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Why Teach a Class on Mindfulness for Adults with ADD/ADHD?
Click on this link to learn more about the Mindful Living with ADD/ADHD class in Seattle and distance learning by phone. What is "Mindfulness?" Mindfulness is a psychology and philosophy of life that has been around for thousands of years. Sometimes called “wise mind” in psychology or “mindful awareness,” it teaches us to bring our attention to the present moment and live life from a more self-aware and conscious place. How Can Mindfulness Reduce ADD/ADHD Symptoms? The practices of mindfulness, which include meditation and mindful awareness (awareness of what we are doing while we are doing it) can help reduce ADD/ADHD symptoms by helping with self-regulation. As you probably know by now, ADD/ADHD does not mean having a deficit of attention. It means having difficulty regulating attention. Most of us have ample attention but it’s hard to control because it’s jumping from thing to thing, taking off on its own or – as one of my clients describes – meandering down a bunny trail. Sometimes this problem with self-regulation can also involve emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Mindfulness, which teaches us to be aware of what we are experiencing in the present moment, can help us gain more control over all of these aspects of our lives. Meditation can help regulate attention by training our brains to focus on one thing at a time in the here and now. The meditations in the Mindful Living with ADD/ADHD Class are short and were created for people with attention and other ADD/ADHD related challenges. Research has shown that with consistent practice, even with shorter periods of meditation, it is possible to train our brains to be better able to sustain attention, recognize when the mind has wondered, and consciously come back to what we choose to focus on. Learning and practicing mindful awareness can help us become conscious of what we are thinking, feeling, and doing during our daily lives. Although ADD/ADHD challenges are neurologically based, there is also an aspect to them that can be a result of habit – or unawareness. Learning to be more aware can help us recognize “in real time” when we are caught up in an ADD/ADHD trait such as procrastinating, feeling overwhelmed, being emotionally reactive, or jumping from thing to thing. With practice, we can start to recognize the self-talk and automatic thoughts that might be driving us without our conscious awareness. We learn to pause and notice what is happening in our minds, bodies, and environment in the present moment. Then we can decide what is needed to be most effective and whether to keep going or make a different choice. Many people with ADD/ADHD live their lives as a rush to keep up - feeling like no matter what they accomplish, it’s not good enough. Even when they are exhausted, they feel like they don’t have the right to pause or take care of themselves because there is still so much to do. This constant adrenalin rush can take a toll on the body and mind, leading to physical problems and making ADD symptoms worse. Mindfulness can help us take that pause, if even for a few minutes. It gives us a chance to rest and renew so we can start again in healthier, more relaxed, and effective ways. We may be able to connect with our own inner wisdom as well, which is pretty hard to access when we are caught up in a constant state of stress, disturbing thoughts, and inner chatter. As well as reducing stress, strengthening attention and improving our awareness, the principles of mindfulness teach us to be more patient, kind, and accepting towards ourselves. Given that so many adults with ADD/ADHD are harshly self-critical and rarely give themselves a break, who would not benefit from this? Follow this link to the Mindful Living with ADD class in Seattle and distance learning by phone . “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got”
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