stress and overwhelm overtaking us at every turn in the day our minds are flooded and vulnerable to digital attacks and sabotage initiated by our own self. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at University of Miami and author of the new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. She's joining Lisa to dispel the rumours that improving your attention and meditation skills means that you have to clear your mind. She's calling it out, and giving simple strategies and techniques you can start using before this episode ends. It's time to take back your attention, regain your focus and do it in 3 simple steps. [ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 1-12-22]. SHOW NOTES: Attention | Amishi reveals while attention can be a superpower it is vulnerable too [0:36] Prioritized Info |How attention systems helps to prioritize information into subsystems [5:08] Suppressing Memories | Amishi shares ways to stop thinking about troubled memories [10:46] Floodlight Focus | Information that is not limited but has a broad and receptive range [12:49] Emotional Overwhelm | Strategy to manage emotions and overwhelm from 3rd person [15:32] Hijacked Focus | When we create a simulated reality and are not in the present [20:29] Executive Control | Amishi on the power of your mind's attention being guided by goals [29:51] Overriding Attention | Mindfulness of your attention requires initiating executive control [32:20] Meditation | How mindfulness meditation is about staying present without the extra story [34:34] Becoming Aware | Amishi shares simple exercise to find your attention flashlight [43:05] Wandering Mind | Amishi on why you don't need to clear your mind, redirect instead [49:35] Well Wishing Practice | Deliberately speak to deep care and concern to yourself [52:55] CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Audible: Sign up for a free 30-day trial at https://audible.com/WOI  Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code WOI at check out.  Quince: Check out Quince: https://quince.com/woi LISTEN TO WOMEN OF IMPACT AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS:  apple.co/womenofimpact FOLLOW LISA: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabilyeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisabilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/womenofimpact Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisa_bilyeu?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Attention and focus may be at the top of every employer's list and every woman's dating requirements. We live in a society that highly values attention and praises anyone who can focus long enough to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Yet, many of us continue to struggle with both. Mindfulness is viewed as something that would be nice but very few are actually mastering the practice of being present and attentive in the here and now.With stress and overwhelm overtaking us at every turn in the day our minds are flooded and vulnerable to digital attacks and sabotage initiated by our own self. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at University of Miami and author of the new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. She's joining Lisa to dispel the rumours that improving your attention and meditation skills means that you have to clear your mind. She's calling it out, and giving simple strategies and techniques you can start using before this episode ends. It's time to take back your attention, regain your focus and do it in 3 simple steps.[ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 1-12-22].SHOW NOTES:Attention | Amishi reveals while attention can be a superpower it is vulnerable too [0:36]Prioritized Info |How attention systems helps to prioritize information into subsystems [5:08]Suppressing Memories | Amishi shares ways to stop thinking about troubled memories [10:46]Floodlight Focus | Information that is not limited but has a broad and receptive range [12:49]Emotional Overwhelm | Strategy to manage emotions and overwhelm from 3rd person [15:32]Hijacked Focus | When we create a simulated reality and are not in the present [20:29]Executive Control | Amishi on the power of your mind's attention being guided by goals [29:51]Overriding Attention | Mindfulness of your attention requires initiating executive control [32:20]Meditation | How mindfulness meditation is about staying present without the extra story [34:34]Becoming Aware | Amishi shares simple exercise to find your attention flashlight [43:05]Wandering Mind | Amishi on why you don't need to clear your mind, redirect instead [49:35]Well Wishing Practice | Deliberately speak to deep care and concern to yourself [52:55]CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORSAudible: Sign up for a free 30-day trial at https://audible.com/WOI Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code WOI at check out. Quince: Check out Quince: https://quince.com/woi LISTEN TO WOMEN OF IMPACT AD FREE + BONUS EPISODES on APPLE PODCASTS: apple.co/womenofimpactFOLLOW LISA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisabilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/womenofimpactTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisa_bilyeu?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can mindfulness—a practice often associated with calm and stillness—really make soldiers more resilient, focused, and mission-ready? This week we're joined by Lieutenant General Walter Pyatt, a fervent advocate for mindfulness in the military, and Dr. Amishi Jha, a celebrated neuroscientist whose research unveils the life-changing benefits of mindfulness practices. Together, they illuminate how mindfulness is reshaping military training and operations, offering tools for mental resilience, enhanced focus, and calm amidst the storm. Our guests share compelling anecdotes from their journeys, highlighting how mindfulness can transform the lives of service members and veterans, fostering a new understanding of mental strength and preparedness. The conversation underscores mindfulness as a powerful tool for optimizing human performance, offering soldiers a renewed sense of purpose and enhancing their ability to navigate the psychological impacts of military life. Listen in to discover how these practices are being integrated into the fabric of military culture, fostering better operators and individuals from within. (00:00) - Mindfulness in the Military (04:45) - Benefits of Mindfulness in the Military (12:06) - Mindfulness and Military Preparedness (20:03) - The Warrior's Path (29:12) - Performance Enhancement in Military Mindfulness (41:12) - Mindfulness in Military Transition and Recovery (46:42) - Supporting Veterans Through Mindfulness (51:20) - Advancing Mindfulness in the Military --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mentalkingmindfulness/support

In this episode, Dr. Amishi Jha discusses how to find focus and master attention. She explores the concept of a peak mind, emphasizing the balance between action and reflection and also highlights the different modes of attention. The conversation also delves into practical strategies for improving attention and cognitive function that emphasize the impact of mindfulness practices on attention and overall well-being. In this episode, you will be able to: Unlock peak focus and attention through mindfulness meditation Master stress reduction with powerful mindfulness practices Uncover the cognitive neuroscience behind sharpening your attention Elevate your situational awareness with proven strategies Enhance your tactical skills with the remarkable benefits of mindfulness To learn more, click here!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meditation: an ancient practice with brain health benefits proven by modern science. Whether you're focusing on your breathing to quieten peripheral distractions or using mindfulness to rebalance your emotional reactivity to everyday stresses, practicing meditation can spark long-term neuroplastic changes that will help you feel more attentive and calm in everything you do. In ‘Your Brain On... Meditation', we explore: • How meditation alters your brain chemistry and ‘retrains' your broader nervous system • The neuroscience of attention and focus, including your default mode and salience networks • Using mindfulness to break phone addiction, reduce stress, improve relationships, and practice self-care • The studies which highlight the long-term cognitive benefits of meditation • How we can all make time for meditation, no matter how busy our schedules • The limitations and risks of meditation apps Joining us for this important conversation are three fantastic guests: DR. AMISHI JHA, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, a pioneer in the study of mindfulness and attention, and the author of the acclaimed book ‘Peak Mind' DR. CLIFFORD SARON, a neuroscientist and Associate Research Scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis, renowned for his work on the neurobiological effects of meditation DR. HELEN LAVRETSKY, a Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA and a leading researcher in geriatric psychiatry, who has extensively studied the effects of meditation and yoga on mental health and aging ‘Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. Drs. Ayesha and Dean are now welcoming patients via the Brain Health Institute: https://brainhealthinstitute.com/ ‘Your Brain On... Meditation' • SEASON 3 • EPISODE 4 — LINKS Dr. Amishi Jha: Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0062992155/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr= On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amishipjha/  On Twitter: https://x.com/amishijha  Dr. Clifford Saron: Center for Mind and Brain: https://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/people/clifford-saron  Dr. Helen Lavretsky: At UCLA: https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/helen-lavretsky Study on yogic meditation for dementia caregivers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3423469/

