A Hoodie Helps
Easy Meditation for Writers with ADHD
Meditating while coping with ADHD may sound like a contradiction. But it’s easy if you know just a couple of tricks, like wearing a hooded-sweatshirt. Skip complicated “rules,” and write on!
Why Writers Should Meditate and Why is That Girl Wearing an Orange Sweatshirt?
How can writers with ADHD meditate when random thoughts constantly swim around in their heads?
How could someone who struggles to stay on track, sit still, and do nothing but watch themselves breathe?
If I can meditate and live with raging ADHD, so can you! It takes a bit of practice but it’s well worth it.
Meditation lowers blood pressure, improves brain functioning, boosts your immune system, lowers stress, and improves metabolism. Every time I meditate, I calm down. My head has fewer thoughts all scrambled together. And I can focus on whatever I’m writing. And writers’ block disappears.
Years ago when I was in graduate school preparing to take the infamous “comps” (comprehensive exams given at the end of one’s studies for a PhD), I had trouble studying.
Hardly surprising, given ADHD, that it seemed like I couldn’t focus on the material for more than a couple minutes at a time, even though I was interested in much of the material.
What if I didn’t pass the exams? What if I forgot to turn off the oven before I left for the library? What if Stephen wasn’t doing his homework?
But, not to worry. Meditation doesn’t have as many rules as you might think. And it’s also easier than the folks who love rules would suggest.
Now here’s my ADHD secret for meditating. For writing. For stopping writers’ block. For staying on track. Wear a hooded sweatshirt because it blocks your peripheral vision if you’re writing. And it helps you feel “cocoon-ish” which helps with meditation.
I did pass the exams. I wore a red hooded sweatshirt. And I still wear hooded sweatshirts. In fact, I have quite a collection of them.
10 Tips for Easy Meditation without Rules
- Get a timer or use a timer on your computer.
- Sit in a chair, any chair, your favorite chair. (If you want to sit cross-legged on the floor in the lotus position, that’s fine. It’s not necessary.)
- Put your feet flat on the floor. (Although feet on the floor is probably optimal, I often cheat and have my legs stretched out on a footstool. It still works and I’m more comfortable. Sometimes I cross my legs.)
- Close your eyes. (People who don’t have ADHD sometimes soft-focus. I don’t recommend this for ADHD. I certainly can’t do it.)
- Try it with no music, try it with soft music. (I can’t meditate with soft music. It’s distracting. Other folks with ADHD find that it helps. Do what works.)
- Take a very deep breath, hold it for 3 counts, and exhale the breath slowly. (Usually it’s suggested that you exhale with your mouth open. I often forget to do that. It works anyway.)
- Take several more deep breaths. I count them until I lose track and go into meditating mode. Counting helps keep “thinking” to a minimum.
- Now watch yourself breathe. You probably won’t be able to stay focused on watching yourself breathe for very long. That’s normal. It’s OK. (Instructions that tell you to keep watching yourself breathe through an entire meditation session are asking you to do the impossible and setting you up to think you’ve failed at meditation.)
- As thoughts start bouncing around–and they will–practice being an observer of each thought. No judgment. Now let that thought float away. (I silently talk to myself which helps: “Oh, that’s an interesting thought. Never mind. Float away now thought. I’m not paying attention to you.”)
- Stop meditating when the timer goes off and notice how you feel. Some people like to write in their journal after meditating. I do it sometimes. Usually I don’t. No rules.
Random Thoughts and Suggestions for Meditating
Meditate consistently, every day if possible. The benefits are cumulative. If you don’t do it everyday, that’s ok. Remember, no rules!
If you’ve never meditated before, start with three minutes, work up to five. I do 10 minutes, sometimes more. If three minutes is too long, do one minute.
Oh, and wear a hooded sweatshirt if that helps you.
Sometimes I feel like my entire meditation is nothing but thoughts coming in and being sent away. But as I’ve gotten better at meditating, that’s not as common.
If you’re not feeling totally stressed out, you may meditate for several minutes with no thoughts. The first time that happened to me, I thought I’d lost it! I’d never experienced what it was to have no thoughts. As you know, people with ADHD think all the time.
Other times, I fall asleep meditating. No, I didn’t just fail at meditation. After all, a short nap is also good for restarting the focus switch for writing.
Probably not a good idea to stop and run out in the kitchen to pour yourself a cup of coffee while you’re meditating. But wiggling a bit, opening your eyes for a couple seconds, scratching your nose or even taking a sip of water is fine. You’re on track.
Occasionally I get into a pattern of saying a mantra. Again, you don’t have to say a mantra to meditate. I might say something like “all is well” as I inhale and again as I exhale. Other times I say the ancient Hindu mantra “Om Namah Shivaya.”
Usually about half way through my meditation, I forget the mantra or I change mantras. Sometimes when I get tangled up in deciding what mantra to use, I stop “mantra-ing” as it’s become too distracting.
Whether you use a mantra or not is a personal choice. If it helps, say a mantra. If it doesn’t help, don’t. It doesn’t matter! There is no secret mantra for meditating.
Dubious Meditation Practices for Writers with ADHD
You’ve probably read about various forms of meditation: group meditation, color meditation, walking meditation. None of them work for me. And I doubt most people with serious ADHD would find them easy. Too many distractions.
I still have a hard time meditating if someone else is in the room. And walking mediation is an invitation to trip and break my ankle.
Bottom line: Play with meditating. Find the way it works for you. No judgment, right or wrong.
Avoid suggestions from others that are too complicated, too many rules, or don’t take into account how easily you’re distracted.
For example, meditating while walking around a labyrinth with other people is a terrific idea . . . for writers who do NOT have ADHD! Aside from the fact, that it’s not a good idea to close your eyes while walking, meditating with eyes open rarely works for writers with ADHD.
Success will come with practice. You may be surprised at how little practice.
Notice that you feel calmer. That you’re more focused. That it’s easier to get back to writing.
First published at OverwhelmToAction.com.
Here’s another trick to help with your writing:
