Break the ADHD cycle: strategies that work

Summary

This video script by a meditation teacher and therapist with ADHD delves into managing ADHD symptoms through stress reduction. The speaker emphasizes the uniqueness of stress for each individual and introduces various practices to alleviate it, including befriending one's nervous system, self-compassion, and using a whiteboard for task organization. A key focus is the 'refocusing practice', a simple yet powerful technique to regain focus by connecting with the body, envisioning accomplishment, and breaking tasks into manageable steps. The resource is offered freely, with the aim to empower viewers to better understand and manage their ADHD.

Takeaways

• 🧘 The speaker is a meditation teacher and therapist with ADHD, focusing on managing and overcoming ADHD symptoms through meditation and stress reduction.
• 🤔 Stress is identified as a significant factor in exacerbating ADHD symptoms, and managing it is crucial for improving ADHD management.
• 🌟 The speaker emphasizes that stress is unique to each individual, requiring personalized approaches to address it effectively.
• 📚 A comprehensive, free resource is being developed by the speaker to provide various modules and practices for ADHD management.
• 🔄 The resource is designed to help individuals with ADHD find the most effective practices for their unique situation.
• 👫 Feedback from clients has been positive, indicating that the practices shared are helpful for managing ADHD symptoms.
• 🤝 The first practice discussed is 'befriending your nervous system' by connecting with and accepting bodily sensations to self-soothe and reduce stress.
• 💖 Self-compassion is highlighted as a vital practice, encouraging individuals to care for themselves without being overly critical.
• 📝 The use of a whiteboard for organizing to-do lists is recommended as a visual reminder to stay on task and manage ADHD-related distractions.
• 🎯 The 'refocusing practice' is introduced as a technique to regain focus by connecting with the body, imagining accomplishment, and focusing on the next small step.
• 🔄 The importance of practicing refocusing is underscored, as it helps build momentum and improves attention over time.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the channel mentioned in the transcript?

The channel focuses on meditation and therapy, particularly exploring and providing methods to manage and overcome ADHD symptoms, including stress management.

What is the speaker's profession and how do they support their claim to expertise?

The speaker is a meditation teacher and a therapist with ADHD, who has conducted extensive research and worked with many clients to develop practices for managing ADHD symptoms.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of managing stress in relation to ADHD?

Stress exacerbates ADHD symptoms, and managing it is crucial for improving focus and overall well-being. The speaker provides practices to help reduce stress.

What is unique about the approach the speaker takes to address stress for individuals with ADHD?

The speaker acknowledges that stress is unique to each individual and suggests personalized practices, reflection, and changes in one's life to address the root causes of stress.

What is the significance of the course mentioned by the speaker?

The course, 'Meditation for ADHD', is a comprehensive resource that includes various practices and modules to help individuals with ADHD manage their symptoms effectively.

How does the speaker plan to deliver the course content to the audience?

The speaker is gradually rolling out the course content through their channel, offering it for free in various modules so that viewers can find what works best for them.

What is the first practice the speaker suggests to manage stress and ADHD symptoms?

The first practice is 'befriending your nervous system or body', which involves connecting with and accepting the sensations in the body to start self-soothing and de-stressing.

What role does self-compassion play in the speaker's approach to managing ADHD?

Self-compassion is a crucial practice that involves caring for oneself without being overly critical, which helps in overcoming inner critic issues and fostering a healthier mindset.

Why does the speaker recommend using a whiteboard for managing tasks and reducing stress?

A whiteboard serves as a constant visual reminder of tasks, helping individuals with ADHD to stay focused and organized, thus reducing the stress associated with forgetfulness and disorganization.

Can you explain the 'refocusing practice' mentioned by the speaker?

The refocusing practice is a three-step process that includes connecting with one's body, imagining the feeling of accomplishment, and focusing on the next smallest step to regain focus and momentum.

How does the speaker suggest individuals with ADHD improve their focus and attention?

The speaker suggests that individuals practice refocusing by regularly bringing their mind back to the task at hand, starting with the smallest achievable step and building momentum from there.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Managing ADHD Through Meditation and Stress Reduction

The speaker, a meditation teacher and therapist with ADHD, introduces a course on meditation for ADHD designed to alleviate symptoms and change inner workings. The course is optional, as the core ideas are shared freely. Stress is identified as a key factor exacerbating ADHD symptoms, and unique stressors require personalized practices for effective management. The speaker emphasizes the importance of addressing individual stressors directly and provides a comprehensive resource for various practices. The first practice involves befriending one's nervous system by connecting with the body and accepting physical sensations, which helps in self-soothing and reducing stress. Self-compassion is the second practice, which involves caring for oneself without being overly critical, and overcoming inner critic barriers is discussed as part of a broader module on self-compassion and self-forgiveness.

05:01

📝 Strategies for ADHD: Whiteboards and Refocusing Techniques

The speaker continues by recommending the use of a whiteboard as a tool to manage tasks and reduce stress associated with ADHD. Writing a to-do list on a whiteboard serves as a constant visual reminder of tasks, preventing distractions and helping to stay on track. The speaker also introduces a refocusing practice that includes three steps: connecting with the body, imagining the feeling of accomplishment, and focusing on the next smallest step towards a task. This practice is designed to help regain focus quickly and is part of a meditation course for ADHD. The speaker encourages immediate action on implementing these strategies and emphasizes the importance of practice in improving focus and attention.

Keywords

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. In the context of this video, meditation is presented as a tool to manage and reduce ADHD symptoms by promoting mental clarity and relaxation. The script mentions a course on meditation for ADHD, indicating its importance in the speaker's approach to symptom management.

💡ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The video's theme revolves around strategies for managing ADHD symptoms, with the speaker sharing their expertise as a meditation teacher and therapist with ADHD.

💡Stress

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. The video emphasizes that stress exacerbates ADHD symptoms, and thus managing stress is key to improving ADHD management. The speaker suggests various practices to reduce stress, such as meditation and self-compassion.

💡Befriending the Nervous System

This concept refers to the practice of connecting with and accepting one's physical sensations and emotions, which can help in reducing stress and promoting self-soothing. In the script, the speaker suggests placing a hand on the body and breathing to connect with bodily sensations as a way to alleviate stress.

💡Self-Compassion

Self-compassion involves treating oneself with kindness, understanding, and forgiveness, especially in instances of perceived inadequacy or failure. The video discusses the importance of self-compassion in managing ADHD, suggesting that being less hard on oneself can help in overcoming internal barriers and fostering a healthier mindset.

💡Whiteboard

A whiteboard, specifically a dry erase board, is used in the video as an example of an organizational tool to help manage tasks and reduce stress associated with forgetfulness or disorganization common in ADHD. The speaker recommends using a whiteboard to list tasks and organize daily activities.

💡To-Do List

A to-do list is a record of tasks or actions that need to be completed. In the context of the video, having a visible to-do list on a whiteboard is suggested as a strategy to help individuals with ADHD stay focused and organized, preventing the distraction that can come from not remembering what needs to be done.

💡Refocusing Practice

Refocusing practice is a technique described in the video for regaining focus when distracted. It involves connecting with the body, imagining the feeling of accomplishment, and breaking tasks down into the smallest possible steps. This practice is highlighted as a simple yet effective method to regain focus and continue with tasks.

💡Inner Critic

The inner critic refers to the negative, judgmental voice within one's mind that can hinder self-compassion and self-forgiveness. The video mentions the inner critic as a barrier to self-compassion and suggests that addressing this can be crucial for individuals with ADHD in their journey towards self-acceptance and stress reduction.

💡Self-Soothing

Self-soothing is the process of calming oneself without external assistance. In the video, self-soothing is discussed as a method to manage stress by validating and accepting one's feelings, which can help in reducing the intensity of stress and promoting a sense of control over one's experience.

