Mindfully ADHD

I've always wanted to quiet my mind, but I always struggle to figure out how to achieve serenity.

My mind tends to be always be buzzing and full of ideas. Ideas I could never act on.

These ideas were too big or passed by too quickly for me to grasp and implement.

Inertia kept me in a cycle of worry and anxiety.

Frozen in place, I started to dissociate from my thoughts. After all, I couldn't fully express them — "What is my mind trying to say and who's even speaking up there?"

I wished I could be present like others. I'd observe them and wished I could also act on all the flourishing ideas locked in my mind.

Truth be told, I was present, physically rather than mentally.

Around that moment, I tried meditation, but at that point, I couldn't get into it.

I didn't believe I could reach that meditative peace of mind due to my neurodiverse mind.

I couldn't for the life of me sit still.

I couldn't quite my mind.

I couldn't get into a meditative flow.

But is sitting in lotus position, like a monk, the only way to achieve a zen headspace?

The Price to Pay In-The-Moment

Why would anyone want to be in the present moment? It just sounds kind of scary to sit with our thoughts.

The counterpoint is, why wouldn't you want to listen to your thoughts. After all, they are all you really have!

Besides, science and Eastern philosophies have been raving about its benefits for decades and centuries. But one aspect under-talked about is the cost of NOT being mindful.

Here are some honourable mentions:

• Increased worry and anxiety for the constant over (mental) stimulation — anxiety from lack of clarity.

• Your mind isn't designed to hold stuff for very long — we have ancient brains (i.e., hardware) running new processes (i.e., software).

• You lose control over your reality — letting the ebbs & flow of life tsunami you over.

These affect us in the present moment and extend to everything we do, day-in and day-out.

Suppose your mind overlaps ideas to the point where it becomes a challenge to listen to them individually. In that case, it is no wonder that you lack clarity.

If your mind cannot hold all the things needed in a day, then there is no question you feel overwhelmed by simple tasks.

If your mind is always at the mercy of the ebbs and flows of the external world, then there is no doubt that you drifting off your inner path.

There is no wonder you feel the anxiety.

There is no question you run new software on old hardware.

There is no doubt that you are not in complete control of your reality.

Shuffling Anxiety OUT of The Worried Mind

Alright. So why go through all this work to develop a mindful practice?

What's the point, and what is there to gain?

The most obvious reason is to reduce the worry and anxiety floating in your mind. To find inner peace with the present moment, no matter how chaotic it feels.

The most practical reason is to work with your mind instead of against it.

To listen to the inner voice letting you know what works and what doesn't.

The most crucial reason is to gain agency over your reality outside the mind. To discern between illusions conceived by mental fears and the certainty of objectivity.

Mindless ADHD or Mindful ADHD?

Obviously, we are not well-trained monks, spending most waking hours in some meditative state of mind. If anything, we are spending most waking hours in some inattentive state.

We need to be real with ourselves.

We need to be mindful that our brains work differently.

We need to bridge the gap between our inner and outer reality.

It can be challenging to quiet the mind, but really, it's not about emptying our minds. It's about letting ideas flow.

Listening to the good, bad, and ugly that comes from the inner conversation. All in hopes of making peace with it all, and moving onward and forward!

It can be all too easy to convince ourselves that being present for more than a few moments at a time is impossible.

Thankfully, it becomes easier as we practice.

But remember, practice takes time and effort. We must celebrate the small victories and refine them from there on out.

If you go from 0 to 1 minutes of mindful living, congrats and celebrate!

You did it!!

Now, do we go for 2 minutes next?

What about 3?

It can and WILL feel weird — that's the point.

Stick with it, improve upon it, grow from it.

Mindful Notification

Ready to discover what mindful states feel like and what they can do to you, but still trying to figure out how to get there?

Get started by grabbing your phone and setting reoccurring reminders at strategic moments during the day, asking these three questions:

1. What am I doing right now?

2. Why am I doing this right now?

3. How does it feel doing this right now?

By attending more to the present moment you will develop a greater ability to flow with life and appreciate the novelty found along the way.

Ready to start finding serenity? Start TODAY with my free planner: The Novelty Itinerary.

Peace!