Sam Harris speaks with Amishi Jha about attention and the brain. They discuss how attention is studied, the failure of brain-training games, the relationship between attention and awareness, mindfulness as an intrinsic mental capacity, the neurological implications of different types of meditation, the neural correlates of attention and distraction, the prospects of self-transcendence, the link between thought and emotion, the difference between dualistic and nondualistic mindfulness, studying nondual awareness in the lab, the influence of smartphones, the value of mind wandering, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Share this episode: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/380-the-roots-of-attention Sam Harris speaks with Amishi Jha about attention and the brain. They discuss how attention is studied, the failure of brain-training games, the relationship between attention and awareness, mindfulness as an intrinsic mental capacity, the neurological implications of different types of meditation, the neural correlates of attention and distraction, the prospects of self-transcendence, the link between thought and emotion, the difference between dualistic and nondualistic mindfulness, studying nondual awareness in the lab, the influence of smartphones, the value of mind wandering, and other topics. Dr. Amishi Jha, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she cofounded in 2010. She received her PhD from the University of California, Davis, and did postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Her work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and the Pentagon, and she’s been covered in The New York Times, NPR, Time magazine, and Forbes. With grants from the Department of Defense and several private foundations, she leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance. Dr. Jha’s national bestseller, Peak Mind, describes her work with a variety of high-demand groups, from special forces, elite athletes, and first responders, to teachers, business and medical professionals, and students. Her forthcoming app, Pushups for the Mind, will be available to U.S. military service members in the fall of 2024, and for public release in early 2025. Website: https://amishi.com/ Twitter: @amishijha Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Our guest today says that for 50% of our lives, we are not paying attention to what we're doing.In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, many of us are coming to terms with the fact that our capacity for paying attention is laughably weak. Our work, mental health, and relationships suffer because of it. But what if there was a tried-and-true way to change this, something like “push-ups for your brain?”Neuroscientist Amishi Jha has dedicated her career to studying this question, and the results are in. In this episode, she describes the practice of mindfulness meditation - why it can work for everyone (not just the spiritual folks), and how it only takes 12 minutes each day to reach one's “Peak Mind.”Show NotesResources mentioned this episode:Peak Mind by Amishi JhaSimilar No Small Endeavor episodes:Naomi Shihab Nye: The Life Changing Benefits of Paying AttentionCharles Duhigg: The Power of HabitKristin Neff: The Power of Self-CompassionDacher Keltner: How Awe Will Transform Your LifePDF of Lee's Interview NotesTranscript for Abridged EpisodeJOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and discounts on live showsSubscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.comSee Privacy Policy: Privacy PolicyAmazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Where do you place precious brain resources? The human brain's attention system is the success story of what makes us unique as human beings. Because attention fuels our ability to think, to feel, and connect, what we pay attention to is our life. For a long time, throughout our evolutionary history, the brain began to suffer from a very big problem which is that there's far more information out in the environment than could be fully processed. Attention ended up becoming a very useful solution because it allows us to prioritize information, but there are qualities of the human experience that disable attention. Given how powerful attention is, we need to really respect where we place this precious brain resource. Chapters For Easier Navigation:- 0:00 introduction 1:27 power of attention 2:38 the challenges of attention 4:38 what is meta awareness Up Next ► How to enter ‘flow state' on command   • How to enter ‘flow state' on command ...   ---------------------------------------------- About Amishi Jha: Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha's work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century. Go Deeper with Big Think ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today says that for 50% of our lives, we are not paying attention to what we're doing.In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, many of us are coming to terms with the fact that our capacity for paying attention is laughably weak. Our work, mental health, and relationships suffer because of it. But what if there was a tried-and-true way to change this, something like “push-ups for your brain?”Neuroscientist Amishi Jha has dedicated her career to studying this question, and the results are in. In this episode, she describes the practice of mindfulness meditation - why it can work for everyone (not just the spiritual folks), and how it only takes 12 minutes each day to reach one's “Peak Mind.”Show NotesResources mentioned this episode:Peak Mind by Amishi JhaSimilar No Small Endeavor episodes:Naomi Shihab Nye: The Life Changing Benefits of Paying AttentionCharles Duhigg: The Power of HabitKristin Neff: The Power of Self-CompassionDacher Keltner: How Awe Will Transform Your LifePDF of Lee's Interview NotesTranscription LinkJOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and discounts on live showsSubscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.comSee Privacy Policy: Privacy PolicyAmazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

How to see through the lies that surround us. Up Next ► How to catch a liar (assuming we want to)   • How to Catch a Liar (Assuming We Want...   The world today feels like it's a constant VUCA environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. The shifting landscape, the bombarding of information toward us, and always having to work in sort of a 24/7 environment. This is problematic because we feel like we're all in a collective crisis of attention. So it's very important that we, as citizens of the world, understand what is true and what is false. A question that should be on our minds these days is: 'What is the role of attention in minimizing truth bias?' ---------------------------------------- About Amishi Jha: Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha's work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more. ----------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Amishi Jha joins Joe to discuss her book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day . Amishi sheds light on the complexities of the brain's attention system to help us understand how we can navigate and enhance our focus in stressful and demanding jobs. In this episode Joe and Amishi discuss: How our attention shapes everything from emotions to relationships Challenges in maintaining attention in an information-saturated ageHow the attention system works The vulnerability of attention to stress and its impact on performanceInsights into memory and emotional regulation How mindfulness training helps strengthens our attention system A practical approach to mindfulness training for enhancing attention Whether you're struggling to stay present, looking to enhance your memory, or seeking solace in the whirlwind of the digital age, this episode promises to turn the light of your attention onto pathways that could lead to a calmer, more focused state of being. Learn more about Amishi's research in military cohorts here.Dr. Amishi Jha, PhD is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. Prior to her current post, she was an Assistant Professor at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania.She received her B.S in Biological Psychology from the Universityof Michigan, her Ph.D in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) from the University of California–Davis, and her post-doctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University in functional neuroimaging.Learn more about her work here.Special thanks to this week's sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Connect Leadership With Action Across Distributed Formations With Mustr by Adyton. Mustr is your digital knife-hand for daily and rapid personnel accountability, real time response data visibility, and automated reporting. Learn more about what Mustr can do for your formation here! My favorite coffee is veteran-owned Alpha Coffee and I've been drinking it every morning since 2020! They make 100% premium arabica coffee. Alpha has donated over 22k bags of coffee to deployed units and they offer a 10% discount for military veterans, first responders, nurses, and teachers! Try their coffee today. Once you taste the Alpha difference, you won't want to drink anything else!  Learn more here.   

Have you noticed how easy it is to give your time away, even if it means committing to doing things you don't really want to do? In this solo podcast episode, I explore the topic of time stress and its implications on our overall well-being.   If you find yourself stressed about the many demands made of your time and worried about how you'll be able to tackle everything on your to-do list, I encourage you to listen in as I'll be sharing advice on how to protect your time and energy.    Specifically, we'll explore ways in which you can protect your time and energy by making some small, but significant changes. For example, we'll talk about how to make realistic plans with your time, developing organized systems for everyday home and work tasks, and learning how to say no to a request made of you.   I understand that learning to protect your time and energy is not easy, especially for those of us who are people-pleasers. This is why I encourage you to lean into the advice I share in this podcast. Additionally, make sure to check out more time and energy management tips in my second book, The Farewell Tour, as well as this podcast episode where I chat with Dr. Gloria Mark about getting over feelings of FOMO and regaining control of our attention span and this podcast episode where I chat with Dr. Amishi Jha about how we can develop “mental armor” against anxiety, distraction, and bias.   Like what you hear? Connect with me!  -Sign up for my newsletter and enjoy a free guide to flexible meal planning as a thank-you for -Check out my substack for bi-weekly tips on WTF to Eat and guided meditations for paid subscribers -Follow me on Instagram @jesscording   If you'd like to support The Drama-Free Healthy Living podcast, please share your favorite episodes with family, friends, and colleagues, and if you like what you hear, I invite you to leave a 5-star review on Apple podcasts HERE.    

