The best thing that you can do for your brain is to breathe. Practicing deep breathing has been linked to improving heart, lung, and blood vessel functions as well as helping to deliver more oxygen to the brain and the body’s tissues. It can also help those suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder cope with impulsivity and hyperactivity. Research shows that rhythmic paced breathing balances the autonomic nervous system.
Many people with ADHD have benefitted from coherent breathing techniques as it synchronizes the rhythms of the heart, lungs, and brain. Such breathing techniques can be followed almost anywhere as it is both portable and accessible. It can be done in the office while riding the subway and even at school. This natural remedy for ADHD is great for those who are usually on the go.
Stress response and recharge response are two components of the autonomic nervous system. Children and adults suffering from ADHD have a disorderly nervous system. When people with ADHD are stressed, the response is excessive in them in comparison to normal people. To be less impulsive and hyperactive, and for the brain to work better, both components of the autonomic nervous system have to work optimally and also in the right balance. Coherent breathing can be a great natural remedy for ADHD patients who find it difficult to cope with anxiety.
1. Breathe slowly
When one slows down their breathing, amazing things happen to the body. By breathing five or six full breaths in a minute, the lungs, heart and blood vessels work more efficiently by delivering more oxygen to the brain and the body’s tissues. This helps the part of the brain that deals with complex problems to function better, making it one of the best natural remedies for ADHD. This technique causes changes in the brain wave pattern. This would mean less sleepy delta waves and more healthy alpha waves. People with ADHD say that they feel a lot calmer and can make good and better judgments. They also feel less frustrated.
2. Coherent breathing technique
Coherent breathing techniques can be mastered by ADHD patients with the help of an instructor. The key is practicing this method for 10 to 20 minutes a day until this becomes an automatic response to stress and hyperactivity. All that needs to be done is to first find a quiet place to sit without being interrupted. Then, close the eyes and relax the neck, hands, and feet. Take five or six full breaths in a minute. One should be aware of the breath moving inside them. This method should be practiced even when one is calm. This would give one an advantage in getting calm and focusing at times of stress. The technique becomes an automatic response to stressful situations and is a natural remedy that lets ADHD patients function more efficiently.
3. Deep breathing
Deep breathing is said to open up the ADHD brain. It has been proven that children with restlessness, sleeplessness, and difficulty in managing things have benefitted. This method also greatly helps children and adults with ADHD for whom cognitive behavioral therapy has not worked and those who have experienced bad side effects due to ADHD stimulants. Parents could themselves practice this breathing method to calm their anxiety while handling children with ADHD and then teach the child how to do it. This would help the child to manage stress at school when they do not meet expectations and breathe easy before taking a test.
