Have any of you tried meditation?

[Phentex]

I used to meditate years ago but life got in the way.

I think I'm going to try a couple 15 minute sessions per day. It's hard to settle down but I think I need it.

[hollysmom]

1. I don't havea set time to medicate but try to do it

before doctor appointments or when my arthritis is hurting, it reduces stress and pain. I prefer to not take medication.

[LWolf]

2. I don't have add/adhd, but I can give you some information.

I'm a teacher. I've spent decades working with ADD/ADHD students.

I'm also a daughter of a pretty extreme adhd woman, and the grandmother of an adhd boy.

Back in the 90s, I was teaching 8-9 year olds. My duties included PE. I taught in an area that, for months, was too hot to take kids outdoors...by law. So I developed all kinds of indoor activites instead. For PE, we would dance, do yoga, or play catch while sitting on tables, or do other physical things, but it wasn't enough. EVERYBODY needed frequent breaks and help with self-management when we had to spend all day indoors. Some of the dance and yoga that we did could be utilized for quick 2-minute breaks. I also did meditation breaks.

I didn't call them that. I used a book: The Boy and the Bear by Lori Lite. A "children's relaxation book." I would have them stretch out on the carpet and read to them; they would follow the instructions/actions that the boy was doing with the bear in terms of breathing. It was basically an exercise to teach meditation: breathing and emptying the mind, to young people.

It helped that, at that time, we had a 20-1 student-teacher ratio, so the room wasn't too crowded. Still, I took careful note of the results. Some kids immediately fell asleep. Some kids quickly became masters at relaxation exercises. Some struggled but got there.

The adhd kids? It was a torment to them. The very idea of having to be still, quiet, and to control their breathing had them twitching and squirming. They never mastered it, and always breathed with relief when we were done.

When the weather cooled down, I tried again. I took them out on the field and had them spread out on the grass. I made sure the adhd kids were on the edges, with more empty space between them and other people than we could manage inside.

It worked, and it worked quickly. And they were relieved. So was I. I asked them if they thought they could use relaxation and breathing to help them focus when they were struggling in class; it didn't have to be lying down or while I was reading to them. They wanted to try, and reported that it did help some.

[Phentex]

4. That's being a good teacher!

I feel like I should call and apologize to mine.

[LWolf]

5. Thanks.

I have, over the years, used many, many coping strategies for adhd. None work for all, but we can usually find some that work for some, and approach it that way.

In today's overcrowded middle school classrooms, I have a set of headphones that they can wear; nothing to plug into, but it helps quiet the sounds around them. I have had a series of special passes that I've used for those extreme "H" kids; each time they finish a task, they can ask for a pass to take them somewhere. Generally to the playground for a few minutes. I had one boy who just wanted to run laps. He was bright and motivated. He really just wanted to run, so he quickly learned to focus long enough to finish each task, and then he'd go out and run a mile or so, coming back in flushed, with bright eyes and a grin, ready to dive into whatever came next.

These are also the kids I pick most often for running any kind of errand. To the office, to the library, to another teacher's room...I tend to make sure I've got plenty of errands on hand at the beginning of the day just for this purpose. It's a win/win. They get movement and a break, plus they are helping. It's positive.

This last year we tried fitness/stability/balance balls to replace some students' chairs, and it worked well for some of them. It gave them an excuse for squirming, and took energy and focus to stay balanced while at their seats. Of course, the rest of the room was envious, but I didn't have the budget to replace ALL the chairs.

And, of course, the easiest and most often used is simple redirection, done with eye contact and/or a soft, supportive voice. That just takes patience and vigilance on my part.

[Phentex]

6. That's funny. I almost posted...

about the jobs my teachers would give me. In the old days, they would send me outside to beat chalk erasers.

One would always send me to the teacher's lounge to get her an RC cola (I think it was a dime).

I ran errands. I graded spelling tests. The band director had me wave the baton while he went on a bathroom break.

Good times!

[LWolf]

7. Better to be busy and feel helpful

than always feel like you're in trouble.

[meow2u3]

3. I don't have the attention span to meditate

I get too distracted by anything that pops in my head, even with medication.

[Confessor412]

8. You know what they say...

You know what they say, it's hardest to start something but easy after you've tried it... I've tried meditation to clear my mind, and it works quite well. Just... think about... emptiness... black... close your eyes... breathe slowly... Also, keep reminding yourself to think of nothing... it'll preoccupy your thoughts until "thinking of nothing" is the only thing you can think of. After you wake up, your mind is cleared.

Has this helped with my ADD/ADHD? Not... really. Not because it doesn't work (it is actually effective as advertised... or something), but because I can't get myself to meditate all the time. Sometimes it's just difficult to decide whether or not you want to meditate, or if it's worth the time, etc. etc...

If you can get yourself to do it though, tell me if it worked the charm just like it did for me