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris Key Takeaways  A “peak mind” is a mind that has access to its full attentional awareness You must develop an awareness of the current state of your mind so that you can negotiate what is best to do next, based on that awareness Focus is the brain's orienting system; focus is like using a flashlight in a dark room When you think you are multitasking, you are just task-switching The data suggests that the advertised benefits of meditation can be achieved with about 12 minutes of meditation per day, done 4-5 days per weekThe goal of meditation is not to end mind-wandering, but to create a different relationship with it Allowing the mind to wander for some periods can be very beneficialRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgHow to stay focused, fight distraction, and function at your peak.Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. Dr Jha is the author of the national bestseller, Peak Mind. In this episode we talk about:What peak mind isWhy meta awareness is important to practice and achieve peak mindThe suite of mindfulness-based attention training practicesWhy humans developed attention in the first placeUsing the flashlight and floodlight metaphors to help us understand different types of attentionThe mental pushup for attention: focus, notice, and redirectThe attention benefits for high stress populations who engage in contemplatives practicesMultitasking vs. monotaskingThe real life and death consequences of confirmation biasPart of the reason why we may be experiencing a crisis of attention Giving our mind the freedom to choose where it goes nextRelated Episodes:Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann HariSign up for Dan's weekly newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/amishi-jha-rerun-2023See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How to stay focused, fight distraction, and function at your peak.Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. Dr Jha is the author of the national bestseller, Peak Mind. In this episode we talk about:What peak mind isWhy meta awareness is important to practice and achieve peak mindThe suite of mindfulness-based attention training practicesWhy humans developed attention in the first placeUsing the flashlight and floodlight metaphors to help us understand different types of attentionThe mental pushup for attention: focus, notice, and redirectThe attention benefits for high stress populations who engage in contemplatives practicesMultitasking vs. monotaskingThe real life and death consequences of confirmation biasPart of the reason why we may be experiencing a crisis of attention Giving our mind the freedom to choose where it goes nextRelated Episodes:Why You Can't Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann HariSign up for Dan's weekly newsletter hereFollow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTokTen Percent Happier online bookstoreSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelOur favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular EpisodesFull Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/amishi-jha-rerun-2023See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you are interested in stopping compulsions using attention control, this is the episode for you.  I am really excited for this episode. This was a deep dive into really how to fine-tune your mindfulness practice for anxiety and OCD. Today we have the amazing Max Maisel, who is an OCD and anxiety specialist here in California. He came on to talk about these really nuanced differences of mindfulness, where we might go wrong with mindfulness, how we can get a deeper understanding of mindfulness, and this idea of attentional control. The real thing that I took away from this is how beneficial it can be at reducing mental compulsions, putting our attention on the things that we value, putting our attention on what we want to put attention on, not in a compulsive way at all. In fact, we addressed that throughout the episode, and it's just so, so good. I'm so grateful to you, Max, for coming on, and I just know you guys are going to love this episode. Now, we are talking about some pretty difficult things, like things that are hard to do. I even roleplayed and explained how hard it was for me to do it. I want, as you listen to this, for you to please practice an immense amount of self-compassion and recognition and acknowledgment of just how hard it is to do these practices and how we can always learn more. Hopefully, something in this episode clicks for you and feels very true for you and is hopefully very, very beneficial.  I'm going to go take you straight to the show because that's what you're here for. Have a wonderful day everybody, and enjoy this interview with Max Maisel.  Kimberley: Welcome. I am so excited for this episode, mainly because I actually think I'm going to leave learning a ton. We have the amazing Max Maisel here today. Welcome. Max: Thank you, Kim. It's really good to be here. I'm super excited for our conversation. MINDFULNESS FOR OCD  Kimberley: Yeah. Okay. You know I use a lot of mindfulness. I am a huge diehard mindfulness fan, but I love that you have brought to us today, and hopefully will bring to us today, some ways in which we can drop deeper into that practice or zone in, or you might say a different word, like how to focus in on that. Tell me a little bit about how you conceptualize this practice of mindfulness and what you use to make it more effective for people with anxiety and OCD. Max: Yes, for sure. So, I'm a major proponent of mindfulness practices. I use it myself in my personal life. I integrate it in the clinical work that I do with clients with OCD and anxiety. But one of the concerns that I've seen in my clinical work is that mindfulness is such a broad concept and it covers so many different types of psychological suffering. The research behind mindfulness is just like hundreds, maybe even thousands of studies. But when it comes to very specific and nuanced concerns like OCD and anxiety, it could be a little bit confusing for people sometimes to figure out, “Well, how do I apply this really healthy, beautiful, amazing tool to how my own brain is wired in terms of like sticky thoughts or just to engage in all sorts of compulsive behaviors.” I like to think about mindfulness from Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition at the core—paying attention to the present moment in a way that's non-judgmental and with this curious intentionality to it. But then within that, there's some really nuanced details that we can talk more about how to make that really relevant to folks with OCD and anxiety. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATTENTION & AWARENESS Kimberley: Tell me a little bit. When we're talking about mindfulness, we often talk about this idea of awareness. Can you differentiate first—and this is using some terminology just to set the scene—can you differentiate the difference between attention, awareness, and even a lot of people talk about distraction? Can you share a little bit about how they may be used and what they may look like? Max: I love that question. I think in a good OCD treatment, people really need to have a good solid understanding of those differences. I'm actually going to borrow from a neuroscientist named Amishi Jha. She's this incredible professor at the University of Miami. In her research lab, they look at the neurological underpinnings of mindfulness, and that very much includes attention and awareness. I highly encourage anybody to look up her work. Again, it's Amishi Jha. She talks about attention or focused attention. If you imagine there's a dark room, and if you turn on a flashlight and you shine that beam of light into that room and say that beam of light hits a vase on a table, again, what happens to that vase? What's different compared to all the things in the background? Kimberley: Is that a question for me? Max: Yeah. If you imagine a beam of light, what goes on with that? Kimberley: You would see the front of the vase, maybe it's a bit shiny, or you would see the shadow of the vase. You would see the colors of the vase. The texture of the vase. Max: That's exactly right. From this vivid and detailed, you can see all the different descriptions of it and it becomes privileged above everything else in the room. That vase is that beam of light. And then somebody might take that flashlight and shine it to the right a little bit, and then it goes from the vase, let's say, to a chair next to it. All of a sudden, that vase is still there, but it's fallen into the background. We might call that our awareness, which we'll talk about in a second. But then that table that we shine on or the chair is now privileged over the vase. That's how you can think about focused attention, is this beam of light. Whereas awareness, instead of a focused beam, you can think about that more as a broad floodlight where it's effortless, it's receptive, and you're noticing what is present in the moment without privileging one thing over the next. We're not focusing or hooked on anything particular in that room, it's just observing whatever comes up in the moment. Does that make sense? WHAT IS DISTRACTION?  Kimberley: It totally makes sense. Excellent. What about distraction?  Max: Distraction, when we think about that broad floodlight of awareness, where again, where what's privileges the present moment, distraction is trying to get things out of that. It's trying to suppress or not think about or get something that is in your awareness, outside of your awareness. But unfortunately, the trap that people fall into is in order to get something out of your awareness, what you need to do first is shine your beam of attention onto it. Inadvertently, while it might seem like a good idea in the short term, especially if it's something really scary, that pops up in your awareness like, “Oh, I don't want this. I want to get this thing out of my awareness.” But in doing that, you're literally shining your attention. That flashlight is right on the scary thing. The very act of trying to distract, trying to push it away actually keeps that thing going, which is why it can be so easy and so tricky to get stuck in these pretty severe OCD spirals by doing that. Kimberley: Right. If we were talking about mindfulness, and let's go back to that, are attention and awareness both parts of mindfulness? Give me how you would conceptualize that. Max: That's exactly right there, and that's what I was talking about where mindfulness is such a beautiful, helpful practice and term. But oftentimes when we say just mindfulness, people don't understand that there are really relevant parts of mindfulness that are actually applicable skills that we can practice getting really good and solid without shining that beam of light and focusing flexibly on aspects of our experience. We can get good at letting go of that focused attention and just being with what pops up in our awareness, which are very relevant practices when we have OCD or anxiety. But if we just say mindfulness as a whole, paying attention to the present moment, we could miss these really important nuances and actionable skills that are different parts of mindfulness. Kimberley: Let's go deeper into that. Let's say you have OCD or you have panic disorder, or you have a phobia, and your brain-- I was talking with my son who has anxiety and he was saying, “I keep having the thought. No matter how many happy thoughts I have, it just keeps thinking of the scary thought.” That's just a really simple example. How might you use attention versus awareness or attention and awareness for folks who are managing these really sticky thoughts, like you said, or these really repetitive, intrusive thoughts? Max: It's such a good question. OCD, I always talk about how clever and tricky it is. In order to get through OCD, we need to be even more clever, more tricky than OCD. One of the ways OCD gets people to fall into its trap is by confusing them. It gets people to try to control things that they cannot control, which is what pops up in their awareness, but it also blinds people and gets them that they can't see that there are things that are in their control. That will be really helpful, powerful tools, and OCD gums up the works a little bit.  MINDFULNESS & ATTENTION TRAINING To be more specific, there's an aspect of mindfulness that we can think of as attentional training or attentional flexibility. What that is, it's strengthening up the brain's muscles to be able to take control of that flashlight, of that beam of focused attention. OCD, what it's going to do, it steals it from you and shines it on the really scary stuff, like with your son, “Oh, here's a thought that you really don't like,” or “Here's a really uncomfortable sensation.” All of a sudden, that beam of light is shining there. What attention training does, it really teaches people to be able to first notice, “Oh, my beam of light is on something really scary. Okay, this is a thing. This is a moment to practice now.” But then more importantly, to be able to then take power back and be able to shine that flashlight in flexible ways that are in line with people's values and goals versus are in line with OCD's agenda. But attention training, it's not only getting really good and powerful at shining that beam of light on what you want to shine, but it's also the practice of letting go of control over the stuff that's in our awareness. We're going to practice and allow those scary thoughts and feelings. I treat them like a car alarm going off where it might be annoying, might be uncomfortable, but I'm not going to focus on them. I'm not going to pay attention to it, because otherwise there's going to be front and center.  It's both. It's awareness, it's being able to flexibly shift between different aspects of our experience, and it's also allowing things to go, and you're like that broader floodlight of awareness. I always find it really helpful to practice the skill of attention training on non-OCD, non-anxiety neutral stimuli. It's not too triggering. And then we can start applying that to anxiety. If it's okay with you, Kim, I would love to walk you through some quirky little easy exercises that just help you maybe understand what I'm talking about and hopefully your listeners as well. Kimberley: I was just going to say, let's do it.  Max: Let's do it. Let's dive in.  Kimberley: Let's roleplay this.  ATTENTION TRAINING EXERCISE Max: Okay. I want you to roleplay with me and if your listeners would like to roleplay as well, more than happy to follow along too. Again, these exercises, I don't see them as like coping skills. I see them as like creating an understanding of what we can control, what we can't control, and being able to just feel what that's like in our bodies and know that this is something that we can do.  For the first one, what I want you to do is put your thumb and index finger together, like you're making an okay sign. Put a little bit of pressure between your thumb and index finger, but not a whole lot of pressure. Just take a couple of seconds and see if you can put your brain into your thumb and your index finger and just notice what that feels like. Notice the sensations. Let me know when you feel like you've got a good sense of the feeling. Kimberley: Yep, I got it.  Max: What I want you to try to do is shine that beam of attention. Really focus in on the pressure only from your index finger and see if you cannot think about not engage in the pressure from your thumb, allowing that to be there. See if you can really find and identify what your index finger feels like. let me know when you've got that. Again, not thinking about your thumb, just focusing on your index finger. Kimberley: Yeah, that was hard, but I got it. Max: It is hard, right? Because what we're doing is honing in that beam of light that we're paying attention to. What I want you to do now is switch. Let your index finger, let that feeling go, and switch to your thumb. Again, only focusing on the pressure from your thumb and allowing your index finger, allowing that pressure to be there without thinking about it or controlling it. Just letting it exist, and then focusing on the pressure from your thumb. Kimberley: Yeah, I got it.  Max: We could do this for five, ten minutes. I won't make you do it right now, but you can see there and there's like a bump. There's a shift where you go from one to the other. It's great. It's not about getting into details, it's about noticing, “Oh, I can pay attention flexibly. I can focus on my index finger, allow the thumb feeling to be, and then I can switch to the opposite side.” That's one way that people can start understanding what I'm talking about, where we can flexibly pay attention while allowing other stuff to exist in the background. Kimberley: Let me bring up my own personal experience here because, like I said, I'm here to learn. As I was pushing, I actually had some pain in my thumb. As I was trying to imagine the top finger, that index finger, that was really hard because I have a little bit of ligament pain in my thumb. I had to work really hard to think about it. What was actually getting in the way was the thoughts of, “I won't be able to do this because of the pain.” What are your thoughts on people who are fighting that? Max: It's such an important piece of this because oftentimes what prevents people from practicing are these thoughts and beliefs that pop up. The belief of, “I have no control over rumination,” or “I cannot pay attention.” I'm saying this, and where we're stepping back and noticing these are thoughts, these are stories as well. Part of the practice is, can I see them as events of the mind? Can I see them as stories? Allow them to be in the background, just like we're maybe allowing the sensation of your index finger to be in the background while maintaining focus on that one part of your experience, your thumb. Again, we want to treat pain, thoughts, feelings, sensations as best as we can, allowing them, seeing them as mental events versus as distinct parts of who you are as a person while maintaining as best as you can that focused beam of attention on what you choose to. Kimberley: Right. This is really cool. Just so I understand this, but please don't be afraid to tell me I've got it completely wrong. As I was doing it, I was noticing the top of my index finger, doing my best, and in my awareness was the thoughts I had and the pain that I had. My attention was on the top, but there was some background awareness of all the other noise. Is that what you're saying? Max: That's exactly what I'm saying. The trick with OCD or anxiety is, can we allow the stuff in the background? Because a lot of people get annoyed or frustrated. And then as soon as you do that, that focus goes from your index finger to the stuff that you don't want versus if we can let go of control. Another way to think about it too is if you're looking out of a window. Focused attention would be, you are immensely engaging in this beautiful oak tree in your front yard. I don't have an oak tree, but hopefully, somebody does. Imagine you're really focusing on this oak tree, and that is what you're paying attention to.  Now, there might be other things that come and go. There might be birds flying and bushes in the background. There might be houses and a bunny rabbit running by. You could choose to then shift your beam of light from the tree to one of those things, but you don't have to. You can keep paying attention to the tree and allowing all this other stuff to exist. That would be what we're talking about and that's the practice you could do with your fingers. And then with that same metaphor, broader just overall awareness would be looking out the window, but not intentionally focused on anything. Just letting your eyes wander to whatever is present. “Oh, I notice the tree and I notice a cloud and I notice a bird. Oh, I noticed a thought that I've been looking out this window for a very long time.” We're not questioning, we're not ruminating, we're not judging, we're just simply being there with what's present. That's that broader awareness piece to this.  