We Can Do Hard Things Why You Can’t Pay Attention—And How to Get It Back with Dr. Amishi Jha
11 snips
Jun 10, 2025 
Dr. Amishi Jha, a leading expert in Contemplative Neuroscience at the University of Miami, dives into the fascinating world of attention. She explains the three types of attentional systems we use daily and debunks the myth of multitasking. Discover how attention is a limited resource that can be cultivated through mindfulness practices. Dr. Jha shares insights on enhancing emotional connections through focused attention and provides a quick 12-minute mindfulness exercise to boost your capacity for attention—all aimed at enriching fulfillment and joy in life.
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Three Attention Systems Explained
- Attention is a survival-based prioritization system to focus the brain's limited capacity on important information.
- It operates through three competitive systems: narrow selective attention, broad alerting attention, and executive functioning.
Attention Systems Compete
- Attention systems compete, so focusing narrowly suppresses broader awareness.
- Our mind's tendency to turn inward can dominate attention and cause distraction.
Multitasking Is a Myth
- Multitasking is a myth; attention switches quickly between tasks, exhausting executive control.
- This task-switching reduces quality and increases mental fatigue.
