Dr. Emmons and Dr. Alter are available for speaking engagements, retreats, and workshops. They can be reached through www.stayingsharp.org.
Developed by Drs. Emmons and Alter, this is a hands-on, step-by-step training to bring to life the concepts in this book. For more information or to sign up for the program, go to www.stayingsharp.org.
We offer a series of CDs and DVDs with guided meditations, nutritional programs, and exercises for staying sharp. Go to www.stayingsharp.org for a complete listing.
Customized, pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supports for healthy mood, sleep, and vital aging are available online through the Lifestyle Pharmacy at www.stayingsharp.org.
This training, typically offered in eight weekly sessions, is one of the best methods for developing attention skills. Check in your area for MBSR teachers or mindfulness meditation instructors.
This is a computer-based set of exercises that are presented as games but which have been shown to improve attention and working memory skills.
This is a fifteen-step, home-based biofeedback program that teaches an important set of self-care and self-regulation skills, including improving selective attention.
This is a training approach offered by health professionals, usually psychologists/neuropsychologists. It is a structure program that trains attention and working memory skills.
Many health professionals are able to teach you self-hypnosis and guided imagery that you can use on your own. Being able to direct your mind using these approaches helps you rewire your brain for greater optimism. Look for clinicians trained by credible organizations such as the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (SCEH), the International Society for Hypnosis (ISH), or the Milton Erickson Foundation.
For certain individuals, prescription medication can be useful to improve attention and prime you for greater success in daily life.
Individuals sensitive to prescription medication or who simply prefer not to pursue that route can find measurable benefit through the use of specific nutritional/herbal supplements that work on the attention systems of the brain (refer to chapter 6).
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The HeartMath Institute. Offers multiple levels of biofeedback-based training products for stress management, emotional regulation, and sleep restoration. www.heartmath.com.