create the mindfulness habit for...

Create the Mindfulness Habit for ADHD

Casey Dixon, SCAC, BCC, M.S.Ed. Mindfulness and meditation practices by Wynne Kinder, MBSR, B.A.Ed.

Contents

03 Introduction

06 Chapter 1: Mindfulness for ADHD

09 Chapter 2: Your ADHD Road Trip

11 Chapter 3: Plan Your Trip

15 Chapter 4: Hit the Road

18 Chapter 5: Set the Cruise Control

21 Chapter 6: Mindfulness Practices

25 Conclusion

28  MindfullyADD

Create the Mindfulness Habit for ADHD Create the Mindfulness Habit for ADHD © MindfullyADD 2015. All rights reserved.

Casey Dixon ADHD Success Strategist

MindfullyADD Dixon Life Coaching

Wynne Kinder Mindfulness Educator

MindfullyADD Kinder Associates

3

Adults with ADHD are often skeptical that anyone with ADHD can make a mindful habit. They point out that routine is challenging with ADHD, sitting still on purpose even harder, and silencing thoughts hardest of all. What is needed is the right approach.

Introduction

New research shows that, with the right approach, people with ADHD can create a mindfulness habit to help them feel less ADHD. We will help you to design a mindful habit that is targeted to the ADHD mind.

Create the Mindfulness Habit for ADHD © MindfullyADD 2015. All rights reserved.

4

IN THIS BOOK, YOU WILL

• Learn what the research says about mindfulness for ADHD

• Discover the key elements of an ADHD-Informed Mindfulness Practice

• Take a Road Trip to develop your customized mindfulness habit

• Try mindful awareness practices and meditations for ADHD

Mindfulness meditation…is often defined as adopting a nonjudgmental attention to one’s experience(s) in the present moment.

~Mitchell et al.


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Sherri’s goal: GET BACK ON THE BENCH

Sherri already knew about the benefits of mindfulness when she came to my office for her first ADHD coaching appointment. A decade earlier she took a local meditation class, went on a three-day mindfulness retreat, and even bought a meditation bench to use at home.

Recently, she had been doing some reading about how mindfulness could help her manage her ADHD. But, the meditation bench now lived in her basement, abandoned.

Sherri wanted to get back on the bench and start a regular mindfulness practice but felt, at that time, there was little chance of that actually happening for her.

Follow along as Sherri develops her own mindfulness practice.


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People with ADHD want non-pharmacological ways to treat their ADHD symptoms. Sometimes alternative treatments work for some people, and sometimes they don't. But nothing, not even ADHD medication, works for all of the people, all of the time.

So, when Dr. Lidia Zylowska and her team of researchers released their groundbreaking study, Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents, they created quite a stir because of these results:

78% of participants who practiced mindful awareness reported reduction in their ADHD symptoms.

~Zylowska, et al.

Mindfulness for ADHD Chapter 1


After only 8 weeks of regular mindfulness practice, people with ADHD reported that they felt less ADHD. They performed better on tests that measure ADHD symptoms. They also reported feeling less depressed and less anxious, feelings that often accompany ADHD.

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MINDFULNESS BENEFITS FOR ADHD

Increased attention control

More effective resistance of distractions

Increased self-monitoring

Better working memory

Less impulsivity

Better at coping with stress

Improved relationships and parenting

Improved mood, less depression and anxiety

Reduced behavioral problems

Stronger overall executive functions

Better overall quality of life


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KEY ELEMENTS OF ADHD-‐INFORMED MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Many people with ADHD find it hard to develop a consistent, rigid meditaIon rouIne. So researchers have developed key elements of the right approach, an ADHD-‐infirmed approach, to mindfulness for people with ADHD.

• Having a working knowledge of ADHD helps make progresstoward mindfulness goals.

• Benefits are made from even very short meditation practices.

• Emphasizing mindful awareness practices rather than formalmeditation practices seems to be more doable for people withADHD.

• Visual imagery helps (picture a blue sky with passing clouds as anopen mind with passing thoughts).

• "Loving-kindness" meditations help combat ADHD negative selftalk, and reward practice.

• Reminders help: set calendar alerts, used sticky-notes with"breathe" written on them, keep a written log of your practice, andimplement other tactics that help folks with ADHD makeintentions into habits.

