While we may feel more distracted now than ever, the notion of distraction has been around since the beginning of humanity. Plato, Shakespeare, Homer, and even the Greek god Hercules, acknowledged and used distractions. This provocative piece in the Harvard Business Review by Michael Lipson, a clinical psychologist, explores the history of a distracted mind and shows how we can examine our own distractions to understand how to create greater focus.

Whether the tactic is used in meditation, in a meeting, or while trying to meet a deadline for an important report, Lipson agrees that when we intentionally acknowledge and Notice our distraction, we have a choice to refocus on the task at hand instead of floating idly into mind-space.