My name is Dr. Elliot Gavin Keenan. I will be talking about mindfulness exercises designed specifically for neuroatypical individuals (autistic, as well as others like ADHD and bipolar). I have a PhD from UCLA and study clinical psychology; I am also (you guessed it) autistic, bipolar, and have ADHD. I recently wrote research paper on adaptation to dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)—this was more aimed at clinicians (and at least a few found it useful), but you can text me to get a full copy if you’re interested. I now write more for a neuroatypical adult audience.
Mindfulness may be particularly beneficial in helping neuroatypical people recognize the signals their bodies and emotions are sending them, and may also play a role in reducing anxiety and depression, as well as other arduous emotions — all of which disproportionately affect autistic and neuroatypical people.
Not every exercise will work for everyone – try a few and maybe one will work for you!
Mindfulness shouldn’t be terribly lifeless; in fact, in my experience, rollercoasters are quite mindful. It’s vital for NTs to have a range of alternatives to choose from, so they can find something that meets their current arousal needs.
What does it mean to be mindful?
Being mindful means that you are fully aware and in the present moment. You are not thinking about the past or trying to predict the future—you are simply experiencing the moment as it is, using your senses. When thoughts about the past or future (or “commentary” thoughts) arise, you dismiss them for the moment and come back to the present moment.
Have you ever listened to a song and at some point you realized you had stopped paying attention to the lyrics? Mindfulness is hearing every lyric.
Why is it worth practicing mindfulness?
Practicing mindfulness can raise your awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. Studies have shown that mindfulness improves Interoception (Your sense of your body and its signals, such as hunger or thirst.) In turn, this can improve anxiety and (potentially) physical health issues.
It can be difficult to stay mindful. Sometimes your thoughts and feelings can overwhelm you. That’s okay—if you have trouble being mindful, focus on one thing: describing.
Describing your experiences
Whether you describe in your head, speak your descriptions out clamorous, or write/type your description, simply describing your experience can support you stay mindful. Pay attention to all the sensory information in your environment, as well as your own thoughts, feelings, and body sensations. Describe everything you experience without judgment—that is, without labeling it good or bad, or any number of implied attributes. Try using description with the following exercises.
The five senses
This exercise is also known as a grounding technique and can be appropriate for apply in a crisis. There are some variations: some require 1 observation from each sense, while others require 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. It can be arduous to get to the smells and tastes, but that is intentional.
I recommend practicing this skill when you are not in a crisis, so that you can apply it when you are.
Attentive stimulation
Listen to your body and stimulate when you need it. You can actually stimulate mindfully—pay attention to how the stimulation feels in your body and what effect it has (for example, are you less tense or more alert)? You can try to be mindful while walking, swinging, rocking, waving, or using stimulating toysSensory toys like slime and play dough can be good choices.
Listening to music
Choose music that interests you or music that is modern to you. Put it on repeat and listen to it several times. First focus on the lyrics (if there are any), then on the individual instruments. Then try to listen to the entire song and be completely aware of it. You can freely stimulate and move your body.
Take a break with a scorching drink
Sometimes when I’m overwhelmed I make myself a huge cup Earl Grey Tea and I sit on my balcony, sipping tea, and noticing the flavors, the aroma, the temperature—I notice these things in every sip. You can do this exercise with any scorching beverage. Coffee, scorching chocolate, scorching apple cider, or any type of scorching tea (including herbal tea) will work.
Sudoku puzzles
Something that works strangely well for me when I need to clear my mind of worrying thoughts is playing Sudoku. I only play straightforward puzzles, and I often play them on paper and ink! You can also apply an app and have it available wherever you go. Don’t aim for the fastest time—aim for the fewest mistakes. See if you can solve the puzzle without making any mistakes. This exercise tests your frustration tolerance, so it’s one of the more advanced exercises on this list.
Take a bath
If you’re like most people, you usually take a quick shower, but have you considered taking a bath? You could try bubble baths or bath bombs for extra stimulation. They come in a variety of scents and add different textures and/or colors to your bath.
If you don’t have access to a bathtub, there are also ways to apply both scorching and chilly showers. Frigid showers can be especially helpful in a crisis to lower the level of emotion (usually painful emotions).
Feel it
I recently gave this advice to a friend who was struggling with a presentation: “Just get into it.” That’s slang for resonating with or understanding something. In this case, I was telling my friend to accept his mistakes and live in the moment.
It can be helpful to apply a phrase or idea to motivate your mindfulness practice and create a bridge for mindfulness to “kick in” during times of anxiety or stress. An ideal bridge would be a special interest or something you know very well.
Some examples include: being like a Jedi in Star Wars, or like Spock or Data in Star Trek; practicing observation like your favorite great detective (e.g. Sherlock Holmes).
I think a bridge can also be very useful when you are “stuck”, for example, when you are persistently stuck in your mistakes and cannot move forward.
Of course, neuroatypical people have many other ways to practice mindfulness, but if you are modern to mindfulness, you may find some of the following examples helpful.