💡Momentum

Momentum, in the context of this video, refers to the build-up of motivation and progress towards a goal. The speaker advises focusing on the next smallest task to start building momentum, which can help individuals with ADHD overcome the initial resistance to starting a task and continue moving forward.

Highlights

The speaker is a meditation teacher and therapist with ADHD, focusing on managing and overcoming ADHD symptoms through meditation.

A course on meditation for ADHD has been created, offering comprehensive practices without the need for purchase.

Stress exacerbates ADHD symptoms, and managing it is key to improving ADHD.

Stress management is individual, requiring personalized practices and reflection.

The speaker is developing a free resource with various modules to address different stressors for ADHD individuals.

Feedback from clients with ADHD has been positive, indicating the effectiveness of the shared practices.

A short refocusing practice is introduced to help ADHD individuals regain focus when distracted.

Befriending the nervous system and body is the first practice to reduce stress, by connecting and accepting bodily sensations.

Self-compassion is emphasized as a crucial practice for managing stress and overcoming inner critic.

Using a whiteboard for to-do lists can help ADHD individuals stay organized and focused on tasks.

The refocusing practice involves connecting with the body, imagining accomplishment, and focusing on the next smallest step.

The practice of refocusing is about bringing the mind back and not staying focused, which is a skill that improves with practice.

The speaker encourages immediate action on implementing the practices, such as buying a whiteboard today.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of self-soothing and validation of feelings as part of stress management.

The speaker provides a comprehensive approach to managing ADHD by addressing both the symptoms and the root causes of stress.

The transcript offers practical advice on how to make small, manageable steps towards accomplishing larger tasks.

The speaker invites viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content on managing ADHD through meditation and stress reduction practices.

Transcripts

so this is a recurring topic on this

channel I am a meditation teacher with

ADHD I'm also a therapist and I spend a

long time researching exploring learning

around how to manage ADHD symptoms but

also really overcome them to

fundamentally change our inner workings

so I made a whole course meditation for

EHD that is really going to have all the

things in this video you don't need to

buy the course it's kind of a nice

package if you want to buy it but I'm

going to give you kind of the core ideas

here and if you follow this channel

you'll see over the coming weeks all of

these types of practices coming out

anyways so the main thing to understand

is that stress makes our ADHD symptoms

worse so if we want to learn how to get

better we have to learn how to manage

and reduce our stress easier said than

done I know but it's really doable and

I'm going to give you the practices to

do it but the big thing I've learned

from working with many clients is that

stress is unique to each of us there are

different things that are stressing us

yes there are Universal practices we can

do to lower our stress but we really

want to get to the root of what is

stressing us out and address it directly

and because that's unique to each person

we're going to require different types

of work or practices or reflection or

change in our lives this is why I'm

making this big massive resource on my

channel and it's all completely free the

resource has many different modules many

different dimensions so you can find

what you need what practices are going

to be most effective for you so I'm

slowly rolling that out right now make

sure you're subscribed if that interests

you but I've worked with a lot of people

with ADHD and I've had a lot of feedback

on my course and they've all said that

these particular practices I'm about to

show you are very helpful it's really

the last one that is the one that I use

most it's really kind of putting them

all together into a short refocusing

practice that is super effective if you

practice it if you get into depth with

it it can help you get back onto track

when you're trying to work or just back

onto track when you're trying to focus

on anything the first skill or practice

is befriending your nervous system or

befriending your body so like I said

ADHD symptoms are made so much worse by

stress when you're stressed it makes

everything worse no matter what you have

so the first thing is to connect with

your body and you can try this right now

putting a hand here

and breathe and just feel into the

sensations that are happening in your

body right now

notice what they are

and just send this message that it's

okay to be feeling this

and just by connecting with what we're

feeling and accepting it being okay with

it validating our experience that starts

to self-soothe and helps to de-stress

yes it might not get rid of the stress

entirely but even just bring it down a

few notches is really empowering it

really changes our mindset it shows us

that we have some degree of control over

our experience and that can be very

reassuring it can make us feel less

overwhelmed when we're feeling stressed

because we know we can at least do

something about it the second practice

is self-compassion this is again the

easier said than done I have a lot on my

Channel about this you can check out my

self-compassion practice

it's really just taking on a perspective

where we can care for ourselves and care

about ourselves and not be so hard on

ourselves and I know there are lots of

challenges when it comes to this there's

lots of inner critic stuff I do have a

video on the inner critic and I'm going

to be doing a massive module all about

generating self-compassion and getting

over to the barriers of self-compassion

and self-forgiveness because often if we

can't have compassion for ourselves we

need to forgive ourselves in some way so

that's another thing to look at the next

tool I'm going to give you is this is

like a massive Game Changer it's getting

a white board like a dry erase board and

putting that in your space and putting

your to-do list the things that you need

to get done onto that whiteboard and you

can organize them in the sense of like

this is like today's to-do list and then

this is like a larger like the larger

things I want to be working on and that

helps so much because with ADHD as you

know we come to these moments where

we're not sure what we should be doing

and then we just kind of pick up our

phone or go on our computer or you know

we do something that isn't really Our

intention because we just don't remember

to do things but when you have a white

board in the space when it says right on

it what you should be doing it's this

excellent reminder that when you have

open time open space you see it you get

the message and you do it some people

make lists and books or phones but the

problem with those things is if they're

not in your environment if you can't see

them if they're not catching your eye on

a moment to moment basis then you're

going to forget so having a to-do list

like the things you need to get done in

your space that will actually catch your

eye when you're kind of lost or

distracted that is really super

incredibly helpful and if you want to do

this like really go out buy a whiteboard

today don't just think you're going to

do it someday do it today and then the

last practice is the refocusing practice

and I'm going to explain it to you kind

of guide you through it but if you buy

my meditation for ADHD course there's

the actual audio practice that you know

you follow long but it's super simple

and easy to do yourself it just takes

like two or three minutes and as you get

the hang of it you can do it faster and

faster until you can do it within just a

few moments when you need to refocus so

when you catch yourself distracted and

you want to refocus but you're having

trouble the first step is to connect

with your body you know so close your

eyes feel into the sensations

and really just validate what you're

feeling it can really help if you're you

know not in public or if you don't feel

weird about it to put your hand on your

chest or abdomen or whatever feels

soothing

and just validate whatever feelings are

there

so we're just telling ourselves it's

okay to feel what we're feeling

and then the next step is to imagine

what it would feel like to accomplish

the task you're doing

so you imagine the feeling of

accomplishment it helps set your focus

and your intention in the right

direction and so you really feel that

feeling of what would it feel like to

accomplish the task that you want to

accomplish and let that pull you in that

direction

and then the final step is to think

about just the next smallest step so

don't think about the big task ahead

that's overwhelming instead break it

down to the smallest pieces possible and

only focus on that one next step so for

me I was writing a long time for

meditation apps and the next step for me

would be write one more sentence

sometimes the next step is just open up

a word doc or something like that but

you really just want to do what is the

next step if you're avoiding something

like let's say doing your taxes the

first step is to just you know open up

your documents so don't think about how

big and complicated the whole task is

going to be that's just going to be

overwhelming it's going to make you

freeze up or it can make you freeze up

instead think about just the one next

smallest task that's very accomplishable

and just do that and that starts to

build the momentum in the right

direction so it's checking in with your

body validating your feelings basically

self-soothing and then thinking of the

feeling of accomplishment and really

imagine yourself feeling the feeling of

accomplishment and that sets the

direction and then focusing only on the

next step and then you know when you

open your eyes and get back to your work

you are kind of laser focused I'm just

going to do this next step and once I do

the next step who knows like you're not

thinking past that and then of course if

you get distracted again you just do

this again and the whole thing about

focus and attention is you get better at

it the more you bring your mind back

it's bringing your mind back and

refocusing that is the practice it's not

staying focused it's refocusing so

that's the refocusing practice I hope

you find these things helpful if you

like this please subscribe comment like

all those things thank you very much for

tuning in