"Mindfulness" activities can be a great help to kids with ADHD and "wiggly" kids who have a hard time sitting still and focusing and regulating their big feelings. "Mindfulness" sounds like it might mean totally quiet and still, but that is not the case. Often, the most successful "mindfulness" activities for kids with busy minds and bodies are ones that are flexible and playful and allow for physical movement.
Children with ADHD tend to have racing thoughts, restlessness, as well as intense emotional responses. Mindfulness techniques benefit the children because they learn them to calmly observe their physical and mental processes without judging them. Children with ADHD are no longer instructed to “calm down” or simply “try harder” because they learn simple techniques to pause and rejoin their current experiences.
One of the mindfulness exercises for adhd is mindful physical activity and breathing. Instead of asking students to sit and not move a muscle, they can be encouraged to stretch their arms up on the inhale and lower them on the exhale. It will provide their body with activity and will also calm their nervous system. Just a minute or two will do the trick.
Another activity that is beneficial is sensory mindfulness. This is a way to encourage students to see what they can see, hear, feel, or smell. For instance, the teacher can ask the students to give them three things that they hear or name the two things that students feel with their feet. Such an activity is quite effective for energetic kids. This is because attention is presented in the form of a game rather than in terms of stillness.
Body mindfulness is also a very effective tool. Activities such as squeezing a stress ball, pushing their hands together, or wall push-ups will allow them to get rid of their energy and also allow them to recognize their bodies. It tells their body that it is okay to calm down and will not take away the child’s need to move.
Another area in which mindfulness may help is in the regulation of emotions. Naming emotions when they occur, for example, "I see that I am feeling frustrated," can enable students to control their emotions rather than react impulsively.
One thing to keep in mind when teaching mindfulness to students is that the practice should never feel penalizing to the students. Additionally, silent classroom times can cause more stress in students suffering from ADHD. The solution in both cases is to work on the process, not the outcome. Additionally, frequent mindful moments beat long mindful moments, especially when the students have a choice.
In the end, mindfulness activities help ADHD students—and all restless kids—feel seen, heard, and believed in. Mindfulness not only offers a solution for ADHD kids to focus, but also serves as a means for them to accept themselves.