Kimberley: Okay. I love it. For those who have probably heard me talk about this, but not using this language, or are completely new and this is the first time I've ever logged in and listened to us, how may they apply this to specific intrusive thoughts that they're having? Can you walk us through a real example of this? You could use my son if you want, or an actual case of yours or whatever. Max: Yeah, for sure. If we think about it in this way, also, it's like a little bit of a different approach than maybe how some people think about exposure and response prevention. Because in this way of doing things, there's a really hard emphasis on the response prevention piece, which in this case would be not ruminating, not engaging in the mental compulsions. It's doing the exposure, which is triggering the scary thoughts and the feelings, and then accessing awareness mode, like being with what's present.  An example of that, let's just say somebody has an intrusive thought, a really scary fear that they might hurt somebody. They might be a serial killer or they might do something really bad. Let's say we want to do an exposure with that thought and we choose a triggering thought of, “I am a murderer.” Normally, when they have that thought, they do all this stuff. Their focused attention is on that thought, and they're trying to convince themselves they're not a murderer. They're trying to maybe look for evidence. “Did I kill somebody? I did not.” They're engaging in this thought, doing all this sort of stuff that OCD wants them to.  One way that we might use this difference in attention awareness, doing exposure would be to first evoke the scary thought. Maybe really telling themselves for a couple of seconds like, “I am a murderer. I am a murderer, sitting with the fear and the dread and all the stuff that comes up.” But then instead of focusing on it, then letting go of any engagement. We could just sit there and actually do nothing at all. We just watch and observe. Like you're looking out that window and that thought “I'm a murderer” might pop up, it might go away. Another thought might pop up. But we want to take this stance of, “None of my business.” We're going to sit here, we're going to observe, and we're not going to mentally engage in the thoughts. It's really accessing this more of like awareness mode. We can actually do something like that.  If you want to, Kim, we don't have to use an intrusive thought, but we can, again, practice with a neutral thought together and then apply what I'm talking about. Usually, what people realize is that what happens to their intrusive thoughts is what happens to 99.9% of all the thoughts they get in a day where it comes and then it just goes away when it's ready. If you think about it, we have thousands and thousands of thoughts per day. Mostly that's what happens because we're not focusing our beam of light on it, because we're not doing all this work that inadvertently keeps it around. It's exposure not only to sit with the feelings, but to practice the skill of letting go, of focusing on it, of letting go of any mental compulsive behaviors towards it. ATTENTION TRAINING VS DISTRACTON Kimberley: Right. I know this is going to be a question for people, so I'm going to ask it. How does attention training differ from distraction? Quite often, I will get really quite distressed messages from people saying, “But wait, if I'm being mindful on the tree, isn't that me distracting against my thoughts?” Can you talk about, again, differentiating this practice with distraction or avoidance? Max: Yep, absolutely. I like to think about it as an attitude that people take where we're willing to have whatever our brain pops up at us. With distraction, we're unwilling. We don't want it, we don't like it, we're turning away from it. But that's actually like, it's okay too. We call it distraction, we can call it engagement. It's okay to live your life to do stuff, but we have to first get really clear on, can I allow whatever my brain pops up to be there without then keeping that beam of attention on it? Because all mental rituals, all sorts of stuff that we do starts with focused attention. Summons, rituals are pure retention, but a lot of them like analyzing, reassurance, attention is a major part of them. If you can notice when our OCD took that beam of light and shined it, then we could practice taking the light off, allowing it to exist, allowing it to be there, but without engaging. If you want, Kim, I'm happy to maybe do another experiential exercise, not to throw too many at you today.  Kimberley: No, bring it on. Max: So maybe you and your listeners can understand that piece to it.  Kimberley: Yes, please.  ATTENTION TRAINING EXERCISE #2  Max: Okay. Lets start with attention training exercise #2. What we're going to do is we're going to practice engaging in what we might think of as a rumination, analytical way of thinking. Again, rumination, mental compulsions, they are a behavior. They're a mental action that we're taking that we could turn on, but we can also turn off. We want to be able to turn off mental compulsions throughout the rumination, but allow any thoughts and feelings to exist without doing anything about them. I know it sounds heavy, so let me show you what I mean by that.  Kimberley: Good.  Max: What I want you to do is think about a vacation or a trip that you either have coming up, or it might be like a dream vacation that you really want to take, and just take a second and let me know when you got something in mind. Kimberley: I got it. Max: You got it. That was quick. That was a good thing. What I want you to do is start mentally planning out the itinerary for this vacation, thinking about what you're going to do, all the steps you're going to take, just like doing it in your mind. And then I'll tell you when to stop. Okay. Stop. Now what I want you to do is let go of that engaging analytic way of thinking and just sit here for a couple of seconds. We're not going to do really anything. If the idea of the vacation pops up in your mind, I want you to allow it to pop up. But don't think about it, don't focus on it. Allow it to be there or not to be there. Just don't do what you were just doing where you're actually actively thinking about it. Are you ready?  Kimberley: Mm-hmm. Max: Okay. Again, we're just going to sit and we're going to observe. Whatever comes up, comes up. We're going to let it hover and float in your overall awareness without focusing on it.  Waves washing on the beach or just letting your thoughts and feelings come and go. We're not engaging, we're not thinking about them. We're just observing.  What I want you to do one last time, I want you to start thinking again, planning, going through the itinerary, thinking all the cool stuff you're going to do. As you're doing it, notice what that feels like psychologically to go from not doing to doing. And then start thinking about it, and I'll let you know when to stop again. All right. We can let go of the vacation. Again, just for five, ten seconds sitting. If the thought pops up, allow it to pop up, but don't engage in it. Don't manipulate it or actively walk through the itinerary again. Just notice what that's like.  Okay, Kim. I'd love to hear your experience walking through, turning it on the analytical way of thinking, and then turning it off and playing around with it a little bit. Kimberley: Okay. Number one, I immediately was able to go into planning. I think because I do this, this is actually one of the things I do at bedtime. I've planned my 91st birthday, my 92nd birthday party. That's what I love to do, so it was very easy for me to go into that. When I went back to more awareness of just what I noticed, I was actually able to do it really easily except of the thought like, “Oh, I hope I don't have the thought. I hope I'm doing this right.” Max: That's such a beautiful way, and the mind is going to do stuff like that. We're going to start thinking about thinking, and I'm curious how you respond to that thought. What you did next? Kimberley: I was just like, “Maybe I will, maybe I won't. What else?” And then I was like, “Well, there's Max and there's my microphone.” That was the work. Max: Yes. That's exactly what I'm talking about. We're not like, “Don't think about this vacation.” Because if we did that, what do you think that would do to you if you're just sitting there in that moment of awareness and be like, “This is not a good thought to have, I can't think about this upcoming vacation”? Kimberley: Well, I had more of them and I had distress about them. Max: Yeah, exactly. That's what I mean by we're not distracting, we're allowing, but we're also not analytically thinking about it. Now that we're talking about this, I think this is a really important piece on where mindfulness can get maybe especially confusing or even contradictory for people. Again, to preface this, I'm a huge mindfulness advocate and fan, but one of the issues about mindfulness for OCD, in particular, is that mindfulness is really in a lot of ways teaching it, it's about coming back to the present moment. I'm going to focus on my breath. I'm going to refocus to my body. I'm going to ground myself. Again, overall very healthy things to do, we should practice that.  But the problem about that is if applied directly to OCD mental compulsions—and again, just to be really clear by mental compulsions, I'm talking about anything that people do to try to feel better, cope with, resolve a scary, intrusive thought. Kim, your six-part series, let's say, on mental compulsions that you did is one of the best OCD contents I've ever seen. I think everybody should go back and listen to that, whether you have OCD or not. So, all this mental stuff that we do in response to a scary thought. Mindfulness can be really helpful in noticing when we get caught up and again, like flexibly shifting. But at the end of the day, sufferers of OCD really need to understand that you don't need to focus onto the present moment to stop doing mental compulsions. Because it's analytical, it's a behavior, it's a way of thinking. Just like you did, we can simply turn it on and then we can turn it off.  Now, I don't mean to say it's as easy as just don't do it. Obviously, it's not the case. This is complex stuff. There's so many psychological factors that lead people to ruminate and to do compulsions, but it's a simple idea. People need a foundation to understand that mental compulsions are a behavior that we have a lot more agency over than your OCD wants you to think. I like to think about when you look at more traditional, like contamination OCD, people might wash their hands a lot. It's the same thing where there's the behavior of washing your hands that you could do or you cannot do.  Now there's entire treatment protocols helping people chip away at that to not wash their hands, so it's not just like, “Don't wash your hands.” But people understand that the goal of this treatment is to, “I'm washing my hands too much and now I'm not washing my hands.” If you apply the same mindful logic to rumination, it would be like, “Oh, we're going to wash your hands, but you cannot wash your hands. You're just going to have to use wet wipes forever.” It's like, oh, I'll get maybe a step in the right direction. But people need to know that the goal here is to not wash your hands. Just like with more Pure O rumination type of OCD, the goal is to learn how to not ruminate. Learn how to step out of that. Kimberley: Yeah. I think you had said somewhere along the way that it's a training. It's a training that we do. What's interesting for me, I'll use this as solely example, is I am in the process of training myself to do what I call deep work, because I have two businesses, things are chaotic, and I can get messages all the time. When I sit down to do something, I'm being pinged on my phone and called on my computer and email bells, so I'm training myself to focus on doing the thing I'm doing and not give my attention to the dinging of the phone and so forth as a training. I'm trying to train myself to be able to go longer, longer, longer periods and hold my attention, which at the beginning, my attention, I could really only do like 15 minutes of that and it felt like my brain was going to explode. Would you say that this is a similar practice in that we're slowly training our brain to be able to hold attention and awareness at the same time and increase it over time?  Max: Yeah, absolutely. I think everything with OCD and anxiety is a process. First, it takes awareness, and that's where mindfulness can be so helpful, where the practice of mindfulness is about being more aware. “I'm aware, I'm ruminating. I'm aware of that. I'm doing some sort of compulsion.” That itself could take a very long time. I think it's all about baby steps.  Now, I will say though, Kim, some people, when I explain them these differences and they're able to really feel what it's like to be ruminating, what it's like not—some people click and they can do it really fast. They're like, “Oh my gosh. I had no idea that this is something I was doing.” Some people, it takes a very long time and there's a spectrum. I think everybody always needs to go at their own pace and some people are just going to need to work at it harder. Some people, it's going to come really easy and natural. There's no right or wrong way to do it. These are principles that live in the ERP lifestyle. We want to start taking little baby steps as much as we can. Kimberley: Right. For those listening and for me too, where it clicked for them, what was the shift for them specifically? Max: The shift was understanding that while it felt like rumination—again, a lot of this is like, think about OCD, there's this big unsolvable problem and they're trying to solve it. They're analyzing it, they're paying attention to it, they're focusing on it, they're thinking about it, for them to really feel that, “This is something that I am doing. I know there's reasons why I'm doing it, there's beliefs I have about the utility of ruminating, including beliefs that I can't control this, when really, we can't control it. Beliefs about how helpful it is.” There's a lot of reasons why people do that, but to recognize, “Oh my gosh, this is a thing that's a lot more in my control than I thought.” When they experience that stepping back and allowing their brain to throw out whatever it does without having to engage with it, game changer.  Also, in terms of classic mindfulness, think about mindfulness of breath. The instructions generally are, we're going to focus on, say the breath, the rise and fall of my belly. My attention goes, I'm going to come back to it. I think if we do that with a very specific intention, it could be so relevant and so helpful for OCD. That intention is seeing your brain as a little puppy dog. When you have OCD, that puppy dog is full of energy. OCD is like this mean bully that's thrown a tennis ball and getting that puppy dog to go.  What mindfulness of breath can teach you, if we're aware of this, we go into it like, “This is what I'm going to work on. This is how my OCD is getting me—it's getting me to follow these lines of thought.” When you're there sitting on your breath to be able to notice where your thought goes, be able to look at it, “None of my business. Come back to my breath.” To me, Kim, that is actually exposure and response prevention. You expose yourself to discomfort of not following the thought, which is really hard. For people with OCD, without OCD, that's hard to do, but like you said, that is absolutely a skill that people can get better at. STOPPING COMPULSIONS WITH ATTENTION TRAINING  Kimberley: Yeah, and it's response prevention. It's the core of that. Okay, I love this. I love this. Now, as we wrap up, is there anything that you feel we haven't covered here that will bring us home and dial this in for those who are hearing this for the first time or have struggled with this in the past?  Max: I think we did a pretty good job. I mean, it's very nuanced stuff. I like to see this for people that feel like their OCD is well enough managed, but there's still work to go. This is like icing on the cake. Let's really look at the nitty-gritty of how this works. Or if people are feeling really stuck and they're not knowing why, hopefully, this can shine a light on some of these less talked about principles that are really important.  But I guess the one final thing, going all the way back to Amishi Jha and her neurological research on mindfulness, really fascinating studies out of her lab show that 50% of the time, 50% of her waking day, people are not aware. They're not aware of what's going on, which means 50% of this podcast, people aren't going to be paying attention to. We can't take offense to that because it's 50% of any podcast. When you have that coupled with OCD's tendency to steal that beam of focused attention on scary stuff, it can be so devastating and so stuck for people. Hopefully, some of the stuff can give a sense of what we do about that and how we can start making moves against anxiety and OCD. Kimberley: Yeah, and compassion every step of the way. Max: Oh my gosh. I think everything needs to be done, peppered with compassion. Or maybe peppered is too level like in the context of full radical compassion. That's such an important part of all of this work. Kimberley: Yeah, because it's true. I mean, even myself who has a pretty good mindfulness practice, I was even surprised how much of mine was like, “Am I doing this right? What if I don't do it right? Will this work? How will it help me?” All of the things. I think that everyone's background noise, like you said, is very normal. I so appreciate you bringing this to the conversation, because again, I talk about mindfulness a lot. One other thing is, I will say when, let's say, someone has a somatic obsession or they have panic, and so they're having a lot of physical sensations. When you say “Come to the present,” they're like, “But the present sucks. I don't want to be here in the present.” What are your thoughts on that?  Max: Somatic OCD and panic, I think out of any themes or content when it comes to awareness and attention, those are the most relevant. If you think about somatic OCD, where people come obsessed about different parts of their perceptual experience, it's all about people trying to not be aware of things that they can't control, and then therefore they're aware of it all the time. I think this is especially spot on for those. It's helpful for all forms of anxiety, but that in particular, that's going to be-- we tend to not do exposures by hyper-focusing on what they're afraid of because that's compulsive. That's we're focusing on controlling more. This process should be effortless. When we're ruminating, when we're compulsing or paying attention, that's like you're on the treadmill. You're doing work, and just hopefully, people experience some of these exercises, all we're doing is getting off the treadmill. We want to be doing less, if anything. OCD is making you work for it. It's making you do stuff. We want to identify that and do a whole lot less. And then you'll forget about it usually until you don't. It's like, “Oh crap, here it is again.” And then, “Okay, cool. I just practiced. Let me do it again,” until it loses power more fully. Kimberley: Yeah. I so appreciate you. Tell us what people can hear about you. Max: I run a practice in Redondo Beach. We're called Beachfront Anxiety Specialists. We have our website. Again, my name's Max Maisel, and people can feel free to Google us and reach out at any time. Kimberley: Amazing. Thank you. We'll have all of your links in the show notes. I'm really, truly grateful. Thank you for coming on and talking about this. It is so nuanced, but so important. As I say to my patients, I could say it 10 times and sometimes you need to hear a similar thing in a different way for it to click. I'm so grateful. Hopefully, this has been really revolutionary for other people to hear it from a different perspective. I'm so grateful for your time.  Max: Thank you. It's such a privilege to be here with you and your listeners and I really appreciate you having me on today. Kimberley: Thank you.

