Welcome to the Attention Deficit Disorder Expert Podcast Series by Attitude magazine.

This is Wayne Callan for Attitude magazine. Today's topic, a mindfulness guide for

teens with ADHD seems like an impossible task to most parents raising a teen with the disorder, considering all its challenges,

erasing mind, low self-esteem, getting bored easily, searching for something new and shiny.

According to Dr. Christopher Willard, today's expert,

the default reaction to stress, unpleasant experiences,

or even just neutral experiences for many teens is to check out.

Don't like how you feel inside, bored with where you are in the present moment,

check out with something outside of yourself.

A video, play a game, check your... Check out with something outside of yourself.

A video, play a game, check your Twitter feed, scroll through Instagram.

A recent study found that young men would rather receive 10 minutes of low-level electric shocks than spend 10 minutes alone

with their thoughts without their electronics.

I think many of us probably recognize our teens in these scenarios. Mindfulness and compassion, however,

go against these cultural trends

by emphasizing checking in instead of checking out.

We're very lucky to have Dr. Willard with us today to guide us and give us practical activities to help our teens embrace the habit of mindfulness.

He is a clinical psychologist and consultant specializing in bringing mindfulness into education and

psychotherapy. He has been practicing meditation for more than 15 years. He is

currently on the board of directors at the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy

and The Mindfulness in Education Network.

He is the author of a truly wonderful book called Growing Up Mindful,

...