Gratitude Meditation

The power of Thank you... I have had a rough couple of days and I am glad that I have started incorporating meditation into my morning routine. Sometimes when my ADHD is in overdrive I feel overwhelmed and that I am going down the rabbit hole...

This morning when I was meditating, my mind was twirling and instead of having this positive experience and setting my day up for success, I felt defeated and crushed and the tears started flowing... I was hoping that meditation would center me, focus and help me climb out of the rabbit hole... but like I said I have had a rough couple of days.  Meditation was not working how I wanted or needed. In the middle of my crying session, I realized that even though my life was not how I wanted right now... I have an awful lot to be thankful for and that I am dam lucky.... Pity party over...

Then I found this article from Elephant Journal and it was exactly what I needed to read... How to PracticeGratitude Meditation - Oprah always promoted keeping a gratitude journal and change the lens you look at things to come from a place of gratitude, I am thankful and am dam lucky. Be open to all the world has to offer and realize I am surrounded by blessings.

Today I am thankful for my Dad and his financial wisdom. I am thankful for my children and the incredible people they are and becoming. I am thankful that when I asked for help... finally... that people have been more than helpful and my fears were not as powerful as I thought they were.

What are you thankful for?

Bridget

Meditation Challenge

My Meditation Challenge has continued to go well. I decided to go crazy and add 5 minutes to my meditation time! I know crazy, huh.... I have made some adjustments but I think that is the idea of the whole thing, to do what works for me so I will continue and challenge myself.

1. I meditate first thing in the morning. I feel this is a nice way to start the day and set myself up for success. Right now meditating first thing is easier for me because it is summer time. I am hoping that this challenge will help me make meditating a habit and when the pace of life speeds up in the fall this will part of my ADHD strategies.

2. I do continue to listen to music with headphones... That I have discovered is a non-negotiable for me. By blocking out the noise of the world, I can concentrate on my breathing.

3. It is harder than I thought.... but I have started to really see some positive benefits. I feel my focus has increased, don't get me wrong my mind is still like a pinball machine, but I can reel it back in easier now and have become more aware of my wandering mind. My patience has increased and I feel more at peace. I like starting off my day on a positive note and grounded.

Daring to Live Fully  has a great post 10 Practical Tips for Creating a Meditation Habit it is def worth the read!

Like this post if you are trying to live your life to the fullest!

Bridget

Meditation Challenge Day 5

Day 5!
    I am still at it and for me that is a huge accomplishment. I think dedicating myself to meditating and writing about it in this blog has helped keep me accountable. I must admit it is easier for me to settle in and begin to meditate now. However, my focus and thoughts are still like a pinball machine. So, I found some good advice from Meditation Oasis. This site has podcasts for a variety of meditation topics, a blog and some wonderful resources on meditation that are written with the novice in mind. One particular post caught my eye, Difficulty Meditating. Ahhhh, so I am not alone in feeling this way.

     1. Problems with thoughts in meditation:
         I think I just needed someone to tell me that it was okay for my thoughts to be still firing on all cylinders! The more I tried to stop my thoughts, the more dominate they became. Now I can just let them go and eventually they will slow down and I can concentrate on my breathing.

     2. Restlessness:
         Sitting still and quiet and my ADHD sometimes do not get along the greatest. I do get restless and want to stop at times, but today I acknowledged the feeling and continued with my meditation.

     3. Being uncomfortable with our feelings:
         This has not happened to me yet, I am still learning how to be comfortable with meditating!

     4. Disappointed that "good experiences" aren't always there:
         I am still working on the basics of meditation, for me it has all been good experiences. Even when I am not sure of exactly what I should be doing or feeling, I am open to the process and am hopeful of the results.

Stay focused and have a fabulous day!

Bridget

Meditation Challenge Day 4

Rain Rain Rain...

This summer has been so very hot and we are in the midst of a terrible drought, so this morning the rain that is falling is a very welcome sight for my garden and lawn. However,  the place that I have been meditating is on my deck and in the rain. So this morning I am trying a new spot...

I decided upon a quiet place in front of my fireplace. I lit a candle to help set the mood and had my headphones in! As a back up place it wasn't bad but I do think I like meditating on the deck better.

