Lately when I talk with people about trying mindfulness for ADHD, their first reaction seems to be an immediate acknowledgment that this technique makes sense. They nod, with a sincere expression of interest. But then this expression is rapidly followed by one of amused doubt, even harrumphing. People get it: Mindfulness seems like an obvious tool for ADHD. Mindfulness helps the very core areas that are problematic for ADHD. But the doubt, whether amused or serious, comes flo

Does morning planning seem like something that everyone else can do, but eludes you? Does your ADHD mind avoid planning or feel scattered when you try it? You really are not alone! When you arrive at the office, or wherever you begin your day, try Mindful Morning Planning Using STOP to see if you can develop the habit of morning planning. (Before you begin, make sure you have something in your space to remind you to STOP – a note to yourself, picture, notification, or reminde

Newly diagnosed? Or, trying to get a better handle on an old diagnosis? Looking for ways to alleviate ADHD symptoms beyond medication? Mindfulness might be the answer you’re looking for to help reduce ADHD symptoms. What is mindfulness? Let’s start first with the basics… what does mindfulness even mean? Mindfulness is paying attention to right now and noticing the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that emerge this moment. Mindfulness can happen anytime, anywhere. It is not n

Does chaos run your morning? It does mine, if I'm not careful. For adults with ADHD mornings can feel overwhelming and the challenge of getting ready and out of the house each day can become wickedly exacerbated. Mornings can become chaotic and disorganized. Wouldn’t it be nice to find the calm in the morning chaos? For me, mornings are one of the hardest times of the day. That’s when I seem to feel the crunch the most, and I know I’m not alone here. I had someone tell me the

Ever find yourself stuck? I do. Last month I found myself fighting the procrastination bug and struggling to get work done. I was at my desk looking at my Facebook feed when I noticed what I was doing – though I had a deadline to meet and a to-do list to follow, I was just wasting the time away mindlessly… avoiding what I had originally planned to do… unfocused and distracted. In essence, totally and completely unproductive. Sound familiar? I thought about it for a few minute

Recently Dr. Thomas E. Brown gave a free ADDitude Magazine Expert Webinar: The ADHD-Executive Function Connection. The webinar promised to provide strategies for helping improve skills in each of Dr. Brown’s six areas of executive function (EF) impairment that are common to ADHD. While Dr. Brown does an excellent job of explaining executive functions and how they are expressed for people with ADHD, this webinar was limited to his solutions for “getting the chemistry straight”

Wherever you turn for your media, the message is the same. We’re in love with the idea of mindfulness. On 60 Minutes, a skeptical Anderson Cooper is transformed into a "paying attention to the moments of my day" mindfulness-practitioner. The cover of TIME boldly proclaims a "Mindful Revolution." And, Parade magazine tells us that mindfulness is the No.1 Health-Booster in 2015. Try a Google Search and you’ll discover that mindfulness seems to solve everything: from losing weig

A 2015 study out of the Netherlands aims to see if mindfulness is an effective treatment for adult ADHD and discovers more about the mindfulness-ADHD connection. WHY THIS STUDY IS IMPORTANT This study is important because it is “the first larger, randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of mindfulness training in adults with ADHD,” with blinded outcome measures. In research-speak, this means it’s a big deal. To roughly translate: The study included more people t