• Use the STOP Practice, which is used as the "pause" button thatpeople with ADHD sometimes wish they had.

• Enlist a "mindfulness buddy" to practice with you.

• Use Apps or join MindfullyADD to help you create and stick with your practice.


http://mindfullyadd.com

9

Your ADHD Road Trip Elliott Berkman and David Rock of the NeuroLeadership Institute developed a new model of goal pursuit based on neuroscience.

This model is called AIM, which stands for Antecedent, Integration, and Maintenance. In the AIM Model, pursuing a goal is likened to planning and taking a road trip. This model helps to achieve the high level of intentionality needed to create a lasting change with ADHD.

We have used the road trip metaphor to help you create your mindfulness habit for ADHD.

Chapter 2

Just like a goal, a road trip is not defined merely by its destination…

~Berkman & Rock


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STEP ONE: ANTECEDENT!PLAN YOUR TRIP This is goal setting before the trip begins. It involves planning the route, packing your gear, and kicking the tires. During this step, you will ask why, what, when, where, and with whom questions.

STEP THREE: MAINTENANCE!SET THE CRUISE CONTROL This is when your goal transforms into an automatic habit. It involves driving the same route over and over again so you don’t have to follow directions or make conscious choices about where you’re headed anymore. During this step, use cues and rewards to help you stay on the right road.

STEP TWO: INTEGRATION!HIT THE ROAD

This is goal striving when you start taking action toward your goal. It involves following route directions, handling road blocks, and stopping for gas. During this step, you will connect Antecedent plans, make adjustments, and reinforce the abstract objectives of your goal.

The AIM Model of Goal Pursuit


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In order to help you plan you mindfulness road trip, we have developed questions based on the the AIM Model metaphor.

AIM Model Antecedent: Plan Your Trip

Questions to Help You Plan Your Mindfulness Road Trip

Choose your destination. What is your purpose for practicing mindfulness?

Read a tourist guide and select several sites to see.

Do you want to learn more about mindfulness before you start? If so, what resources will you use?

Invite friends. Do you want to enlist a mindfulness buddy? If so, who and what will you do with your buddy?

Make a packing list. What gear do you need to get started? (Cushion, bench, timer, app, online practices)

Plan your route. How long do you plan to meditate, how often, and at what time of day?

Select your traveling playlist. Do you want to try meditations that are guided, silent, or both?

Plan where you’ll stop along the way.

How will you practice mindfulness during your day?

Decide when you’ll hit the road. On what day do you plan to start your practice?

Program your GPS to guide you. What kinds of reminders, visual cues, and practice log will you use?

Pack your bags. When will you set up your practice space, select online resources, and assemble your gear?

Plan Your Trip Chapter 3


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Sherri’s PLAN YOUR MINDFULNESS ROAD TRIP WORKSHEET

Sherri had inadvertently set her mindfulness goal impossibly high. She felt she needed to meditate for 45 minutes every day for it to "count” as a new habit. She was aware that she had created her own road block, so agreed to redesign her mindfulness journey to be more achievable.

Questions to Help You Plan Your Trip

Sherri’s Mindfulness Road Trip Plan

What is your purpose for practicing mindfulness?

Sherri wanted her practice to help her waste less time browsing and spend less money shopping online. She also hoped that she could learn to pay more attention to her food choices.


Sherri felt she already knew a lot about meditation, but wanted to learn more about mindfulness, so she borrowed a book on mindfulness and set aside some time to read.

Do you want to enlist a mindfulness buddy? If so, who? And, what will you do with your buddy?

For a mindfulness buddy, Sherri enlisted her grown son. They agreed that every time she did her meditation practice, she would text him a smiley face.

What gear do you need to get started? (Cushion, bench, timer, app, online practices)

She decided to get her meditation bench out of the basement and create a space for it in her spare room.

How long do you plan to meditate, how often, and at what time of day?

Even though she was skeptical, she agreed to start with 2 to 3 minutes once per day. She planned to try meditating before leaving for work in the morning.

Do you want to try meditations that are guided, silent, or both?

She wanted to try silent meditations. She also wanted to try guided mindfulness practices.


Sherri wanted to try to be more mindful while eating, which she often did while online.

On what day do you plan to start your practice?

Sherri planned to start her practice on Monday of the following week.

What kinds of reminders, visual cues, and practice log will you use?