I have started to notice subtle changes in my normal day. I think I have more patience with myself and my children. One of goals is for my daughters to also begin to meditate as part of their ADHD living plan. Lead by example. Hopefully they will notice the changes in myself and want to try it for themselves. I shared this infographic from Emma Seppala, Ph.D. The Science of Happiness, Health and Success with my girls and now with you... :-)

Have a mindful day!

Bridget

Keep calm and Carry on!

August 27, 2016

Sooo.... after my not so successful meditation session I went and did a little research for myself on how to calm my mind down so I can move forward with my day. I came across a great blog called The ADHD Nerd. One of Ryan McRae's post Finding Calm within Our ADHD Mind was exactly what I needed to read today. He talks about letting go of regret and has 3 questions to help with the process.
1. How did this happen?
2. If I can fix this, how can I?
3. How can I prevent this from happening again?
Three simple questions that can adjust your lens and help put things in perspective... It is definetely worth a read!
"I think I carry much more than I should all the time- I carry more than anyone asks." Ryan McRae

When you check out the blog, make sure you sign up for his free Ebook. I did!

Four Steps to Finding Focus With an ADHD Mind

Bridget
P.S. I got bright pink earplugs this afternoon :-)

Meditation Challenge Day 3

Meditation Challenge Day 3
August 27,2016

     While I do feel having music or natural sounds playing while I meditate has helped me with this process, having my headphones is critical! Today was not my best effort and part of the problem was my headphones!
      I am the mother of 3 daughters, (All of us blessed with ADD/ADHD) my oldest lives in Chicago so she is off the hook for this one.... The other two.... not so much... I spent an hour looking for my headphones so I could listen to my natural music and reap some of the benefits of meditation.... Now try to imagine someone who wants to just sit with a quiet mind and she can't find her headphones.... Enter my ADHD mind wind.... I became a woman obsessed with finding them. Let me back track a little, yesterday I noticed a difference with having the headphones in while meditating, so I specifically put the headphones right by the back door to my deck. Sounds like a good ADHD strategy... well apparently my middle daughter thought they were hers, not sure how because my headphones are blue so there could be no confusion, and took them away with her for a few days... Unfortunately, I spent an hour tearing the house apart looking for them! Finally got the .... "Oh I am sorry I didn't realize I had them"... text.  Are you kidding me??!!

     To say that I may not have been in the best possible mind set to begin my meditation session would be an understatement! That ADHD mind wind was set for continuous loop and I could not just let go of meditating with headphones in. I HAD to have them. I could not move on until I found them. I could not just say, "Oh well, I will find later, this time is for me."  My house was clean.... not so much anymore... I woke up in a positive place and then my brain was hijacked and the crazies took over!
     I did meditate for 10 minutes, listening to the same music as yesterday but without headphones. It was not the same. I was not in a good place to start and my mood only improved a little. My mind was all over the place and the more I tried to concentrate on my breathing the more aggravated I got at the fact that I was doing this without headphones.....
     Lesson of the day... Let it go! What should of mattered was that I had made a commitment to myself and was following through. I am trying to better my life and be open to new experiences... not whether or not I had headphones!!

    The ADDitude website is a fantastic resource for people with ADD and the people in their lives. I read this article The ADHD Mind and found it helpful. If you haven't looked at the site I encourage you to do so, you are not alone !!

Off to buy another pair of headphones.....

Bridget

Meditation Challenge Day 2

July 26, 2016

     Day 2 of my meditation challenge. To really see and feel the benefits of meditation, I have decided to meditate every morning when I first wake up. I like the spot that I have chosen on my deck, I feel relaxed and inspired and the flowers make me happy.
     Yesterday while I was meditating, I listened to the birds and the sounds of my neighborhood. My mind kept on bouncing around from the birds, to a car starting, my dog barking and anything else I could hear. I spent most of the day beating myself up about "meditating wrong." Then I started to realize that beating myself up or wanting things to be perfect is my typical response and part of my ADHD loop. Maybe that is what I am supposed to work on and get out of meditation. Being gentle and patient with myself is one of the benefits I am looking forward to. I like this list of 100 Magical Benefits of Meditation from The Healam website!
     Today I decided to use my headphones and listen to "Natural Music." The headphones did make a difference to help cancel out the distracting noises, increase my focus and stop my pinball mind. The 10 minutes went by very quickly and I concentrated more on my breathing than the sounds around me. I happen to be an Amazon Prime member and have access to all different types of music including "Meditation Music." Love it!
     Then..... again my inner critic and interior chatter started chirping... Should I be listening to music while meditating?? Well I will let you decide for yourself.... Beginners Meditation makes a case for both. As for me, right now I have to continue using music to quiet my mind and allow me to concentrate on my breathing.

