As much fun as they are, the holidays can also be stressful. There’s a lot to do, complex relationships, expectations, a busy schedule, and sometimes loss to process. It’s no wonder if the holidays leave you:
Feeling scattered
Having trouble focusing
Experiencing overwhelm
Encountering stress
Try some deep breathing.
To help manage stress in the moment try deep breathing:
Breathe in to the count of three or four.
Breathe out again to the same count.
Doing this a number of times can be like pressing a re-set button.
Before reading on, take a few seconds and try it!
What do you notice?
But what if feeling scattered or overwhelmed, having trouble focusing or encountering stress is a common or even constant feeling for you – like it is for many individuals with AD/HD?
Mindfulness meditation can help with stress management and other AD/HD symptoms.
Once you have your AD/HD and any related conditions well treated (see your doctor), consider mindfulness meditation. It is not as hard as you think, and it has lots, I mean LOTS of benefits.
The Mindfulness Awareness Research Center at UCLA summarized research demonstrating the following benefits from varying lengths and intensities of mindfulness meditation for individuals, from kids to older adults, and with and without AD/HD :
– Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression
– More positive affect
– Improved stress regulation
– Increase feelings of calmness
– Reduced symptoms of AD/HD
– Improved academic functioning
– Better communication between couples
– Increased satisfaction with parenting
– Improved sleep
– Increased antibody production
– Beneficial changes in the brain structure itself
To read the full summary of research, see: Mindfulness Research Summary
Curious whether mindfulness meditation might work for you?
It’s easy to find out:
1) Check out the free guided meditations on the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center’s website: some take as little as three minutes to listen to. Then try this: select one you like and use it daily for a week or so. What do you notice?
2) Explore Lidia Zylowska’s book The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD.
3) Sign up for my nine-session tele-class on mindfulness and ADHD: https://pathways-ahead.com/mindfulness.html
For help in implementing mindfulness or other strategies for improving your life with AD/HD, consider AD/HD Coaching. Call or email me if you are interested in learning more!