logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
1h 11m

The Science of Training Your Attention |...

10% Happier
About this episode

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

---

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 is
  • Why meta awareness is important to practice and achieve peak mind
  • The suite of mindfulness-based attention training practices
  • Why humans developed attention in the first place
  • Using the flashlight and floodlight metaphors to help us understand different types of attention
  • The mental pushup for attention: focus, notice, and redirect
  • The attention benefits for high stress populations who engage in contemplatives practices
  • Multitasking vs. monotasking
  • The real life and death consequences of confirmation bias
  • Part of the reason why we may be experiencing a crisis of attention 
  • Giving our mind the freedom to choose where it goes next

Related Episodes:

Why You Can’t Pay Attention - And How to Think Deeply Again | Johann Hari

Sign up for Dan’s weekly newsletter here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Ten Percent Happier online bookstore

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Our favorite playlists on: Anxiety, Sleep, Relationships, Most Popular Episodes

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/amishi-jha-rerun-2023

Up next
Yesterday
The Science Of Manifestation: Can This Stanford Neuroscientist Convince A Skeptical Dan To Give It A Shot? | Dr. James R. Doty
Six practical steps to harness the full power of your mind. Our guest today is James R. Doty, a neurosurgeon who has just written a whole book about the science of manifestation – although, as you’ll hear him admit, there’s very little ‘magic’ involved in his process. James R. Do ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 7
Ezra Klein On: Sane News Consumption; The Power of Meditation; The Future of the Species; And the Message of His Tattoo
On maintaining sanity in insane times. Ezra Klein is an opinion columnist and host of the award-winning Ezra Klein Show podcast at The New York Times. His latest book is Abundance, co-authored with Derek Thompson. He is also the author of Why We’re Polarized, an instant New York ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 6
How Meditation Can Help You Handle Injured Feelings and Injured Muscles | Dawn Mauricio
Plus: How to build a meditation practice you keep coming back to. We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – ... Show More
24m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Dr. Amishi Jha on Peak Mind and Attention Training
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 ... Show More
48m 35s
Oct 2021
How To Master A Peak Mindset, Find Your Focus & Own Your Attention w/Dr. Amishi Jha EP 1178
Today’s guest is Dr. Amishi Jha. She’s a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and 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 C ... Show More
1h 30m
Nov 2021
How To Train Your Attention and Improve Your Life with Dr Amishi Jha #218
Where is your attention right now? Hopefully it’s on these words – but if you’re getting distracted and are contemplating what you’ll have for dinner or running through your to-do list, please know that you are not alone. Today’s guest shares research which shows that most of us ... Show More
1h 56m
Oct 2021
Dr. Amishi Jha | Turbocharge Your Focus by Using This Simple 12 Minute Mindfulness Practice
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 Mindfu ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 2024
How to Reclaim Focus in the Age of Distraction | Johann Hari
Does it feel impossible to concentrate these days? You're not alone. In this fascinating discussion, the author of Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention - and How to Think Deeply Again reveals the hidden forces conspiring to hijack our attention spans. From predatory tech pla ... Show More
1h 8m
Jan 2022
Neuroscientist Shows You How to ESCAPE the Cycle of STRESS & Anxiety | Amishi Jha on Women of Impact
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 b ... Show More
1h 4m
Jan 2022
#228 Johann Hari on How To Reclaim Your Attention
CAUTION: Contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. Why have we lost our ability to focus? What are the causes? And, most importantly, how do we get it back? Today’s guest and author of the brilliant new book, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention, went on a three-year ... Show More
2h 37m
Jan 2022
734: How to Train Your Mind to Focus and Handle Distractions Better with Dr. Amishi Jha
Dr. Amishi Jha shares the results of her research to provide a simple solution to improve your focus.  — YOU’LL LEARN — 1) The biggest myth about our attention spans 2) The four reasons your attention is getting hijacked 3) The three systems of attention—and how to train them  Su ... Show More
45m 22s
Sep 2023
The Distracted Brain
If you have trouble focusing on books, work, or even TV shows, you’re not alone. The fact is our attention spans are getting shorter. And it can feel like our ability to perform and be productive is harder. But is a shorter attention span actually impacting our brain function and ... Show More
35m 33s
May 2023
TMHS 687: Mind Fasting, Dealing With Conflict, & The Overlooked Root Of Depression - With Dr. Michael Beckwith
It’s never been easier to access information than it is today. Most of us have access to multiple devices with endless apps and notifications. While in some ways, having a wealth of information at our fingertips can be beneficial, it can also lead to overstimulation, distraction, ... Show More
1h 38m
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami