How Meditation Can Help Your Child's ADHD

The most common developmental disorder in children is attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Currently, there is limited medication available for treating ADHD. Even with appropriate pharmaceutical interventions, parents feel uncomfortable prescribing medicines to their children that may cause unpleasant side effects.

In addition to medication, meditation is one of the most effective natural treatment options.

I guess you are thinking, "How on earth am I supposed to get my hyperactive and impulsive child to sit still long enough to meditate? If they could sit still, I wouldn't be searching the internet for ADHD treatment." Fair enough. But allow me to explain.

Your Child's Brain on ADHD

Every person has thoughts and impulses that are not always rational. For example, you feel like driving into a car that just took your parking space. The functional prefrontal cortex in most of us keeps us from engaging in excessive or reckless behaviour.

As a result of a severely impaired prefrontal cortex, your child cannot prevent these impulses. Impulses emerge, and before your child understands what's happening, they are acting on them. Things happen fast!

Meditation Empowers Children with ADHD

An essential component to coping with ADHD is becoming aware of one's thoughts rather than taking medication that can calm them down. As a result of recognizing that he is not his thoughts but a person simply having thoughts, he is empowered to self-regulate and make better decisions.

Recent studies show that mindful meditation can help children with ADHD:

• Relieve stress and anxiety

• Reduce impulsivity

• Boost concentration

• Decrease hyperactivity

• Enhance self-esteem

• Helping Your Child Get Started

Meditation is one of the best things you can do with your child to get them interested in it. Make sure you do some research and perhaps even take a few classes to understand better what is involved.

In addition, you should dedicate a particular area of your home to meditation. Find a place where there won't be any interruptions and encourage a sense of calm.

Ensure that your child gets accustomed to the process slowly. Children should meditate for one minute a year. Your child's age may affect how much time they spend meditating. For example, a child may be ten but can only do 5 minutes at a time. Don't worry about pushing it; the age suggestion can be a starting point.

Let go of any expectations you may have when starting. Meditation is complex for most adults with fully functioning prefrontal cortexes at first, so chances are your child will have the same difficulty. If you become frustrated, don't yell at your child to "stop fidgeting." You will both become discouraged.

You can also use positive rewards to encourage them to start. The family can choose which movie to watch or game to play on the weekend.

Does your ADHD child find meditation easy? It would be easier to put a corset on a pig. Despite that, you must persevere because eventually, you will notice beautiful changes in your child.