She set an alarm on her phone for 7:45 AM to help her remember to “get on the bench.” The smiley face texts to her son became a record of her practices.

When will you set up your practice space, select online resources, and assemble your gear?

Sherri spent the weekend getting everything ready and “packed” for her mindfulness road trip.


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STEP 1: PLAN YOUR MINDFULNESS ROAD TRIP WORKSHEET Use this worksheet to plan out your own mindfulness journey.


Your Mindfulness Road Trip Plan

What is your purpose for practicing mindfulness?


Do you want to enlist a mindfulness buddy? If so, who? And, what will you do with your buddy?

What gear do you need to get started? (Cushion, bench, timer, app, online practices?)

How long do you plan to meditate, how often, and at what time of day?


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Your Mindfulness Road Trip Plan

Do you want to try meditations that are guided, silent, or both?


On what day do you plan to start your practice?

What kinds of reminders, visual cues, and practice log will you use?

When will you set up your practice space, select online resources, and assemble your gear?

STEP 1: PLAN YOUR MINDFULNESS ROAD TRIP WORKSHEET, page 2


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Hit the Road Chapter 4

During this “Integration” step of your Mindfulness Road Trip you hit the road: get in the car, begin your journey, navigate as you go, manage problems, make pit stops, & adjust your approach. It is important to keep your objective in mind and make sure your how to’s from step one support your why, or main objective.

For a mindful awareness practice, this means trying it out, paying attention to how it's going, and making adjustments to stay on the right road while focusing on the purpose of your practice.

Success at a goal requires both a will and a way, both the why and the how…

~Berkman & Rock


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Sherri’s HIT THE ROAD WORKSHEET

After a few weeks of trying our her plan, Sherri reported that she was feeling overwhelmed with trying to meditate. She was already busy enough in the mornings getting ready for work. Her mindfulness practice was actually stressing her out. After we made some purposeful adjustments to her plan, she found herself back on the right road.

Questions to Help You Hit the Road

Sherri’s Hit the Road Plan

Thinking about your mindfulness plan, what is working well?

Sherri was catching herself being more mindful throughout her day, which made her feel good about her commitment because she was seeing that it can really help her feel less ADHD. She also enjoyed texting her son when she practiced meditation, and was proud to report he was now meditating too.

Thinking about your mindfulness plan, what is not working well?

The plan to meditate in the morning before work was stressing Sherri out. She also noticed she was not taking mindfulness breaks very often during the day.

Is there one small adjustment you can make to your informal mindfulness practices to have them work better?

Sherri really liked using the STOP practice, but kept forgetting to do it while she was at work. She needed a cue to remind her, so she decided to do it whenever she washed her hands during the day. She also programmed a reminder in her phone that would buzz her when she arrived at work, during her lunch break, and at the end of the workday.

Is there one small adjustment you can make to your formal meditation practice to have it work better?

Sherri decided to try meditating when she arrived home from work each day, after she fed her cat, rather than in the morning before work. This small adjustment to her meditation plan made all of the difference for Sherri, who started looking forward to meditating on her way home, and even started to extend the time of her meditation to 20 minutes without really planning to.

Do you need additional knowledge, resources, or tools to help?

Sherri thought if she reread her favorite articles on ADHD that she would feel inspired to keep going with her practice.


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Questions to Help You Hit the Road

Your Hit the Road Plan

Thinking about your mindfulness plan, what is working well?

Thinking about your mindfulness plan, what is not working well?

Is there one small adjustment you can make to your informal mindfulness practices to have them work better?

Is there one small adjustment you can make to your formal meditation practice to have it work better?

Do you need additional knowledge, resources, or tools to help?

STEP 2: HIT THE ROAD WORKSHEET Use this worksheet to plan out your own mindfulness journey.


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Set the Cruise Control Chapter 5

During this “Maintenance” step of your mindfulness Road Trip you stay on the road that works best for you and set the cruise control. This is when striving towards a goal turns into automatically working towards a goal as a habit. To make a habit, you have to do something over and over again and reward yourself over and over again too.

Neuroscience tells us that rewards need to be specific and deliberate. So plan out how you will reward yourself for doing your mindful awareness practice.