Do you use music while meditating? Do you find it helps or hinders? I am open to any and all suggestions!!

Have a great and focused day

Bridget
   

Meditation.... Day 1

Day 1 of my Meditation

Now that I know what some of the many benefits of meditation are I challenged myself to give it a try and see how it may help me manage and celebrate my ADHD. However, I am not really sure of what to do... So, I Googled meditation for beginners, and found How to Meditate for Beginners from Wiki How to do Anything.

1. Prepare for meditation:
      Since this is my first time trying meditation, my goal is to be open to the experience and follow where it might take me.  I decided to meditate first thing in the morning to start my day off on a positive note. I love the flowers on my deck and thought this was a good distraction free focal point. Most of the reading that I have done suggest meditating for 10 minutes to start, so my timer is set for 10 minutes.  Away we go.....

2. Meditation:
     I began by sitting on my yoga mat and getting myself comfortable. I try to quiet my mind and do all the things I am supposed to do- hands in a comfortable position, chin down, timer on, mouth closed, and my focus is on my breathing. That is easier said than done! My mind is all over the place and I have to remind myself to come back to my breathing. I keep on asking myself.... Did I set the timer? How long has it been? Am I doing this right? Oh look a squirrel! Back to breathing.... in through my mouth and out through my nose.....

I am not sure if I would call this meditation session a success, but I did do it for more than 10 minutes! I think being outdoors in a comfortable place was helpful as was the sounds of nature all around me. Being new to this, at times I wasn't really sure what I should be doing or feeling so I counted my breaths and listened to the birds tweeting at each other. I must say that I do feel more relaxed and ready to take on the day and am hopeful that this feeling will last all day.

With a positive attitude and energy I am going to enjoy my day!

Bridget

Meditation and ADD

Let's face it, we have all heard how wonderful meditation is for  you, especially if you have ADD.  Some studies have even claimed that it has cured it. (Not sure how if it is a neurological condition... but any hoo ) So, I thought I would give it a try and see for myself. The list of benefits from meditation is extensive, but here are my top ten, in no particular order from 76 Scientific Benefits of Meditation from the Live and Dare web site.

1. Meditation helps regulate mood and anxiety in general:
     That is a benefit for All not just people with ADD. Everyone could use a little help lowering their stress and keeping their moods in check.

2. Meditation improves your focus, attention and ability of work under stress:
     This is the crux of my ADHD. My mother has always said I have the attention span of a gnat, and she is right. If my focus and attention improves I am pretty sure I would make better decisions, which would lower my stress not increase it. No one makes good choices when they are stressed and can't focus.... or they are focused on the wrong things. Working under stress increases your anxiety... and see #1.

3. Loving- Kindness meditation improves empathy and positive relationships:
     Everybody wants positive relationships in their lives. Those connections are what feeds us and makes us feel like part of a community. If meditation can help with that it should be a requirement for all!

4. Meditation reduces reactivity:
     I admit it.... sometime I feel like my ADHD has hijacked my brain and instead of being proactive I become reactive and my best side becomes very hidden.  Not pretty!

5. Meditation increases the ability to stay focus in spite of distractions:
     Life is full of distractions and anything that will help my ability to stay focused while distractions are swirling around me is a win- win for not just me but everyone around me!

6. Mindful meditation improves rapid memory recall:
     I don't know about you but one of my most annoying ADHD symptoms is my memory recall. I have to write everything down and am the Queen of lists.

7. Mindful meditation fosters creativity:
     Being creative is an outlet for me and is one of my ADHD gifts.

8. Meditation enhances self esteem:
     I think everyone could use a self esteem boost, but people with ADD are very hard on themselves and their self esteem takes a beating.

9.  Meditation improves your health at every level.
     Even the molecular level! Healthy cells.... Life excels!

10. Meditation may make you live longer:
     That is reason enough to try it!
   
I am going to put forth my best effort and see what all this hoopla is about and determine for myself if meditation can be/ or should be part of my ADHD living plan. Join me on my adventures through the world of meditation.....

Do you meditate? Do you have ADD? Do you feel it has helped? I would love to hear from you and share experiences.

Bridget