In my article about parenting ADHD children while you have ADHD<\/a>, I touched on mindfulness playing a role in preventing and mitigating conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is mindfulness? How is it related to ADHD?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Mindfulness is the practice of being present. It\u2019s about being aware of what\u2019s happening around us at this exact moment, without judgement: how things are, not how we want them to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By regularly practicing mindfulness, we develop patience and we learn to separate our reactions from our selves. When we observe our emotions without judgement, we no longer see them as good or bad, just as existing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mindfulness can lower stress levels<\/a>, reduce rumination<\/a>, improve health<\/a>, and protect against depression and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One hallmark of ADHD is difficulty regulating emotion. That means people with ADHD get easily frustrated, and that frustration can easily evolve into anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other common ADHD qualities are forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, and impulsivity. These qualities can lead us to forget things, procrastinate things, and do things that annoy others, causing them to lash out at us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When these things build on each other, they can increase our stress levels. Add that stress to the anger I mentioned before, and you have a recipe for an emotional explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mindfulness can help mitigate factors that contribute to such outbursts. When we take time to be aware of our experiences, we can address some of the qualities of ADHD that create struggle for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, when we are aware and present as we unload the children from the van\u2014rather than be in a rush\u2014we may be less likely to leave the van unlocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we are aware and present as we are driving, we may be more likely to focus on our surroundings (using ADHD to our advantage) rather than daydreaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we are aware and present as impulses emerge, we can pause and consider the effect our impulses may have on others (or our future) rather than letting the impulses overtake us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we are aware and present in situations that annoy or frustrate us, we can acknowledge our emotions rather than let them build up or get out of control. We can ask ourselves why the situation causes anger within us rather than just letting the anger occur. And being aware of the root causes of our anger may help us address the root causes. It may even help us choose which emotions we let grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we can separate our emotions from ourselves, we must become familiar with experiencing our circumstances objectively. Mindfulness is something that comes with practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do we practise mindfulness?<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is mindfulness?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How is mindfulness related to ADHD?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do we practice mindfulness?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n