Online distractions are costing the United States millions of dollars a year in lost productivity, according to some estimates. That’s why corporations are now hiring experts to help train office workers how to stay focused.
Google is among the numerous organizations hiring experts to train offer seminars in attention.
Chade-Meng Tan, a Google engineer who began teaching employees about focus in 2007, helps workers learn self-mastery over unhelpful mental habits. (See the video ‘Meng on Mindfulness.’) For example, when they find their mind wandering while reading, they are encouraged to practice mindfulness in bringing their attention back.