…be deliberate about whichcues are paired with your goal as you work toward it…

~Berkman & Rock


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Sherri’s SET THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKSHEET

After a couple of weeks, Sherri was sitting in meditation for about 20 minutes, 5 days each week, and doing the STOP practice almost three times each day. She still needed to text smiley faces to her son to log her practice and relied on her phone to remind her to do STOP. But, she was noticing that she was more attentive while eating and was spending much less time in the evenings browsing and spending online.

Questions to Help You Set the Cruise Control

Sherri’s Set the Cruise Control Plan

How will you reward yourself for your mindfulness practice?

Sherri wanted to keep texting her son each time she meditated, which was rewarding. She also lit her favorite scented candle while she was practicing to provide an immediate reward.

Are there other people you can enlist for support?

Sherri’s friend at work decided that she wanted to try meditation too, so Sherri and she would support each other by asking about their practice during lunch breaks.

Are there Apps, Web memberships, or classes you can use to keep yourself motivated, learning, and cued?

Sherri was interested in adding some diversity to her practice, so she planned on signing up for a retreat in the spring so she could learn more and practice with a teacher.

Can you display pictures or words to help you remember to keep practicing?

Sherri bought a wall calendar with a mindfulness theme to hang near her meditation bench. She began drawing a star on it each time she practiced and texted me a picture of the marked calendar each week to reinforce her practice with another reward.

Can you inspire yourself by journaling about the benefits of mindfulness for your ADHD symptoms?

Sherri was not too fond of writing, but she did want to record how mindfulness was affecting her ADHD, so whenever she noticed a change, she would make a note if it on her wall calendar.


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Questions to Help You Set the Cruise Control

Your Set Cruise the Control Plan

How will you reward yourself for your mindfulness practice?

Are there other people you can enlist for support?

Are there Apps, Web memberships, or classes you can use to keep yourself motivated, learning, and cued?

Can you display pictures or words to help you remember to keep practicing?

Can you inspire yourself by journaling about the benefits of mindfulness for your ADHD symptoms?

STEP 2: SET THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKSHEET Use this worksheet to plan out your own mindfulness journey.


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Mindfulness Practices Chapter 6

The following practices have been designed with the right approach to

mindfulness for people with ADHD.

Use these ADHD-Informed practices to start your mindfulness journey.

Visit MindfullyADD to listen to the audio of these practices.

Mindfulness training also engenders qualities such as acceptance of experience, nonreactivity, willingness/effort, and friendly attitude toward self…

~Zylowska et al.


http://mindfullyadd.com

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STOP Practice Original

Take the next few minutes to experience the STOP Practice.

This practice can be used anywhere and at any time, in order to create a habit of pausing to check-in on yourself, in the moment.

It can be helpful in transitions or to initiate a change - in mood, energy and even behavior.

STOP stands for – Stop, Take a breath, Observe and Proceed

Practice those simple STOP steps with this practice, in this moment.

First, Stop to notice the present moment.

Settle in where you are sitting, or standing, maybe even where you are lying down.

Really Stop, right here, right now. Your eyes can be closed or open.

Take in a fresh breath of air. Just a natural inhale and an easy exhale.

Observe your thoughts, your emotions, and gently observe the sensations in your body.

Without judging, just observe what is there - for you, right now.

Proceed. Move into your next choice – where you put your attention, how you make your next move or respond to what is present in your life.

Proceed mindfully.

If you had your eyes closed, go ahead and open them now.

Stretch, move, twist or be still… as your body chooses.

Remember to repeat your STOP practice when you can, throughout your day. Make it a habit. A brief, mindful habit for you.

Pick a time in your day when this strategy might fit, a few minutes is all you need – while the coffee brews, when you are trying to go to sleep (or trying to go back to sleep), just before the kids come home, when you feel stuck and have a moment.

Practice STOP-ping so you can use this practice when you really need it.


http://mindfullyadd.com/stop-practice-original/

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Feet, Seat, or Hands

Feeling scattered, shaky, or unsure can affect your ability to focus your thoughts, gain confidence, or move forward.

You can get in the habit of using your attention as a tool – a personal tool to settle those thoughts and emotions - enough to make goals, follow plans, and move forward. First you practice settling.

Get comfortable sitting in a chair, one that allows you to rest your feet on the floor.

Wiggle your toes, a little more, then stop.

Rock your hips slightly to shift your weight from side to side. Then pause, settle in the center where you think you can be comfortable for a few minutes.

