Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day | Amishi P. Jha

STOP FOR A MOMENT.

Are you here right now?

Is your focus on this page? Or is it roaming elsewhere, to the past or future, to a worry, to your to-do list, or to your phone?

Whether you’re simply browsing, talking to friends, or trying to stay focused in an important meeting, you can’t seem to manage to hang on to your attention. No matter how hard you try, you’re somewhere else. The consequence is that you miss out on 50 percent of your life—including the most important moments.

The good news: There’s nothing wrong with you—your brain isn’t broken. The human brain was built to be distractible.

The even better news: You can train your brain to pay attention more effectively.

Stay with me a little longer and soon you will be able to:

• Focus without all the struggle.
• Take back your attention from the pull of distraction.
• And function at your peak, for all that truly matters in your life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“How easy it is to lose your mind just in those critical moments when you need it most. Here is a friendly and compelling way to not only get it back but to optimize it for life—your own and those with whom you share this world.  Suffused with Amishi’s rare talent for making rigorous science commonsensical, her exquisite clarity as both a researcher and teacher, her own experiences with life’s sometimes rending challenges, and her personal meditation practice, this book can catapult you into living fully the life that is yours to live while you have the chance.”  -- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Founder of MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction), author of Full Catastrophe Living and Mindfulness for All

“Dr. Jha brilliantly blends cutting-edge science, compelling stories, and strong practical instructions--the perfect antidote for our distracted over-busy times." -- Jack Kornfield, bestselling author of The Wise Heart

“Proven practices to take control of our focus and become our best selves. A must read for our distracted times.”
-- Daniel Goleman, author of #1 NYTimes Bestseller Emotional Intelligence

"Thriving starts with our attention and what we do with it. In Peak Mind, Amishi Jha combines the science of attention with compelling stories from those in high stakes professions to show us all how to be more present in our lives so that we can unlock our full potential."  -- Arianna Huffington, author of #1 New York Times Bestseller Thrive 

“For a while now I’ve thought of experiences we long for, like love and connection, as emergent properties of how we pay attention. Attention is the key factor in moving beyond just living mechanically into a life of clarity and joy. Dr. Jha brilliantly shows us how that can be so, offering a clear and useful path to paying attention differently.”  -- Sharon Salzberg, author of New York Times Bestseller, Real Happiness 

“Peak Mind delivers crucial insights about the human mind along with practical, accessible tools to enhance it. With clarity and skill, Amishi Jha brings you into the lab to learn how attention works, why it's essential for well-being, and how it can be trained to reach your greatest potential. Required reading for our modern world!”  -- Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD, Science Director, Mind & Life Institute 

In Peak Mind, Amishi Jha offers a brilliant guide for training our attention with mindful awareness and maximizing our human potential. You will learn the science behind mindfulness, and well-researched strategies that promote resilience against stress, and increased mental focus, creativity, clarity and strength. The true gift is the capacity to be fully here—present and engaged in your relationships and your life.  -- Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance 

About the Author

Dr. Amishi P. Jha is 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 for The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more. Watch her TED Talk on “How to Tame Your Wandering Mind” with 5 million+ views here: shorturl.at/ipwI1