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.
“The intention for these practices is not to achieve a special state,” Amishi says. “That is not what we’re intending to do. So, if you go in thinking, “Okay, I’m going to be blissed out in five minutes if I start practicing,” or, “I’m going to feel better,” or, “I’m going to be X, Y, or Z…” Going in with that expectation may actually not allow the emergence of what we’re really trying to cultivate, which is more awareness of what’s going on in this moment.”
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’s earned grants from the U.S. Department of Defense and 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. Her work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and the U.S. Pentagon.