It can be easy to think of practices like rewilding and mindfulness as being habits of only extra-zen, nature-based people. But if you're someone who likes to go outside or is building an outdoor habit, they are probably already a part of what you're doing, at least a little. So how can you do it more? And if you don't think you've added them, how can you make them happen while balancing a modern life? In this episode Micah Mortali, rewilding expert and dean of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, shares his insights and tips of rewilding, mindfulness and even meditation. Author of the book “Rewilding, Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature,” Micah's extra-practical tips make a rewilding habit accessible for any outdoor-lover. Connect with this episode: Buy “Rewilding, Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature” by Micah Mortali (affiliate link) Follow Micah's school, Kripalu, on Instagram Listen to Brene Brown talk with Dr. Amishi Jha about productivity and meditation Visit Kripalu's website Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Join the Humans Outside Challenge Some of the good stuff: [1:52] Why this recording is a little different [2:41] Micah Mortali's favorite outdoor space [4:41] Amy's regular moment of mindfulness [5:16] What Micah thinks about that moment [6:34] How Micah became someone who likes to go outside [9:32] The spiritual connection of nature and how it's weird some religions are confused [10:55] Other Christian faith traditions and nature [13:42] What is “rewilding?” [20:45] How a nature draw plays out for city-dwellers [23:35] Mindfulness and task-focus in nature [29:56] The challenge of meditation for focused people [32:22] How rewilding and mindfulness fit into a daily nature habit [37:02] What the pandemic taught us about rewilding [40:27] Simple tips for rewilding and mindfulness in nature [42:47] Micah's favorite outdoor moment

