This meditation is called Afraid to Forget.
And the theme is that those of us with ADHD are oftentimes afraid to take a break that our body needs and our mind needs because we're afraid we're going to forget where we were,
What we were doing,
Where we were going.
And this is a valid fear for those of us who have challenges with executive functioning.
We've done it a million times and we know what we have to wade through just to kind of get back to where we were.
But having the fear itself makes that all the harder.
And so one option is to just keep working,
Just plow through,
Keep going.
And that usually ends up confirming the fear,
Feeding the fear,
And establishing a pattern of always pushing through and never resting.
So today I'd like you to challenge that belief,
But in a really gentle way.
This is a part,
After all,
That's just trying to help us be happy,
Feel productive,
Finish things,
Which we really can struggle with.
You can use this meditation as many times during the day as you'd like just to give yourself breaks every now and then.
So sitting comfortably,
Take a nice breath in through the nose.
Let it out also through the nose,
Letting the out breath be a little bit longer than the in breath.
This meditation is designed specifically for people with ADHD.
So not too much time without me talking.
Those pauses are where we can get lost in thought or drift off.
Now that you're a little more settled,
Let's kind of locate that pause.
Let's kind of locate that part that is afraid we're going to forget.
You might have a body sensation associated with this part.
Sometimes a clutching in the throat or a tension in the chest,
But just see where you locate that for yourself.
And once you kind of have located that fearful part,
Just bring some softness to that area.
You can even put your hand there.
Just give it a little warmth,
A little soothing touch.
And let it know that you're grateful for its help.
That you recognize this part wants you to be happy and successful.
And you appreciate what it's done for you,
How hard it works,
How anxious it is to help.
And then let it know that it's okay.
It can trust you.
That you need to rest and reset.
Pay attention to other things.
Give yourself a bit of a break.
And you will find your way back in due time.
You're not going to let anything really important slip.
You're going to take care of the things you need to take care of.
You're responsible.
You're smart.
You're capable.
And just ask this part to trust you.
And let you off the hook a little bit.
Tell this part it's okay not to work so hard all the time.
And that by resting,
By easing our anxiety,
We actually come back to work better,
More productively.
With happier hearts,
More peaceful minds,
More clarity and ease.
Which in the long run will be more sustainable than plowing through,
Exhausting ourselves.
And that part might be a little bit more difficult.
Exhausting ourselves.
And that part might not be ready to let go now.
But just let it know.
You're aware.
You're there.
You're listening.
And it can really trust you.
That you've got this.
And as we close,
Thank the part for showing up and for listening.
Just be aware of some new openness and some new ease.
As you return to the task at hand.
This ends this short meditation.
