Mindfulness and Self-Compassion as Foundations of ADHD Care

"I've found that there are no secret solutions, but everything is better when I remember to be mindful and compassionate to myself. I mean, sometimes it feels soul crushing to try and try and it feels like nothing works fully or sticks long enough and nothing ever changes. I want to curl up and quit. But when I remember self-compassion, I'm able to keep at it even when it seems mundane and like it should work easily."

"If a friend starred on the swim team and hurt her shoulder, we'd probably offer her emotional support. We'd say something like, "Oh, that's awful! Can I maybe carry your backpack?" We'd also encourage her to do whatever work has to get done in the gym to get back to full strength. And yet for ourselves, if we hurt our shoulder, both the prospect of going to the gym and the disappointment of missing swim season might overwhelm us."

ADHD commonly causes ongoing frustration, self-doubt, and an amplified inner critic that undermines motivation. Mindfulness and self-compassion provide stabilizing practices that reduce harsh self-judgment and help sustain effort despite setbacks. Applying compassion to oneself promotes persistence through mundane efforts and gradual improvement rather than giving up when progress feels slow. Imagining the care one would offer a friend highlights the discrepancy between advice given to others and how one treats oneself, suggesting a practical strategy of self-directed support. Personal accounts show that remembering self-compassion can make tasks feel less overwhelming and improve persistence and overall functioning.

Read at Psychology Today