Living with ADHD can be like having a browser with 100 tabs open—all at once. Many ADHD-ers constantly feel overwhelmed, distracted, and scattered. But there are tools available to help you calm this chaos. Mindfulness is one of the best of these tools, because it is powerful, customizable, and generally affordable for anyone.
Integrating mindfulness into your day consistently is the way to get the most benefits from it. However, incorporating it into daily routines is challenging for many adults with ADHD. So, how can someone with ADHD make mindfulness a practical part of their life so they can enjoy the benefits it brings?
Mindfulness for ADHD: Why It’s Important
If mindfulness is challenging for people with ADHD, you might wonder why it’s worth actively trying to practice it. Mindfulness is important for people coping with ADHD because it often increases their ability to focus and reduces impulsive behavior. It helps people get better at pausing and thinking before they act, leading to better decisions.
It also lowers anxiety, which often co-occurs with ADHD. Mindfulness encourages relaxation and increases emotional awareness. Over time, this can result in better emotional control, improved relationships, and increased life satisfaction over all.
Mindfulness ADHD Challenges
For adults with ADHD, the primary hurdles to practicing mindfulness include difficulty staying focused, feeling restless, and managing a constant stream of thoughts. These challenges can make sitting still and clearing the mind (as traditional mindfulness often suggests) feel almost impossible. Luckily, mindfulness can actually be relatively easy if you choose the right exercises, and/or adapt them for the ADHD brain.
Making Mindfulness More Accessible
The trick to practicing mindfulness successfully when you have ADHD is to customize it to work for your lifestyle and needs. Mindfulness doesn’t have to be about sitting still and quiet for long stretches of time; if you can relax, connect with your body, and calm your nervous system, you are practicing mindfulness. Even if you’re doing so in an unconventional way, it still counts.
And keep in mind, it’s perfectly normal for your mind to wander when you’re doing mindfulness exercises, especially when you’re just starting. Don’t beat yourself up; it’s actually a good thing when you notice other thoughts have distracted you, because it gives you a chance to practice gently guiding your focus back to the exercise.
<aside>💡 The ‘point’ or goal of mindfulness is not to clear your mind of thought; it’s to practice becoming more aware of the present moment. By intentionally noticing distracting thoughts and re-directing yourself to the present moment, you’re successfully practicing mindfulness!
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How To Adapt Mindfulness for ADHD
Mindfulness becomes a better coping skill for ADHD if it is customized to your needs and integrated into your daily activities and pre-existing routines. Here are some strategies to accomplish your goal of building mindfulness practices into your day:
- Start Small. Begin with just a minute or two a day. Over time, as it becomes a habit, gradually increase the duration. You’re still going to see improvement and benefits from short 1 to 5 minute practices. And the more you do them, the easier it’ll be to practice being mindful for longer periods.
- Add movement. Sitting still can be tough for some of us. Thankfully, it’s not necessary! Mindfulness doesn’t need to look like sitting still and being quiet. There are plenty of movement-based mindfulness practices!
- Use Technology. Apps that guide you through quick mindfulness exercises can be extremely helpful. They provide structure and reminders, which are great for keeping on track. Headspace, Insight Timer, and Smiling Mind are recommended by CHADD.
- Narration. While working on tasks that don’t engage the mind, like simple chores, remain focused on the task at hand rather than doing things on “autopilot.” Try verbally saying or labeling what you’re doing to help keep yourself present on the activity; for example, while doing the dishes, saying out loud (or in your head), I am picking up a plate. I’m rinsing it in the water. I’m scrubbing it with a soapy sponge…
- Routine Integration. This is probably the most important strategy. Attach mindfulness practices to existing habits. For instance, practice a minute of mindful breathing every morning after brushing your teeth or while waiting for your coffee to brew. You may need a sticky note or other reminder at first, but once you’ve linked one habit with another, they’re both stronger.
- Add More Sensory Detail. Our brains are great at thinking about many things at once - divergent thinking. That can make it tough to focus on just one thing, such as breathing. So, try sensory-based mindfulness practices, like mindful eating, or mindfully brushing your teeth.
ADHD Friendly Mindfulness Exercises To Fit in Your Schedule
- Mindful Breathing: Many people with ADHD think this one is especially out of reach, but it’s not with the right adaptation. Here’s how:
- Take five deep breaths.
- While you do so, focus on the sensation of air entering and leaving your body and the movement of your chest.
- Do it while working on other tasks, combine with other practices (like mindful coloring), or try something like the flower breathing activity.
- Mindful Walking: Concentrate on body awareness — how does the ground feel under your feet? How does your body move? What does it want?
- The first few times you try it, choose one sensation to focus on, such as the feeling of your feet on the ground. Over time, try adding more and more sensations.
- If chronic pain or other factors make focusing on the body too unpleasant or triggering, instead choose a sense to focus on and notice it in your environment.
- Mindful Coloring or Drawing: Coloring isn’t just for kids. It can be a great way for adults to focus peacefully on a task. Keep a coloring book and some crayons or colored pencils handy for a quick five-minute mindfulness break.
- This can also be done with other simple activities, like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc.
- Again, the point is to focus exclusively on the activity, noticing distracting thoughts then re-directing attention back to the activity.
- One-Minute Body Scan: Start at your toes and move your awareness up your body. Focus on checking in with, then relaxing, each body part all the way up to your scalp. This can be particularly useful when feeling hyperactive or restless.
- May not be as suitable for those with chronic pain or other body-related triggers, without therapist assistance.
- If the body is too ‘boring’ to maintain focus on, grab a rubber band and, while tensing and relaxing each muscle, stretch (tense) and relax the rubber band, imagining the way your muscles look as you flex them.
Learning Long-Term Mindfulness
The key to success with mindfulness for those with ADHD is consistency and patience. It’s about making mindfulness so accessible and integrated into daily routines that it becomes second nature, not an added stressor.
It’s also important not to focus on achieving perfection; focus on acceptance of the present instead. Mindfulness is about creating moments of peace and presence in your day, which can significantly reduce feelings of overwhelm and help manage ADHD symptoms more effectively.
How ADHD Coaching Can Support Mindfulness Practices
ADHD coaching is a great way to get mindfulness practices integrated into your daily life. An ADHD coach can provide accountability and help you brainstorm practices that work for you. They can also help you find ways to achieve consistency with your mindfulness routines by tailoring exercises to your life.
Shimmer’s ADHD coaches understand the benefits of mindfulness and can help you make this powerful tool a part of your life. If you want to explore the benefits of mindfulness with the support of a professional who understands the challenge of managing ADHD, reach out to Shimmer and connect with one of our knowledgeable coaches. You will find the support you need to make the changes you desire.
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