these episodes will be all about. Bitesized wellness wisdom for lifelong learners. So let's OPEN UP and satiate our minds. This brain snack  is all about hacking your attention and focus. This week I came across one of my newest favorite, short educational videos from Big Think. They sat down with neuroscientist Amishi Jha. I'm going to share with you how she tells us that we can hack and gain control of our focus and attention. Have you ever felt like your mind is wandering off in a million different directions? Do you struggle to focus on the tasks at hand or find yourself easily distracted by the endless temptations of modern life? Well, my friends, you are not alone! It seems like we live in an era where attention is the most precious currency. From social media notifications to cat videos, our minds are constantly being pulled in every direction imaginable. But fear not, for in the midst of this attentional chaos lies a powerful secret weapon: focused attention or it's more formal name, meditation! Ahh, meditation, the age-old practice that brings peace and tranquility to even the most frazzled of minds. But what if I told you that meditation is not just about sitting cross-legged and chanting "om"? What if I revealed that it's also a potent tool to hack your attention and unleash your focus?References:Big Think on YoutubeNeuroscientist Amishi Jha. "Revive your attention span in 12 minutes with neuroscientist Amishi Jha"https://youtu.be/YkYrQR8tFzk Brain.fm App(First month Free, then 20% off subscription)Discount Code: coachdamien_sdLinks:IG:@coachdamien_sd@damienrayevans@livinthedream_podcast YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS6VuPgtVsdBpDj5oN3YQTgFB:https://www.facebook.com/coachdamienSD/

