Mindfulness for Kids: Easy ways to get started

I talk a lot about the practice of mindfulness with my patients because it is an ideal tool to have in your toolbox. Mindfulness can significantly improve concentration and focus, calm anxiety, and can even increase neuroplasticity (the ability for our brain to make new connections and learn new skills or behaviors). 

Practicing mindfulness doesn’t cost anything either!

I don’t get too many raised eyebrows when I “prescribe” mindfulness activities. Most of us can understand the benefits and would love to incorporate it into their routines--but getting started can be tough!

I recommend setting aside a regular time (even just 5 minutes) to sit down and do one mindful exercise per day. Anchoring it to an already established habit (ex. after lunch, after brushing teeth) can be helpful. If you can incorporate it more frequently, even better!

I also recommend picking a very simple exercise that doesn’t require much time. One of my favorite books with simple ideas for kids is “Calm: Mindfulness for Kids” by Wynne Kinder. This book not only shows simple exercises that are great for starting up a mindfulness practice, it also has inviting photos and illustrations. And you can totally jump between pages (we are talking ADHD brains here). 

One of my favorite exercises illustrated in the book is the high-five breath. This is a simple technique where you slowly trace the outside of your hand, breathing in as you move to the top of each finger, pausing at the top, and exhaling as you move down the other side. Give this a try, tracing your hand 5 times for a mindful high-five.

I recommend checking out this book for more easy ideas. You can find other great resources at www.mindful.org

Interested in the science behind mindfulness and ADHD? I recommend the book “The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD” by Lidia Zylowska

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