5 Meditative Tips and Practices To Enhance ADHD Mindfulness

A number of scholarly research papers point to meditative therapy as an effective treatment for pacifying certain behavioral symptoms in individuals diagnosed with ADHD. For some hyperactive minds with a lesser attention span and excessive physical movement, getting into an immobile, contemplative state for a period of time may seem like an arduous struggle. Yet the benefits of meditation are interlinked to a healthy cognitive development by retaining focus and regulating one's erratic emotional tendencies. In fact, here are five productive techniques to help you get started.

By Sara Mansour

Mindfulness Meditation 

Mindfulness meditation requires liberating the mind from its negative, judgemental propensity in an effort to explore the intrinsic workings of our mind-body duality during the present moment. Anchored to a comfortably inert position surrounded by pensive silence, the ultimate goal is to attain a deeper self-awareness as we venture into our emotional and somatic sensations in its unbridled, simultaneous nature. However, procuring mindfulness skills for individuals with ADHD is hugely advantageous as it enhances functionality in the prefrontal cortex, the neurological region attributed to impulse control and proactive decision-making. To illustrate, a 2008 landmark study published by UCLA on meditative therapy among ADHD practitioners postulates consistent devotion to mindfulness intervention exercises for 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours per week, followed by an at-home meditation that gradually increases to fifteen minutes daily evidently hones attentiveness skills while assuaging depressive symptoms. Additionally, there are a few ways one could practice effective mindfulness from daily journaling to mindfulness focus, which employs the use of visualization or auditory devices to enhance sensory experience.