Ahem: Martha Beck wants your attention at once. No time? Then attend to her four sanity-rescuing techniques.

Remember the phrase "Knowledge is power?" Ah, those were the days. One Sunday edition of The New York Times contains more information than all the written documents in the world during the 15th century. These days, the average office worker receives more than 200 messages a day via snail mail, e-mail, express mail, cell phone, landline, wireless Web, bicycle messenger, singing telegram, you name it. Taking in information these days is like trying to drink from a fire hose.

The problem is that while information has no limits, human attention does. Our brains are designed to filter out most stimuli, focusing on just a few things at once. If we try to multi-task in too many directions, our brains begin to act exactly like what they are: overloaded electrical circuits. In extreme situations we may "blank out," literally becoming unable to perceive whatever is yammering for our attention.

Attention Management 101
As noted in The Attention Economy, (Harvard Business School Press) analysts at a major business research institute recently conducted an in-depth study of attention and developed strategies for managing the attention of a corporate staff. The same principles apply to managing your own attention, both at work and at home.