The power to direct our attention is what unlocks inner freedom. That’s the promise from Dr. Kevin Majeres, a Massachusetts psychiatrist and Harvard lecturer who specializes in breaking behavioral addictions and training professionals for deep work.
This timely rebroadcast from 2022 speaks to issues that increasingly concern parents in 2026. How can we help our sons avoid distraction in a world practically built for it? How can we anchor ourselves in intentional moments of focus? What is literally happening in our brains during moments of focus versus distraction? And what do we stand to gain when we learn to steward our own attention?
Dr. Majeres provides practical tips and exercises for strengthening the crucial skill of attention amidst a muddled modern world.
Chapters:
2:03 What “distraction” really is
7:04 The science of attention training
12:04 Practices that degrade attention: passive intake
15:13 Practices that build attention: imagination and memory
18:05 Helping our sons at home
26:18 Mindfulness: a definition and an exercise
31:18 Rituals before work
35:45 Golden Hours of work
37:29 Attention and inner freedom
Links:
OptimalWork, platform for podcasts and digital coaching by Dr. Kevin Majeres and Sharif Younes
OptimalWork YouTube Channel
Golden Hour and Mindfulness, an OptimalWork guided meditation
Dr. Majeres’s 2022 Forum Series on Anxiety, Attention, and Addiction:
Part I – From Anxiety to Adventure: On Reframing Challenges
Part II – The Freedom to Form Bonds: On Mindfulness and Attention
Part III – Endless Growth: On Addictions and Setting Challenges
Also on the Forum:
Classroom Habits of Attention in the Age of AI featuring Andrew Cantarutti
The Anxious Generation and Bad Therapy featuring Dr. Kevin Majeres
His Anxiety and Ours: Confessions of an Anxious Parent Who Happens to Be a Therapist featuring Alex Berthé
Featured Opportunities:
Convivium Conference for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 11-13, 2026)