Drop your shoulders down. Decide how you want to rest your hands – on your legs, holding each other, clasped… you decide. Now let them be still.

Make any small adjustments that you would like. Try closing your eyes or stare at a spot in front of you, possibly down on the floor.

You are able to move your attention. You can direct it. Even inside your body.

Let your attention drop down into your feet. Note the sensations present there. The toes, the tops of your feet.

Now guide your attention to your feet on the floor. Your feet in contact with the floor. Be aware of the subtle sensations that tell you, “Your feet are settled on the floor.”

Maybe you notice that they feel heavy, maybe there is pressure. If there seems to be a numb feeling, that’s okay, just notice it.

If your mind wanders away from your feet, just bring it back.

For a moment or two, keep bringing your attention to the contact that your feet have with the floor.

Now guide your attention up to your seat in the chair. Your body is in contact with the chair. Maybe you feel light, heavy. Maybe you feel tingling or tightness. Maybe you feel very little.


http://mindfullyadd.com/feet-seat-or-hands/

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Feet, Seat, or Hands

Whatever you feel is fine. Just notice what you feel there, in this moment.

Allow your attention to find your hands, however you have chosen to position them.

Specifically, bring your awareness to whatever your hands are resting on or are in contact with, each other, your lap… just notice the sensations created by them being in contact with something else.

Pressure, heaviness, warmth.

As your mind drifts away, just retrieve it and rest it again on your hands.

Finally, think for a moment, which space of the three was your favorite to rest your attention on: feet, seat, or hands?

Return your attention there for a bit longer, noticing sensations that are present and redirecting your attention there when it goes away.

Feet, seat, or hands.

Rest your attention on your chosen space in your body for a few more breaths.

Keep bringing it back when it drifts away.

Maybe for another breath.

Now take a breath in and let it out. Maybe you’ll cross your arms in front of you and gently fold forward, only as much as you wish. Drop your head a wee bit, or not. It’s entirely up to you.

Breathe and rest for a moment. Settle into your body, sitting.

When you find yourself scattered, you can repeat this practice using even just one point in your body: feet, seat, or hands.

Direct your attention there even for just a few breaths. Note the effect it creates.

Keep coming back to this practice whenever you get a pause in your day – or create that pause for yourself.


http://mindfullyadd.com/feet-seat-or-hands/

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Developing a mindfulness practice is a proven technique to support those with ADHD. To develop a habit of mindfulness, plan for success in the same ways you’d plan for a trip. Certainly there will be detours and distractions, but with a solid map pointing you in the right direction, you can begin again on the right track. Plan, adjust, and then enjoy the ride.

Conclusion

The use of a “mindfulness buddy,” …or online community support to encourage compliance with mindfulness exercises…may be fruitful”

~Mitchell et al.


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Sherri’s ROADMAP TO SUCCESS

After 3 months of refining her mindfulness practice, Sherri feels confident she's created a new habit that will stick. Certainly there were a few bumps in the road, but she steered through and refocused her attention on her goal. Cultivating attentiveness through mindfulness is a life skill that helps her navigate her ADHD naturally.


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Research Articles

Zylowska, L., Ackerman, D. L., Yang, M. H., Futrell, J. L., Horton, N. L., Hale, T. S., Pataki, C., Smalley, S. L., (2008). Mindfulness Meditation Training in Adults and Adolescents with ADHD: A Feasibility Study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 11(6), 737-746. Read more…

Mitchell, J. T., Zylowska, L., Kollins, S. H., (2014). Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Current Empirical Support, Treatment Overview, and Future Directions. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, in press. Read more…

Berkman, E. T., Rock, D., (2014). AIM: An Integrative Model of Goal Pursuit. NeuroLeadership Journal, v. 5. Read more…


http://jad.sagepub.com/content/11/6/737.short

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.10.002

https://www.neuroleadership.com/portfolio-items/aim-an-integrative-model-of-goal-pursuit-vol-5/?portfolioID=347

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Learn how mindfulness can help you feel less ADHD with exclusive articles, mindfulness & meditation, tips, and up-to-date research reviews.

Practice in your own way by choosing guided mindful awareness practices and meditations created specifically for ADHD.

Design a custom mindfulness habit that sticks by customizing your plan and staying motivated with our tips on habit making.

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