When someone mentions mindfulness, what do you immediately think of? For many people, the answer would be meditation. However, meditation is a mindfulness strategy. Mindfulness is focusing on the present, rather than the past and the future. It’s the awareness of your surroundings, emotions, thoughts, physical sensations, etc. The purpose of mindfulness practice is not to suppress your thoughts and emotions, but to stop them from controlling you.
Children with ADHD and ASD often struggle with being in the present moment. These kiddos are often finding it hard to concentrate on one thing because they are trying to focus on everything. They typically have racing thoughts where they are acting immediately before contemplating consequences for actions. Both kids with ADHD and ASD might find it difficult to stay in the present because they are thinking about past experiences where they might have felt like they failed. Mindfulness practice is a great tool to use to help with some of these issues they may be facing.
Benefits
Some of the benefits to mindfulness are reductions in stress, anxiety, emotional reactivity, and social relationship problems. It can also increase cognitive flexibility, thought efficiency, and executive functioning skills (problem-solving skills, emotional expression, and planning/organizational skills).
Mindfulness Strategies
There are many mindfulness exercises that you can find that will help your child’s awareness. Find one that is right for your child! It may take a few tries with different techniques to find something that best suits your child’s needs. Remember, the more they practice, the better they will get at it!
• Deep Breathing: breathe in for 3 counts, out for 3 counts
• Body Scan: Start with a body part (feet) and notice what they are feeling or what the sensations they feel through their feet. Then move to the next body part (legs), and up the rest of the body.
• SpiderMan meditation: activate their “spidey senses” by focusing on taste, smell, touch, and noise.
Would you like more information about mindfulness and other strategies?