By harnessing the power of our attention, we can better meet life's demands. Our ability to focus and pay attention plays a crucial role in every aspect of our life - at work, at leisure and in our relationships. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I'll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.Today's clip is from episode 218 of the podcast with Dr Amishi Jha - a neuroscientist and a professor of psychology at the University of Miami.Research shows that most of us are missing up to 50% of our lives through distraction and, in this clip, she explains how we can train our attention to improve our lives.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreSupport the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/218Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

http://www.lewishowes.com/mindset2023 - Order a copy of my new book The Greatness Mindset today!   Dr. Amishi Jha, Professor of Psychology and Author shares the secret to becoming a high performer in every area of your life.   Check out the full episode: https://link.chtbl.com/1178-pod   Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter 

Many of us struggle with hyper-vigilant minds that overwhelm our nervous systems. Some of us overcompensate by habitually tuning out, causing us to miss important information from our bodies and our relationships. Dr. Amishi Jha summarizes the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance.

WE APPRECIATE OUR PARTNERS. CHECK THEM OUT!Trigger Autophagy: https://spermidinelife.us/dave, use code DAVE25 for 25% off your first month's orderMeat Sticks! All the Good Stuff-No BS: https://paleovalley.com/DAVE, use code DAVE to get 15% off your first orderSleep Better on Natural Memory Foam: https://myessentia.com, use code DAVEVIP to get an exclusive discountIN THIS EPISODE OF THE HUMAN UPGRADE™...…you're going to find out why you're missing 50% of your life to fractured attention and distraction and what it's doing to your brain. Podcast guest Amishi Jha, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami, researches how people pay attention. She co-founded the Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative at the University of Miami and serves as its director. For more than 25 years, she's researched the science of attention through intensive work with the U.S. Military, first responders, medical professionals, business leaders, and elite sports teams.She's found that attention Is both your superpower and your kryptonite. As a superpower, attention allows you to time-travel in your mind (future and past), highlights what's important, helps you problem solve, and shuts out distractions, she explains in her book, “Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day.” When attention is compromised, it's your kryptonite because it impacts your cognitive function, social engagement, and emotional balance, she points out. The three main forces that degrade attention include, 1) the amount of stress you're under (and how you're managing it); 2) being in a crappy mood; and 3) threats real or imagined.And when your attention gets fractured, you often default to tactics that fail to pull it back together. Amishi's got great insights in her book that allow you to understand why this happening. When you know what's going on, it's easier to find your focus.It's absolutely possible to change your brain to become more attentive, present, and productive through mindful techniques and daily focusing practices. Amishi's research shows that mindfulness gives you a sense of control over your mind and allows you to stop negative thinking before it hijacks your brain and body.The type of mindfulness practice you choose isn't as important as how consistently you actually do it. The minimum effective dose equals 12 minutes a day, five days a week.Listen on to a conversation that gives you practical tips on how to re-capture your attention, train your brain and perform at your peak.More about Amishi Jha, Ph.D.: Amishi earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Psychology then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) from the University of California–Davis. She completed post-doctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University in functional neuroimaging. She leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance. Her work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and the U.S. Pentagon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today marks the 400th episode of the mbg podcast! What a journey it's been since our launch on June 12, 2017. The milestone of 400 speaks to the longevity of our show, so in the spirit of longevity, today's special episode will highlight the greatest nuggets of healthspan and lifespan advice we've heard on the podcast. Join mbg co-CEO, Jason Wachob, as he explores how to lead a happier, healthier life for as long as possible. Some highlights include: - How to fall back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night (~24:54) - Why breathing through your nose is crucial for immunity (~40:59) - The health benefits of walking outside in the cold (~47:02) - How to "think" yourself younger (~52:18) - Why loneliness is a huge health issue (~53:37) Referenced in the episode: - mbg Podcast episode #297, with William Li, M.D. - mbg Podcast episode #356, with Dan Buettner - mbg Podcast episode #345, with Simon Hill - mbg Podcast episode #363, with David Sinclair, Ph.D. - mbg Podcast episode #310, with Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D. - mbg Podcast episode #386, with Annabel Streets - mbg Podcast episode #293, with Mark Sisson - mbg Podcast episode #313, with Robb Wolf - mbg Podcast episode #368, with Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM - mbg Podcast episode #366, with Kara Fitzgerald, N.D. - mbg Podcast episode #361, with Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN - mbg Podcast episode #391, with Frank Lipman, M.D. - mbg Podcast episode #317, with Patrick McKeown - mbg Podcast episode #238, with Brian Mackenzie - mbg Podcast episode #397, with Becca Levy, Ph.D. - mbg Podcast episode #327, with Sergey Young - mbg Podcast episode #267, with Marta Zaraska - mbg Podcast episode #392, with Emma Loewe - mbg Podcast episode #344, with Lisa Miller, Ph.D. - mbg Podcast episode #343, with Amishi Jha, Ph.D. - mbg Podcast episode #388, with Arthur Brooks, Ph.D. We at mbg are extraordinarily grateful for all of you—for tuning in, for sharing on social media, and for your reviews and thoughtful comments. Enjoy this episode! Whether it's an article or podcast, we always want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.

