ADHD symptoms can be managed by therapy and medication. Still, recent research shows that mindfulness meditation– the practice of actively observing your moment-to-moment thoughts and feelings- could help improve focus by calming the mind.
Over a third of adults with ADHD already use this practice, and a significant number of people rate it highly.
Mindfulness, Yoga & ADHD
Mindfulness needs no prescriptions or trips to a therapist. It requires just being and can be done sitting, walking, or in certain yoga sessions types of yoga.
By strengthening your ability to control your attention, mindful meditation teaches you to observe yourself and focus on something specific, training your wandering mind back into the moment when it’s distracted. It reduces a tendency to act impulsively by making you more aware of your emotions.
Mindfulness works by targeting the brain, almost like a muscle group, but without physical exertion. When a particular muscle is weak, exercises can make it stronger, and the same is true of the brain.
In people with ADHD, meditation is thought to thicken the prefrontal cortex- that of the brain involved in focus, planning, and impulse control. Mindfulness increases dopamine- a hormone and neurotransmitter in short supply in ADHD brains. It can help relieve ADHD symptoms.
Similarly, research shows that yoga improves ADHD symptoms, although children have mainly been the research subjects. But, like mindful meditation, yoga strengthens the prefrontal cortex and increases dopamine levels.
Yoga Classes For Beginners
You can find many beginner level yoga classes online for free, just do a Youtube or a web search.
Benefits Of Mindfulness Meditation In ADHD
Regular mindfulness meditation adherents find they have lower levels of stress hormones in anxious settings or situations when they feel helpless and out of control. It can also help with weight loss because mindful people tend to think more carefully about everything, including eating.
Beyond addressing ADHD symptoms, yoga, and mindfulness meditation offer the following benefits:
- Better self-esteem
- Lower stress
- Weight loss
- It helps tune out the critical voice in your head that is often harping at ADHD people who are forgetful and have trouble getting stuff done on time.
Tips For Mindful Meditating With ADHD
- #1: If you have too many things running through your mind, use the thoughts as part of a mindful exercise. Focus on any breaks in the activity happening in your brain to redirect yourself.
- #2: Meditate as you move if you have difficulty staying still. A slow walk provides an opportunity to bring a wandering mind back by focusing on, for example, the sensations on the soles of your feet.
- #3: Make meditation a regular practice, and mark it in your calendar or set phone reminders.
- #4: Find a yoga buddy. Sticking to yoga or meditation is far easier when two people are involved.
