building an ADHD-friendly mindfulness practice for managing overwhelm and anxiety + a pen log update

Hi, friends! How have you been this week? The other day, as I was preparing for a work presentation, I noticed that I was falling into my usual pattern of procrastination, along with feelings of anxiety and fear of failure. In this week's video, I'll be discussing how I've gradually developed and adjusted a mindfulness practice to help cope with my ADHD and anxiety symptoms, and to better handle stressful situations. At the same time, I’m going to work on updating my pen log with one of my newest additions to my pen collection - my Pilot Custom 823. 🥹 I got this pen back in April, and I have to say that it has quickly become one of my favourite pens in my collection. **What are your thoughts on a mindfulness practice, and what are some things you like to incorporate into your practice?** Also, if you have any feedback or requests for future videos, please let me know! Thanks for being here; I appreciate you! 💗 References Bjerrum, M. B., Pedersen, P. U., & Larsen, P. (2017). Living with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adulthood: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. *JBI Evidence Synthesis*, *15*(4), 1080. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003357 Bluvshtein, M., Saeedi, S., DeBruyn, N., & Gillespie, K. L. (2021). Mindfulness, Therapeutic Metaphors, and Brain Functioning in Adlerian Therapy: Gemeinschaftsgefühl at Work. *Journal of Individual Psychology*, *77*(4), 409–426. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. https://doi.org/10.1353/jip.2021.0035 Harris, R. (2019). *ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy*. New Harbinger Publications. Hoxhaj, E., Sadohara, C., Borel, P., D’Amelio, R., Sobanski, E., Müller, H., Feige, B., Matthies, S., & Philipsen, A. (2018). Mindfulness vs psychoeducation in adult ADHD: A randomized controlled trial. *European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience*, *268*(4), 321–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-018-0868-4 Hungerford, C., Hills, S., Richards, C., Robinson, T., & Hills, D. (2022). Facilitating Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Anxiety in Older People: History, Effectiveness, and Future Possibilities. *Issues in Mental Health Nursing*, *43*(11), 1014–1021. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2022.2116510 Kabat-Zinn, J. (1982). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: Theoretical considerations and preliminary results. *General Hospital Psychiatry*, *4*(1), 33–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/0163-8343(82)90026-3 Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies. *Clinical Psychology Review*, *31*(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006 **Additional resources** Anxiety Canada (2024). *Mindfulness exercises.* https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/mindfulness-exercises/ U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (n.d.). *Track 03 - Leaves on the stream.* https://www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/captions/Track03_LeavesOnTheStream.pdf **Fountain pen ink colours used: ** - Robert Oster: Toffee - Pilot Iroshizuku: Yama Guri - Robert Oster: Heart of Gold - Winsor & Newton (travel watercolour set) To help you navigate this video, I’ve included timestamps below: 0:00 - Intro 5:41 - What unhelpful/unproductive things am I doing, thinking, feeling, or experiencing physically? 5:56- task avoidance (e.g. procrastination) 6:17 - Thinking: I don’t know anything, I’m going to mess up, I’m going to look bad, I’m going to look stupid 6:32 - Feeling emotionally: irritable, vulnerable, panicked 6:52 - Feeling physically: knots in my stomach, heart racing, trouble sleeping, skin breaks out 12:24 - What is Mindfulness? 13:52 - Mindfulness can help with inattention, impulsivity, emotional control issues 14:37 - 3 mindfulness exercises 14:51 - mindfulness exercise 1: deep breathing 15:54 - mindfulness exercise 2: three senses 16:35 - what are three things I can hear? 16:42 - what are three things I can see? 16:54 - what are three things I can feel? 17:51 - mindfulness exercise 3: leaves on a stream 19:32 - mindfulness and ADHD *** Thank you so much for being here! 💗  Due to my working schedule, I am unable to commit to a regular upload schedule, so please subscribe and turn on the notifications for when new videos upload if you’d like to see more from me :) NAME: Alison INSPIRATION: My rescue dog, Coconut. 🥥 EDITOR: me!