The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD - Lidia Zylowska

The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD - Lidia Zylowska

Lidia Zylowska, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist and Associate Professor at the UMN Department of Psychiatry where she leads the Mental Health Wellness Team.  Dr. Zylowska has expertise in integrative psychiatry, adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and mindfulness-based therapy.   Early in her career at UCLA, she conducted pioneering research in mindfulness and ADHD and helped establish the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.   She is also the author of “The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD” book which was awarded the distinction of “2012 CHADD’s Most Innovative Program”. 

In this interview, we detail the difference between meditation and mindfulness, ways to practice mindfulness if sitting still is challenging, whether ADHD drugs are necessary, and the origins of ADHD. Lidia shares some of her favorite resources for adult ADHD. Lidia also discusses mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, how to achieve a balance between acceptance and change, and ways we can check in with our bodies.

Resources From The Episode

Listen to it on Apple Podcasts

Download as an MP3

Links

Facebook Mindfulness ADHD

Facebook UMN Psychiatry

Headspace

Derek Sivers

Transcendental Meditation

Be Mindful Meditation

Books

The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD

Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

Tribe of Mentors

Show Notes

01:56 - Can you explain briefly what mindfulness is?

05:00 - Do you think everyone needs to meditate in order to achieve a certain level of mindfulness?

10:52 - How do you define somebody with ADHD versus the attention disorders that we are having a huge prevalence in that's really just related to technology?

31:18 - Why do some people put so much value on being productive?

40:22 - How do you “scan” the body to know if you’re triggered by something?

46:13 - What kind of mindfulness activities do you recommend should people start doing?

51:36 - Can you give us a very simple but effective technique on what to do before doing an important undertaking?

55:47 - What activities other than meditation can make us be more mindful?

57:23 - Do you have any recommendations about where people should go to learn more about meditation or the specific types of meditation or groups and activities?

58:27 - What about other helpful mindfulness resources?