The Power of Mindfulness and Breathing for ADHD and Anxiety: A Guide for Neurodiverse Teens and Young Adults
Living with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or anxiety can feel overwhelming, especially for teens and young adults who are navigating school, relationships, and the pressures of daily life. Whether you’re neurodiverse yourself or a parent supporting a neurodivergent child, finding effective coping strategies is essential. One such strategy gaining increasing attention is mindfulness, specifically mindful breathing.
Mindfulness practices, which involve focusing on the present moment without judgment, have been scientifically shown to benefit individuals with ADHD and anxiety in a variety of ways. By incorporating simple techniques like mindful breathing, you can improve attention, reduce stress, and promote emotional regulation—skills that can be especially challenging for those with ADHD and anxiety. Let’s dive into the science behind how mindfulness works and why it’s so effective.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the present moment—on purpose, without judgment. It means noticing what you’re feeling, thinking, and experiencing right now, without trying to change it. Mindful breathing is one of the most accessible ways to practice mindfulness. It involves focusing your attention on your breath, noticing each inhale and exhale, and bringing your mind back to your breath when distractions arise.
How Mindfulness Helps ADHD
ADHD is often characterized by difficulty with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. It can make it harder to stay focused, control impulses, and manage emotions. Research shows that mindfulness and mindful breathing can provide valuable support for individuals with ADHD in several ways:
1. Improves Attention and Focus
Mindfulness helps improve attention by training the brain to focus on the present moment. For individuals with ADHD, this is especially important because their brains are constantly bombarded with stimuli, making it difficult to focus on one thing at a time. Studies have shown that mindfulness exercises can increase brain activity in areas associated with attention regulation, like the prefrontal cortex. This helps individuals with ADHD become more aware of their thoughts and better able to control their focus.
Scientific Evidence: A study published in Journal of Attention Disorders found that mindfulness training helped improve attention and reduced symptoms of ADHD in both children and adults. Mindful breathing exercises, in particular, were effective in calming the mind and regaining focus.
2. Reduces Impulsivity
Impulsivity is a common challenge for people with ADHD, whether it's interrupting others, making quick decisions without thinking, or acting without considering consequences. Mindful breathing helps create a pause between stimulus and reaction, allowing individuals to pause and choose a more thoughtful response instead of reacting impulsively.
Scientific Evidence: Mindfulness techniques have been shown to improve self-regulation and reduce impulsive behaviors. A 2017 study in Psychology of Well-Being found that mindfulness interventions reduced impulsivity in individuals with ADHD, helping them develop more controlled and deliberate responses.
3. Enhances Emotional Regulation
ADHD can often lead to emotional dysregulation—difficulty managing emotions, especially when frustrated or overwhelmed. Mindfulness practices, including breathing exercises, teach individuals how to observe and manage their emotions without being controlled by them. By focusing on the present moment, individuals can recognize emotions as they arise and choose how to respond.
Scientific Evidence: A review published in Clinical Psychology Review showed that mindfulness practices improve emotional regulation in people with ADHD. By increasing awareness of internal emotional states, mindfulness helps prevent extreme emotional reactions, which can be particularly helpful for managing ADHD-related challenges like irritability and frustration.
How Mindfulness Helps Anxiety
Anxiety often involves excessive worry, nervousness, and a tendency to overthink. For individuals with ADHD, anxiety can be compounded by difficulties with focus and impulsivity, leading to even more stress. Mindfulness practices, especially mindful breathing, have been shown to be effective in managing anxiety symptoms.
1. Activates the Body’s Relaxation Response
Mindful breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system—the part of the nervous system that helps the body relax. When you focus on slow, deep breaths, you signal to your body that it's time to calm down. This is especially important for anxiety, which can cause physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and muscle tension.
Scientific Evidence: Research from Frontiers in Psychology suggests that mindful breathing techniques help reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety by activating the body's relaxation response, promoting slower heart rates and calming the nervous system.
2. Reduces the Cycle of Worrying Thoughts
One of the hallmarks of anxiety is the cycle of constant worry and negative thinking. Mindfulness encourages individuals to step back from these thoughts and observe them without judgment. By practicing mindfulness, you learn that thoughts are just thoughts—they don’t necessarily reflect reality, and they don’t have to control you.
Scientific Evidence: Studies have shown that mindfulness-based interventions can help break the cycle of rumination in individuals with anxiety. A 2016 study in Behaviour Research and Therapy found that mindfulness practices significantly reduced anxiety by helping participants become less engaged with their anxious thoughts.
3. Increases Emotional Resilience
Mindfulness practices help individuals build resilience, allowing them to respond more calmly to stressors. This is especially important for individuals with anxiety, who may find that everyday situations trigger feelings of nervousness or dread. By practicing mindful breathing, individuals can train themselves to approach challenges with more emotional balance.
Scientific Evidence: Research in Psychiatry Research found that individuals who practiced mindfulness had greater emotional resilience and were better equipped to cope with stress and anxiety. These individuals were able to stay calm and centered even in high-pressure situations.
How to Get Started with Mindful Breathing
Starting a mindfulness practice doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a simple mindful breathing exercise you can try:
Find a Quiet Spot: Sit in a comfortable position, either on a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes if that helps you focus.
Take a Deep Breath: Slowly inhale through your nose, allowing your lungs to fill with air. Count to four as you breathe in.
Exhale Slowly: Gently exhale through your mouth, counting to four again. Focus on the sensation of the air leaving your body.
Repeat: Continue breathing deeply for a few minutes. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your attention back to your breath without judgment.
You can practice mindful breathing for as little as 1 minute a day, gradually increasing the duration as you get more comfortable. Over time, you’ll notice improvements in your ability to focus, manage anxiety, and control impulsive emotions and behaviors.
GNOMASTE’s Mindful Breathing Cards offer an easy and fun way to incorporate breathing into daily life, one minute at time. The more you practice these techniques, the better you will become at using your breath to reset and refocus. Anywhere. Anytime. Excellent Gift Idea!
Final Thoughts: A Mindful Future
Mindfulness, especially mindful breathing, offers a scientifically backed way to support mental well-being for neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with ADHD and anxiety. By practicing mindfulness regularly, teens and young adults can improve their ability to focus, regulate emotions, and reduce anxiety. While mindfulness is not a cure, it’s a valuable tool that can complement other treatments and help you navigate the challenges that come with being neurodiverse.
If you’re a teen or young adult with ADHD or anxiety—or a parent supporting your neurodiverse child—consider incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine - one minute at a time.
The science is clear: mindfulness works. And with regular practice, you can start reaping the many benefits it has to offer.
Small steps. Big Change.
