Best Quotes from The Mindfulness Prescription For Adult Adhd by Lidia Zylowska with Page Numbers

Attention is our window to the world, both the world outside of us and the world within.

Ultimately, where we place our attention, and how other things grab our attention, shapes our lives.

Where we place our attention shapes our lives.

Even if you do have ADHD, you can train and strengthen your attention to become more empowered to work with your ADHD symptoms.

Mindfulness—a specific shift in perception that can be accessed in meditation as well as in the course of a typical day—is an approach with far-reaching effects.

Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment.

Mindfulness also involves a nonjudgmental attitude: a way of seeing what is happening around you or inside you with curiosity, openness, and acceptance.

This specific way of paying attention can be applied to things in the outside world as well as to what is happening inside of you.

Mindfulness is also a practice of being alert and attentive yet relaxed.

You learn to pay attention to where your attention is going.

"Self-regulation is similar to self-control and includes self-monitoring and self-correction; it is our conscious ability to direct our attention, thoughts, emotions, impulses, and actions."

"Self-regulation strength is a limited resource—a tank or a pool—that can be depleted by using it."

"Once the self-regulation tank is depleted, it is easier to have 'failures of self-regulation'... having an emotional meltdown or overeating after a mentally taxing task."

"The good news is that with understanding and the right treatment, you can learn to manage your ADHD and the self-regulation difficulties that come with it."

"On your ADHD journey—yes, it is a journey—mindfulness can be of tremendous help, as it teaches effective self-regulation strategies and can help replenish the self-regulation tank."

"Mindfulness promotes a positive shift in how we relate to all of our experiences."

"Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your feelings and help you deal with them in a compassionate and balanced way."

"Good emotional regulation leads to psychological resilience and being able to control strong impulses."

"Mindfulness teaches how to manage negative emotions and communicate thoughtfully with others."

"Attention is a key factor in neuroplasticity, and where we direct our attention determines which neural circuits become engaged and modified."

Mindfulness at its heart is an exploration, a journey that involves as much resting, letting go, and playfulness as it involves planning and effort.

It is also your journey: make it fit your life and your preferences.

Both types of mindfulness practice are valuable and can reinforce each other.

Informal mindfulness practice does not feel like yet 'another thing on the to-do list.' Rather, it is a new way of relating to what you normally would be doing throughout the day.

If you can name it then you can tame it.

Labeling is also helpful with observing difficult thoughts or feelings.

You gently pop the bubble and return to the breath.

Try to approach your own constellation of ADHD symptoms with newfound curiosity.

Strive to be nonjudgmental and compassionate.

Even small moments of mindfulness can create lasting change.

"As we learn to pause, we can more easily tell ourselves: 'Maybe I don’t have to do this in this way.'"

"Mindfulness is a practice of being alert and attentive yet relaxed."

"The body is the source of deep self-knowledge."

"If you have ADHD, you probably tend to think about your lack of focus with frustration and discouragement: 'Why can’t I pay attention?!'"

"Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional."

"We can limit the related suffering by changing our relationship to the discomfort."

"Wherever you place your attention, the spot becomes illuminated and more clearly perceived."

"Mindfulness involves both focusing and monitoring our attention."

"Our breath is always in the present; focusing on the breath can therefore keep us alert and anchored to 'the now.'"

"Mindfulness leads to a fully embodied life—one in which our mind and body are aligned and communicating with each other."

"Instead of being caught up in the narrative in our head, we are invited to observe our thinking as an everchanging stream."

"This shift in perspective weakens the grip of unhelpful thinking."

"Mindfulness helps us discern what’s happening inside us with more clarity and allows us to shape our decisions and actions so they can work for us—not against us."

"Mindfulness provides some ways to neutralize such thinking and regain a balanced perspective."

"Mindfulness training, spiritual traditions, and therapies that draw from them emphasize that the courageous acceptance of what is—sometimes called radical acceptance—is required for effective change and healing to happen."

"The ability to step back and watch emotional reactions without necessarily acting on them is key to emotional control."

"When we celebrate something as well as when we mourn our losses, emotions give meaning to our lives."

"With mindfulness, we can observe and accept the present moment without judgment."

"Mindfulness creates a mental space—a space that allows us to decide what we want to do next in that moment."

"Being kind to ourselves can transform our experience and help us move forward positively."

"Realize you can drop into deeper awareness anywhere, anytime, even if it’s only for a moment or two."

"Let every moment be an opportunity for a deeper connection with yourself and your life."

"Mindfulness—awareness of the present moment with curiosity and kindness—helps us 'show up' in our life, however it is."

"That’s because this knowing is also a realization that freedom and healing is possible, even if a complete cure is not."

"It is an act of love to decide that your inner experience matters and deserves your full attention."

"You can welcome your ADHD life and everything it brings with acceptance and deep appreciation for the ADHD moments—and all the other moments in between."

"Ultimately, mindfulness gives us a profound awareness that there is beauty and mystery in us that is beyond all labels or stories we have about ourselves and others."

"We learn to observe and discern with wisdom."

"We grow to know that as we struggle with our imperfections we are nevertheless whole—even in ADHD moments, even in this very moment."

"Thank you for taking the time to read this book and being open to exploring this new way of being present with yourself, your ADHD, and the rest of your life."