ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children and Teens by Debra Burdick

Author:Debra Burdick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments & Skills For Children And Teens
ISBN: 9781559570336
Publisher: PESI Publishing & Media
Published: 2015-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

Copyright © 2016 Debra E Burdick. ADHD: Non-Medication Treatments and Skills for Children and Teens, www.TheBrainLady.com. All rights reserved.

Tool 11-6: Mindfulness of Task

BACKGROUND: One important aspect of mindfulness involves being mindful of doing tasks while doing the tasks. This differs from more formal sitting mindfulness meditations in that it is a skill that children and teens with ADHD can incorporate it into their daily routine. It can be done while doing any task or activity. Practicing mindfulness while engaged in daily activities helps with concentration (and therefore memory), efficiency and stress. This tool introduces the concept of being mindful while doing any task.

SKILL BUILDING: Explain to clients that mindfulness of tasks simply means paying attention to what they are doing while they are doing it. As soon as they notice that their mind has wandered (that’s normal), they should gently return their attention to the task at hand. Describe how they can practice this skill no matter what they are doing during the day. Ask them about what a task is and then what tasks they do. Some examples are brushing their teeth, eating, washing their hands, taking a shower, going for a walk, doing homework or chores, washing the dishes and getting ready for bed.

Ask the client to close their eyes and imagine they are brushing their teeth. Read Handout 11-6-1 to them. Then help them pick a few tasks they routinely perform during each day such as brushing their teeth and encourage them to use this technique to practice being mindful while doing them.

Use the Dots Concentration Game on Handout 11-6-2 to help clients increase awareness of being off-task and to practice staying on task. Encourage older children and teens to use a timer to figure out how long they can easily stay focused. It may be useful for them to break their homework into chunks that take about that long to complete.

INTEGRATION: Help clients reflect on what it was like to pay such close attention to every detail of a task such as brushing their teeth or drawing. Did their mind wander? Tell them that with 60,000 thoughts a day it’s perfectly normal for their mind to wander. Were they able to notice that it wandered and bring their attention back to the task? Ask them what task they practiced being mindful of during the week. What did they notice about their ability to pay attention? Did they do a better job while being mindful? Was it easier to remember what they did? Was their mind calmer as it turned off the busy distracting chatter while they practiced being present? Did they notice any change in their stress level, worry, or ability to stay on task? With practice, is it getting easier to stay on task?

HANDOUT 11-6-1

MINDFULNESS OF TASK

No matter what task you are doing, you can be more present and aware of the moment by practicing mindfulness of tasks.

1. Set your intention to do a task.

2. Simply pay attention to what you are doing.

3. As soon

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