10% Happier with Dan Harris Five Ways to be Less Distracted | Shaila Catherine
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Mar 11, 2026 
Shaila Catherine, a dharma teacher and meditation author with decades of retreat experience, offers practical Buddhist ways to tame a wandering mind. She outlines five short strategies from ancient suttas. Topics include replacing harmful thoughts, examining their danger, purposeful avoidance, deep investigation of causes, and using determination to steady attention.
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Restlessness Versus Deep Concentration
- Distraction and deep concentration are distinct problems; restlessness specifically obstructs developing samadhi and insight.
- Shaila wrote Beyond Distraction after deeper concentration books to focus on habitual restless thinking that undermines concentration.
Replace Harmful Thoughts With Small Helpful Ones
- Replace unwholesome thoughts with wholesome alternatives to shift mental grooves and reduce reinforcement of harmful states.
- Use small replacing thoughts like lovingkindness or redirect to body sensations as the 'smaller peg' that dislodges the larger thought.
Contemplate The Danger To Build Motivation
- Examine the danger of recurring thoughts to build dispassion and motivation to let them go.
- Reflect on real costs, e.g., missing enjoyment or acting from anger, to see deceptive rewards that perpetuate rumination.
