Helping the ADHD Parent: The gift of Awareness
What does it mean to be aware? It involves a conscious effort to be focused, and to pay attention to the smallest of details. Being aware, or mindful, means that we become aware of every nuance of thought, feeling, sensation, reaction and experience. It’s can be a very powerful place to be, but most of us don’t allow ourselves to drink in the essence and simplicity of simply being in the moment. This is because we have to make a conscious effort and choice to stop everything, to empty our minds, and just be.
Mindfulness practice is the cultivation of the ability to pay deliberate attention to our internal and external experiences from moment to moment in an open, curious way that leaves judgment aside. (Read that again a couple of times.) Re-directing our attention towards the present moment allows us to relate more compassionately to life.
This state of self-observation introduces a ‘space’ between one’s perceptions and one’s responses. In this way, mindfulness practices help us to respond reflectively to situations instead of reacting to them based on conditioned habits or reflexes. With mindfulness practice we can shift our relationship to ourselves and our life experiences in a way that allows for greater spaciousness, acceptance and compassion and in doing so can dramatically improve the quality of our life.” (NJ Center for Mindful Awareness)
When in a state of awareness you aren’t really thinking. You aren’t questioning or trying to answer questions. You are only involved in emptying your mind and taking in what is around you. This step is similar to being in a state of meditation only you want to stretch your senses as much as possible. Your senses should be heightened at this time; drinking in what is within your sight. What sounds do you hear? Focus on them and consider how many you can hear, and separate each sound to see if you can identify them.
Now, imagine how effective this tool can be if you have a child with ADHD. Daily you are bombarded with work expectations, family responsibilities, and personal wants that you continue to find no time for. You MUST take time for yourself to clear your mind so you can react in a thoughtful and logical manner, not in an emotional manner. How often do you walk from one room into another, only to forget what you walked in there for? This is a sign that your brain needs a break. Are you running to get kids out the door each morning? oAre you always in a rush with most things? It doesn’t have to be that way. Being a parent of an ADHD child is very time consuming, I know. I went for many, many walks on the beach!
If you want to experience a guided meditation for 8 minutes, go to my website: https://www.onedegreeforward.com to get your FREE Zone of Total Focus recording to download in the sidebar. Give yourself the gift of CALM.
