Having ADHD can make it hard to pay attention and focus. Meditation and mindfulness exercises are all about the practice of focusing on the moment. For people with ADHD, meditation could do wonders for their attention and can be part of their treatment regimen.
How Meditation Can Help Your Attention and Self-Control
People with ADHD are often in need of a dopamine boost. In focused attention meditation, you learn to stay focused in the face of distractions. Dopamine is elevated during focused attention meditation, and this effect increases the more you meditate. Your brain will not wander so much when you make meditation a habit. Meditation can also reduce negative self-talk, boost your self-esteem, support emotional regulation, and improve your memory.
How Meditation Can Be Challenging for Those with ADHD
ADHD can make you hyper-aware of your symptoms, focus on negative self-talk, feel overwhelmed, restless, and bored. The time it takes you to practice meditation can seem like a long time compared to someone who does not have ADHD, even though it can be just a couple of minutes. When meditation does not take effect quickly or meet your expectations, your ADHD symptoms may pull you away from treatment before you give it a chance. Being patient will give you a true understanding of meditation as the right course of treatment for you.
How to Meditate with ADHD
Instead of meditating for hours, try meditating in short bursts more frequently during the day. Just dedicating five minutes of your time to meditate can make a difference. You can even try guided meditation by taking a class or listening to a CD to motivate you further to keep going. Pay attention to each part of your body one at a time where you deliberately tense yourself only to relax the muscles. Just like everything in life, meditation is a practice that you will get better at doing the more it is practiced. If meditation does not work, do not let it trigger your ADHD symptoms, as other forms of treatment can work. Meditation can be beneficial for ADHD in focusing on the moment instead of letting your mind wander.
Meditation is a great therapeutic practice to add to your treatment regimen if you have ADHD. ADHD makes it hard to pay attention, whereas meditation is all about focusing your attention on the present moment. At Alta Loma, we understand the importance of meditation and other treatment practices to help control your ADHD symptoms. Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alta Loma can offer you treatment options for your mental health symptoms like individualized therapy, therapeutic recreational activities, long-term continuum of care, life and coping skills education, and more. Please call us at (866) 457-3843 for more information about our services.