How do you train your attention and stop your mind from wandering in only twelve minutes a day? Maintaining your attention and focus in a world filled with distractions can be very difficult. The constant disruption of notifications can start to feel like you don't have ownership over your own mind. But solutions like avoiding technology for periods of time rely on external intervention rather than giving you control over your ability to concentrate. To go in-depth on this topic, I'm thrilled to have Dr. Amishi Jha on the show today. Dr. Jha is a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She's also the author of the bestselling book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. Packed with over fifteen years of research, her book gives you practical steps on how to use mindfulness training to regain your ability to be present in any situation—in only twelve minutes a day. Technology is a necessity in the modern world. Instead of removing access to digital devices, you can train your attention to be distraction-proof. Listen in, as Dr. Jha gives you actionable steps to start training your focus, notice where your attention is at any given time, and learn how to redirect to get back on track. *** Do you want to stay up to date with every new episode and get my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator Program? Go to www.KwikBrain.com/podcast to get instant access. *** Or text me 310-299-9362 to get your burning questions answered and an insider sneak peek of exciting updates. I do my best to answer as many as I can each day, so shoot me a message today.

How To Hack Your Focus & Pay More Attention To The Things That Matter with Neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha

Check out our sponsors: ButcherBox: Sign up at ButcherBox.com/impact Future makes one on one training available to our audience for just $19 Go to https://tryfuture.co/impacttheory Sign up to crush your fitness goals!My amazing and talented wife Lisa is releasing her new book Radical Confidence, which you can preorder - and get the bonuses she's created for you - at radicalconfidence.com. When you read this book, Lisa will teach you 10 No-BS Life Lessons to become the hero of your own life and take MASSIVE bold action to achieve your potential!When you are committed to hitting major goals, experiencing life on the next level, and showing up as a better version of yourself, being able to focus becomes a critical skill. Being able to give your full attention to what matters in the moment is necessary whether your focus is work or involves being present in a conversation. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at University of Miami and author of the new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. She is unpacking why your wandering mind isn't as big a problem as you think, how memories are formed and stories are ultimately created and stitched together to create our version of reality. If you're struggling with being distracted, the different types of practices Amishi shares will give you a place to start immediately!Check out Amishi Jha's book, Peak Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Mind-Attention-Invest-Minutes-ebook/dp/B08THNJ978 SHOW NOTES:0:00 | Introduction to Amishi Jha0:52 | Why Mind Wandering Happens4:13 | Memories and Neural Configuration13:20 | Assigning Meaning to Dreams16:20 | Accurate or Altered Memories21:11 | Nostalgic Story Making 28:53 | Risky Story Making34:31 | Break Story Mode39:34 | Developing Meta Awareness47:06 | Constructing Reality53:07 | The Power of Mindfulness1:02:07 | How to Practice Being Mindful1:11:14 | Types of Mindfulness Practice1:17:01 | Why Positivity Doesn't Work1:24:27 | Loving KindnessQUOTES:“There is no objectivity in the way we remember. There's no point of that. The point of memory is to support our actions in the future.” [20:14]“My caution regarding stories is in our drive, in our desire to make something have meaning, [..] I may lose some aspect of what is useful and what is true.” [29:58]“When we take an observational stance, we can actually see the structure of the story, and that is very powerful.” [38:57]“In your pocket at all times, is the ability to let it go.” Tom Bilyeu [57:02]“Unless we are actively keeping the contents of our conscious experience, refreshed and rewritten moment by moment, they will fade away.” [58:36]Follow Amishi Jha: Website: https://amishi.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmishiPJha Twitter: https://twitter.com/amishijha Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amishipjha/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amishi.jha

Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha's work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes, and more. In this episode, Eric and Dr. Amishi Jha discuss her new book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 minutes a DayBut wait – there's more! The episode is not quite over!! We continue the conversation and you can access this exclusive content right in your podcast player feed. Head over to our Patreon page and pledge to donate just $10 a month. It's that simple and we'll give you good stuff as a thank you!Dr. Amishi Jha and I Discuss Peak Mind and Attention Training and...Her book, Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 minutes a DayDefining "peak mind" and the distinction between thinking and doingThe doing mode and being modeThe being mode is being observant and receptive to what is happeningWisdom is both reflection and actionThe different modes of the brain and their functionsHow we prioritize information based on our goals that then guide how we interact with our mind and environmentHow our attention itself isn't the problem, but rather how we monitor our attention that is problematicThe effectiveness of 12 minutes of a mindfulness practice every dayS.T.O.P. practice: Stop, Take a breathe, Observe, ProceedUnderstanding our framework and how we can reframe and deframe our experiences The problem with positive psychology tactics when you're depletedHow negative feelings or conflict is an opportunity to observe and course correctThe various microstates of the mind and their contingency on our next thoughts and actionsDr. Amishi Jha Links:Amishi's WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookExplore the science behind weight loss and partner with your healthcare provider for a healthy approach to your weight management, visit truthaboutweight.comWhen you purchase products and/or services from the sponsors of this episode, you help support The One You Feed. Your support is greatly appreciated, thank you!If you enjoyed this conversation with Dr. Amishi Jha you might also enjoy these other episodes:Stolen Focus and Attention with Johann HariHow to Focus and Accomplish Goals with Emily BalcetisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s episode is all about the crisis of attention, cultivating mindfulness, and developing peak mind practices. I’m here with Dr. Amishi Jha, a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She also serves as the director of contemplative neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. We discuss the …

Dr. Amishi Jha, professor of psychology and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative joins us this week to discuss what mindfulness is and how we can take steps in order to incorporate it into our lives.Follow Dr. Jhahttps://amishi.com/ Follow Us:Instagram: www.instagram.com/candicekayla/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/CandiceKayla Website: www.candicekayla.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami, and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. She is the author of "Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day."

Dr. Amishi Jha is a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of Miami. Amishi joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up as an Indian-American in Chicago, why she started studying neuroscience, and her new book "Peak Mind". Amishi and Dax talk about what percentage of the brain we actually use, how people use confirmation bias to write their own story, and the power of attention on our perception of the world. Amishi explains how she manages her nervousness and anxiety, what the study of mindfulness actually is, and how she defines attentional rubber necking. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's episode, we cover focus and attention with Dr. Amishi Jha. Dr. Amishi Jha received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis, is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami, and is the Cofounder and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. It seems like our attention spans are getting shorter every year, but are they really, what can we do to improve our ability to focus, and how do we deal with the countless entities always clawing for our attention everywhere we look? What to Listen For Introduction and Dr. Amishi's origin story – 9:00 How does meditation better equip us to deal with everything that is fighting for our attention in daily life? What is attention and why should we care? – 19:24 What are the three components of attention and how do mindfulness practices influence our ability to pay attention? What mindfulness exercise can you start doing now to begin seeing the benefits of meditation? Are our attention spans actually getting shorter? How do we use our brain to combat our own lack of attention or focus? The Finder Flashlight Practice for developing focus – 31:20 What can you do to help your children learn to pay attention and focus? What advantages do people with ADD/ADHD have that people without it don't have? Improving focus while living under a lot of stress – 48:50 What 12-minute exercise can you do on a daily basis to boost your ability to focus, even in high stress, high demand situations and environments? Our ability to focus on something for an extended period of time is one of the significant differences between humans and other animals. However, like other animals we can easily be distracted and lose that focus. So what can we do in today's world where everything in our daily lives is fighting for our attention? We can start by meditating (or implementing a similarly effective mindfulness practice) that can help us cultivate a sense of awareness that isn't so reactive and easily distracted. A Word From Our Sponsors Share your vulnerabilities, victories, and questions in our 13,000-member private Facebook group at theartofcharm.com/challenge. This is a unique opportunity where everyone — both men and women — celebrate your accountability on the way to becoming the best version of yourself. Register today here! Resources from this Episode Dr. Amishi's website Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day How to Tame Your Wandering Mind (TED Talk by Dr. Amishi) Dr. Amishi on Twitter Check in with AJ and Johnny! AJ on Instagram Johnny on Instagram The Art of Charm on Instagram The Art of Charm on YouTube