Filetype PDF | Posted on 14 Sep 2022 | 3 years ago
Authentication
digital resources
216x Filetype PDF File size 2.28 MB Source: utahparentcenter.org
Easy Mindfulness
Exercises for
Kids with ADHD
From the ADHD Experts at
A trusted source of advice and information for families touched by attention-deficit disorder—
and a voice of inspiration to help people with ADHD find success at home, at school, and on the job.
ADDitudeMag.com
terMs of Use FounDE llen insley -
Copyriht © by ew Hope edia. All rihts reserved. usan Cauhman
o part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted EDo n HEF
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, EDo ayne alyn
includin photocopyin, recordin, fain, e-mailin, staff
postin online, or by any information storae and retrieval onun EAE DEo £oseph Caserto
system, without written permission from the ublisher. onun A DEo on Anteroinen
All trademars and brands referred to herein are the MAnAn EDo ve ilman
property of their respective owners. All references to EoE Devon ¢rye Eno DA EDo £anice odden
ADDitude maaine and ADDitudeMag.com are trade- oA MEDA EDo ebecca ¡rown riht, enny illiams
mars of ew Hope edia. DA MAKEn DEo Anni oders
ADEn Anne aa
uAon ue idler
contact inforMation o EDo ene £ones E EDo Hope oodrich
ew Hope edia
-
- onun EDo
est th t, uite Carol ¡rady, h.D., and £ohn aylor, h.D. Children
ew or, dward . Hallowell, .D. ife
andy aynard, .. Coachin
ichele ovotni, h.D. Adults
LeGaL notices Ann Dolin, .d., and andra ¢. ief, .A. ducation
ADDitude does not provide medical advice, dianosis, or ADMnAE AAn Ale iola
treatment. he information offered here is for informa-
tional purposes only and is not intended to substitute or
replace professional medical advice, dianosis, or treat- scientific advisory board
ment. Always consult with your physician or other uali-
fied health-care professional or educational consultant ussell ar ley h.D. eter ensen M.D.
for uestions about your health and education, or the edical niversity of he ACH nstitute
outh Carolina ew or,
health and education of your child and family members. Charleston, C
Do not disreard, avoid, or delay obtainin medical or Harold Ko
lewic M.D.
health related advice from your health-care professional homas E. rown h.D. ew or niversity edical chool
niversity of outhern California ew or,
because of somethin you have read here. os Aneles, CA
andy newmar M.D.
illiam Dodson M.D. sher Center for
f you thin you may have a medical emerency, call your Dodson ADHD Center nterative edicine,
doctor or immediately. ADDitude does not recom- reenwood illae, C niversity of California
mend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, an ¢rancisco, CA
procedures, opinions, or other information that may be oss . reene h.D.
ives in the ¡alance Michele nootni h.D.
mentioned in ADDitude publications or websites. eliance ortland, he illaes, ¢
on any information provided by ADDitude is solely at your Edward M. Hallowell M.D. oerto oliardia h.D.
own ris. he Hallowell Center Harvard edical chool
udbury, A ¡oston, A
te
hen . Hinshaw h.D. . ussell amsay h.D.
niversity of California erelman chool of edicine
¡ereley, CA niversity of ennsylvania
hiladelphia, A
eter a sa h.D.
ADD Center of America erome chult h.D.
Chicao, Harvard edical chool
¡oston, A
Easy Mindfulness
Exercises for
Kids with ADHD
10 eercises parents can use to encourae mindful
mediation, self-reflection, and improved focus in children
with ADHD.
By Kathryn Debros, Christopher Willard, Psy.D., and Elliott
Buck, M.Ed.
You’ve heard that mindful meditation can help increase focus, calm a buzz-
ing brain, or reduce symptoms of hyperactivity or impulsivity. And, like
many parents, you’d like to incorporate this free, non-medical therapy into
your child’s ADHD treatment plan.
Cultivate Calm
The problem, of course, is that many kids — especially those with ADHD Learn how your child’s
— don’t jump at the chance to meditate. Many are also not adequately aware brain changes with
of their feelings, bodily sensations, and breathing to apply meditation tech- mindful meditation at
niques properly. And parents (who seldom practice mindfulness themselves) htt
additu.decalm
don’t always know where to start, what exercises are appropriate, or how to rain
help their kids push past obstacles.
But mindfulness is possible — and effective — at any age. The key is to tai-
lor activities to your child’s maturity and interest level — and not to expect
meditation to be a cure-all for your child’s ADHD. Instead, keep an open
mind and encourage your child to use mindfulness in the way that works
best for her — ideally developing her self-awareness, building critical skills,
and finding her calmest, happiest self along the way.
3
What are the benefits of Minfness for
chiren
Recent research has repeatedly shown that a daily dose of mindfulness im-
proves attention, boosts self-esteem, and helps kids better monitor their
emotions.
“Research indicates that brain training involving mindfulness practices can
strengthen areas of the brain responsible for attention, emotional control,
and problem solving,” say psychologists Kirk Strosahl and Patricia Robinson,
authors of In This Moment. “There is emerging evidence that mindfulness-
based brain training produces permanent structural changes in the brain.”
Some studies have also found that children who regularly practice mindful-
ness were more empathetic than their peers. In one small study, preschool-
ers were given stickers and told to distribute them to whomever they chose.
Before learning mindfulness, the children mostly gave the stickers to friends;
afterward, they happily gave the stickers to kids they didn’t know or didn’t like.
o can We Get starte mindfulness at
The best (and easiest) way to start a mindfulness practice is to encourage sChool
your child to focus on her breathing. Here are two easy, kid-friendly tech- Find 10 exercises for
niques to help get you started: stronger school focus at
• Hot hocolate reath This technique starts with your child hold- htt
additu.de
ing up her hands as if she were holding a mug of hot chocolate right school
under her face. Prompt some basic visualization, and ask her to
imagine first smelling the hot chocolate — inhaling deeply through
her nose — and then blowing it to cool it down, exhaling smoothly
across the surface out her mouth. Have her repeat this breathing pat-
tern and visualization — in through her nose smelling, and back out
through her mouth, cooling off — for a minute or two. Encourage her
to let her breath find its own rhythm: not too fast, and not too slow.
Using imagery like this — connecting the exercise to the pleasant sen-
sation of drinking hot chocolate — provides kids with a positive asso-
ciation and helps them make sense of their breathing patterns. Slow,
deliberate breathing is what calms down the body and the brain; the
visualization jumpstarts the prefrontal cortex and helps children with
ADHD focus their wandering attention.
Easy Mindfulness
• 7/11 reath This technique is popular with athletes, police officers, Exercises for
and teachers who are regularly placed in high-pressure, high-perfor- Kids with ADHD
from the editors of
4
no reviews yet
Please Login to review.
