S.T.O.P. and Reset!

Stop just one minute!

What do you notice?

• What sounds?
• What sights?
• What tastes?
• What scents?
• What other body sensations?
• What feelings/emotions? 
• What mental chatter?

So much is happening in our inner and outer worlds at every single moment! 

Taking time to pause can pull us into the present moment. It can help us notice what’s going on around and within us.

Like pushing the re-set button, pausing with awareness can help us gather ourselves and “refresh” before we continue what we were doing, or decide to change course.

For individuals with ADHD, this “re-set” can serve a number of useful purposes.

1) It can serve as a check on distraction:  “Am I on track with what I had planned to be doing?”

2) It can serve as a check on hyper-focus: “Do I really want to continue doing this at this point?”

3) It can help calm a busy mind and feel very grounding.

5) It can raise self-awareness and develop meta-cognition (the ability to be aware of and understand your own thought process), important skills for self-monitoring one’s actions.

6) It can facilitate conscious choice about one’s actions. 

Here’s an acronym that can help to pause and reset:

S.T.O.P.

S – Stop for a moment

T – Take a deep breath

O – Observe:

• Use all senses – sight, sound, taste, touch, smell
• Tune in to your body sensations 
• Notice your feelings and your thoughts

P – Proceed with choice – resume your prior activity or choose a new one.

Curious?
Here’s an easy experiment you can do in under five minutes: 

• Try STOPping a few times each day to see what you notice!
• Post a note “STOP” to remind yourself to do it! 

For more on mindfulness and ADHD, see:

The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD
Mindfulness for ADHD tele-class

Photo Credits: Robert Miles, idea go, freedigitalphotos.net