Lead With Movement

"ADHD Paralysis" is defined by Psych Central to be: 

• ADHD mental paralysis. A state of overwhelm from too many converging thoughts and emotions. It may make it challenging to speak, move, or convey what’s going on in your mind at the moment.

• ADHD task paralysis. A freeze in motivation may result in procrastination and task avoidance, brought on by a looming to-do list.

• ADHD choice paralysis. Also known as analysis paralysis, this is a sense of overwhelm related to too many choices or the need to make a decision.

Perhaps as an adult with ADHD you have experienced this your whole life and didn't know what it meant! You just felt frustrated or ashamed that you weren't able to perform at the level that you wanted to, or was expected of you. So when you see your child in this state there is a simple but effective way I've found to get out of them (and perhaps you) out of the funk!

This principle is- "Lead with movement". What does this mean? Whenever a brain is in its paralysis state, whether its mental, emotional or task related- it can feel like you are moving with  cement blocks on your feet. So the first step I take is with movement. For myself, when I feel that funk looming, or if I'm sitting in bed judging and hating myself- I get my body into movement. This morning I went on an hour long walk listening to podcasts and music and suddenly I felt motivation to finish the laundry! The movement of the body stimulates movement of the brain. Literally as Bob from one of my favorite movies "What About Bob?" says- baby steps. 

How is this principle applied to your children? Say your child is laying on the ground after you've redirected him several times in the morning to get ready for school, or church, or even a birthday party. Doesn't matter the occasion sometimes- their body refuses to move. This is because ADHD brains have impaired executive function, and therefore respond to stress differently than neurotypical brains do. So instead of harassing your child to put on their clothes and socks and shoes and every teeny tiny little task- motivate them with movement. Here are some ideas:

1. Excited them with an end goal. Instead of "we need to get ready for school" say "lets put those shoes on so we can ride bikes before school." Gets them excited, that dopamine flowing, and gets them outside- towards your goal!

2. Institute fun contests- who can do the most jumping jacks? Longest plank award! Most pushups award! I bet there will be something your kid excels at. And gets the body moving, and the brain excited! 

3. Dance Parties! I can't tell you how many times we've had impromptu dance parties to release stress, anxiety, or just to wake up in the morning. We have our own family dance playlist but I love the app called Go Noodle which has tons of silly dances with fun graphics and music. We used this as our "PE" during Covid. 

4. Yoga. Have a deep thinker? Most ADHD kids have a million thoughts racing through their heads during the day. My son does yoga at school once a week and I can tell when he does because he comes home calmer. So maybe you start the day that way? The whole family could join. Set up your mats. Even doing 15 minutes might show significant focus and control later that day. Plus you are encouraging peace and calm in your home. My favorites have been the app Kids Yoga Club and Cosmic Yoga on Youtube. 

When in doubt- lead with movement!