10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

Harris initially felt that his aversion to meditation’s New Age reputation, along with his flickering attention span, made him an unlikely candidate for this practice. However, after reading that scientific studies were showing the physiological benefits of meditation, he became more open to the idea. He followed the traditional and simple instructions to begin a session: Sit in a comfortable position, follow the breath, and when the attention wanders, just begin again (100). Harris soon learned that “this was not some hippie time-passing technique, like Ultimate Frisbee…It was a rigorous brain exercise: rep after rep of trying to tame the runaway train of the mind” (101). It wasn’t easy, but Harris kept at it. By starting a daily practice, he got into the habit of following the breath to alleviate anxiety and to focus on present moments. The results were immediate. He started to see an increase in his own mindfulness, the ability to recognize what happens in the mind moment by moment while recognizing the transitory nature of any thought.

However, mindfulness wasn’t always easy, especially when Harris’s work life was thrown into flux. Changes at ABC happened as anchor Charlie Gibson retired and