Thoroughly ADHD
I'm Alex Delmar, a certified ADHD coach and person with ADHD. I'm here to share what I've learned so other people with ADHD can enjoy better lives!
Thoroughly ADHD
Mindfulness for the ADHD Brain
Your brain constantly switching channels without permission? That's the reality for many with ADHD, where focus, impulse control, and emotional regulation become daily challenges. Mindfulness offers a powerful solution that literally rewires the ADHD brain, reducing distractibility, improving emotional regulation, lowering stress and anxiety, and increasing self-awareness. These aren't just abstract benefits—they translate directly into being more efficient at work, having more mental energy for relationships, and experiencing greater overall life satisfaction.
As a certified life coach with ADHD, I understand the struggle of sitting still for meditation. That's why I share several ADHD-friendly mindfulness approaches that actually work for our unique brains. You can practice while brushing your teeth by noticing sensations, try mindful eating by describing each bite "to a Martian," or explore movement-based mindfulness that honors our need for activity. The key is starting small—just a few minutes linked to existing daily habits—and remembering that even noticing when your mind wanders is proof you're doing it right.
Equally important is developing internal awareness through body scanning and emotional check-ins. By learning what it feels like when you're relaxed versus spiraling, you can recognize early warning signs and use techniques like deep breathing before emotions escalate. Daily practice makes these skills available when you need them most.
Mindfulness won't make ADHD disappear, but it can slow the mental roller coaster, even for a few seconds at a time. Those moments add up to significant positive change. If you found this helpful, please like, follow, or subscribe and join me next Tuesday for more practical ADHD strategies. Your time is valuable—I'm dedicated to making every minute count.
Do you ever feel like your brain is constantly switching channels without your permission? If you have ADHD, that probably sounds familiar. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects focus, impulse control and emotional regulation. But mindfulness, an important component of ADHD treatment, can help. Mindfulness is simply the act of purposefully paying attention to the present moment. Research shows that mindfulness can actually rewire the brain to reduce distractibility, improve emotional regulation, lower stress and anxiety and increase self-awareness. These are benefits that can directly help us improve every aspect of our day-to-day lives. At the very least, spending less time lost in your own thoughts will allow you to be more efficient at work and leave you with more mental energy to devote to your relationships in real time. Welcome to Thoroughly ADHD. I'm Alex Delmar, a certified life coach and person with ADHD. I'm here to share what I've learned to help other people with ADHD enjoy better lives.
Speaker 1:You might envision sitting in the lotus position and focusing on your breath when you think of mindfulness, but it seems a lot of people with ADHD, myself included, tend to find meditation like that difficult to start off with. So here are some ADHD-friendly mindfulness tips to get you going. You don't have to be still to be mindful and you can practice while doing almost anything, just whenever you think of it. Turn your full attention to whatever you were doing. Start with a few minutes at a time and to remember to practice. Link your mindfulness to daily habits. You're going to be doing these things anyway, but now you're going to slow down and pay attention. For example, while brushing your teeth, you might notice things like how the brush feels in your mouth, the smell and taste of the toothpaste, the motion your arm makes or the temperature of the room on your skin. Watch yourself. Put the toothbrush away. When your mind starts to wander, just bring it back to the moment at hand.
Speaker 1:It can be helpful for people who are trying to feed themselves better to practice mindfulness at mealtime, though. I once participated in a mindful eating workshop where we spent at least 10 minutes just looking at a raisin and I about lost my mind. If you are just starting out, I think it's a more accessible exercise to eat as though you have to describe each bite to a Martian. It will slow you way down and you have to actually taste your food, and it might give you the space to notice your internal signals that you've had enough to eat. Moving mindfulness exercises may feel more appealing to those of us with ADHD, but we need to be aware of our internal state as well.
Speaker 1:You can do regular body scan exercises with a guide, but it's crucial that throughout the day, you touch base with how you are feeling inside and listen to the messages your body is sending you. If you know what it feels like when you are relaxed and learn what it feels like when you are getting upset or spiraling, it will be easier to recognize the red flags and develop the tools, such as deep breathing or a centering phrase, to keep yourself calm and grounded in the moment. Having trained ahead through daily practice will make it second nature to call on these skills in a crisis. Mindfulness won't make your ADHD disappear, but it can help you slow the mental roller coaster, even for a few seconds at a time, and that adds up to make a big difference. For more about the role of mindfulness in ADHD symptom management, check out the Thoroughly ADHD episode titled the Cornerstones of ADHD.
Speaker 1:Treatment Can Save your Life. Start small, be kind to yourself and remember noticing your mind has wandered means you're already doing it right. I'm Alex Delmar and this has been Thoroughly ADHD. Your time is valuable, so I hope you found something useful here and that you will like follow or subscribe and come back next Tuesday. Thanks for listening.