“My perception of mindfulness has changed completely… after more than 20 years of it being offered to me as a fix… Mandy has helped me understand what it’s really all about.” – Emma’s story

In this case study, we meet Emma. She has ADHD and was looking at mindfulness to help manage some of the daily challenges that people with the condition often experience.

“I was motivated to enrol on the 8-week mindfulness course because it's adapted to people with ADHD. I thought this would mean it’d have a different approach and, who knows, might actually help me this time. I’ve tried other things before, and they often haven’t worked.

It's hard to be specific about the challenges I have faced (and still do face) with ADHD, as there are so many.

If I had to pick just one or two, I'd probably say staying organised and creating structure - and keeping to it. Also, finding motivation to do anything, and dealing with the procrastination that happens as a coping mechanism.

It helped to know that Mandy doesn't just listen to you - she hears you. Mix that with Mandy's complete honesty and authenticity and I knew I was in safe hands to give mindfulness another go.

“I can honestly say that I think anyone, but especially neurodivergent people, would benefit from taking Mandy’s bespoke course.”

Initially I thought mindfulness was something offered by healthcare professionals as a sticking plaster. It's like giving someone a few CBT sessions, then leaving them to their own devices to ‘just figure it out’ and say you're ‘fixed’.

Now, my perception of mindfulness has changed completely. After more than 20 years of it being offered to me as a fix for my problems, Mandy has helped me understand what mindfulness really is all about and how it can even help me.

I’ll be honest, there were still plenty of difficulties when I started practising, including a racing mind, still wanting to see results, and being judgemental of myself.

The most important thing I've learned from Mandy to help overcome these obstacles was the ‘non-striving mindfulness practice’. It made a huge difference.

I can say now that mindfulness has improved my daily life in lots of little ways - a lot of little positive ways, which make me feel better at my core.

After the programme I’ve found that I seem to find more motivation, more often. And although it’s minor, I’ve seen a noticeable change in my ability to focus, concentrate, and manage distractions.

I can honestly say that I think anyone, but especially neurodivergent people, would benefit from taking Mandy’s bespoke course.

Looking ahead, I’m now planning to integrate mindfulness into my daily life by sticking to the easiest practices, without any pressure. And taking opportunities to do it whenever I can.”

A note from Mandy: “While I am not an ADHD expert, I tailored Emma's course to meet her unique requirements, drawing inspiration from Lidia Zylowska's book 'The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD'. If you are interested in discovering how a mindfulness daily practice can enhance your inner well-being and happiness, feel free to reach out, I’d love to help you.“

Click here to chat with Mandy about your own mindfulness programme.