7 Tips for Practicing Meditation When You Struggle to Focus

Meditation is often thought of as simply sitting and thinking of nothing.

However, there’s actually no wrong or right way to meditate. In fact, achieving true “nothingness” in the mind is really, really difficult, with people who have years of meditation under their belt unable to achieve this state. 

Undeniably, meditation has its benefits, especially for emotional well-being and mental health. And this has become even more evident in the digital age, where our attention is consistently pulled in multiple directions. 

But if you have ADHD or autism or any other neurodivergent trait, you might struggle with the usual guided meditation tracks or tips - despite wanting to harness all the health benefits meditation has to offer. Rest assured, you aren’t alone. 

Meditation guidelines and more are often catered to the neurotypical population.

• So, is there meditation for the neurodiverse?
• As a neurodiverse individual, what can you do to take advantage of meditation and reap the benefits?
• And why might you struggle with it in the first place?

In this article, we dig into all of this, helping you get started with a regular meditation practice and find that emotional and mental equilibrium often associated with it.

Why Do Some People Struggle to Meditate?

The early days of meditation, either way, are often fraught with challenges. The mind is often restless, and it can feel unnatural to sit still. You might experience racing thoughts, impatience, or general discomfort. Like anything, practice definitely helps!

However, neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism and ADHD, may face additional challenges when trying to meditate. Sensory sensitivities, difficulties with sustained attention, or heightened internal activity can make traditional meditation practices feel overwhelming or inaccessible. 

But here’s a quick turn of events: Experts indicate that meditation may actually help manage ADHD. 

Research shows that people with ADHD often experience challenges in traditional mindfulness meditation because their symptoms (such as inattention, hyperactivity, restlessness, and emotional impulsivity) make it challenging to sit still, sustain attention, or tolerate internal experiences without reacting. 

But this same research also suggests many workarounds. Similarly, other research has indicated meditation to be beneficial for autistic individuals. But also similarly, the same issues may apply, and the same workarounds might help!

Related Article: Late-Diagnosed ADHD – The 6 Hidden Struggles That Go Unseen

Tips for Meditation for Neurodiverse Individuals

Here are our top research-backed tips to help you develop a consistent meditation practice:

Tip #1: Start your meditation session with movement.

Seriously! This might sound counterproductive, but for many neurodiverse individuals, starting with movement helps the body settle and the mind become more receptive to meditation. 

Anything from movement and dancing to even chanting can help you channel your energy and slowly ease into a meditative state, rather than resisting movement altogether.

Try stretching, swaying, shaking, tapping, or yoga, which can help discharge excess energy and activate the parasympathetic nervous system.

In turn, this makes it easier to transition into slower breathing and a focused or relaxed mind. Movement also supports the brain’s hemispheric synchronization, which is a key factor in improving brain connectivity in both autism and ADHD.

So, if you struggle to sit still during the meditation session, start by moving instead.

Try three to five minutes before you begin your meditative practice, and see if it makes a difference. Ultimately, everyone is different, and what works for you may not work for someone else (and vice versa!).

The only way to find out is to give it a try.

Tip #2: Consider incorporating music or other sounds.

This also might feel counterintuitive.

But jumping straight into silence or performing meditation in complete silence might not make sense for everyone. In fact, music, rhythm, and vocal sounds may actually enhance the benefits of meditation for individuals with ADHD, autism, and related conditions. 

It’s also worth noting that certain sounds or music can help activate specific brain waves. Studies on TM (Transcendental Meditation) and other meditative practices show that certain sound-based techniques (such as mantras) can foster relaxation and improve focus.

For neurodiverse meditators who find silent practice challenging, incorporating soft instrumental music, recorded mantras, or nature sounds may actually help anchor attention and reduce anxiety or hyperarousal.

Again, this is very individualized, and finding the tips that work for you may require an experimental approach. For some, sounds might prove to be even more distracting. For others, it could offer exactly what they need to maintain a regular meditation practice.

Tip #3: Start with simple breathing techniques.

Deep breathing naturally calms the nervous system, taking you out of the “fight-or-flight” state and into the “rest-and-digest” state. Try diaphragmatic breathing or alternate nostril breathing at the very start of your meditation session, or even as your initial meditation sessions. This can encourage relaxation naturally!

Tip #4: Keep it short.

There’s no need to try to sit for 10, or even five, minutes. In other words, don’t force it (more on this below). Keep it short and simple at the start. 

For example, this may mean moving your body through shaking for a few minutes, then attempting one minute of meditation or deep breathing. Again, it’s all about finding that combination that works for you.

Tip #5: Try informal mindfulness.

If meditation continues to be really difficult, there’s another way to harness the benefits of it, without even meditating.

Instead, try incorporating mindfulness or brief moments of stillness into your daily life. This can be a great alternative if a rigid and seated practice has never worked well for you. 

So, how can you incorporate informal mindfulness? Here are a few ideas:

• When washing your hands, pay close attention to how the water feels or the texture of the soap or its scent.
• When drawing or painting (or doing anything creatively), pay attention to what you’re doing in each moment, such as how each paint stroke feels or the vibrancy of the colors.
• Slowly chew each bite of food and savor the flavors. Try to eat without any distractions, including browsing socal media or watching videos.
• Use sensory check-ins throughout your day. This may work best by setting reminders on your phone. When the reminder goes off, note what you see, feel, smell, hear, and taste. 

Related Article: Your Ultimate Mindfulness Guide: Becoming More Happy and Less Stressed

Tip #6: Stay consistent.

Neuroplasticity is a phenomenon accessible to anyone, even neurodiverse individuals.

This refers to the brain’s ability to rewire itself and adapt. Ultimately, this comes down to practice. For neurodiverse individuals, the more mindfulness moments or meditation sessions you practice, the easier it will become. 

At the same time, use the tips in this article to guide you on what might work best for you when looking for ways to practice mindfulness or meditation. 

Tip #7: Learn when NOT to meditate.

Sometimes, the best mindfulness practice is knowing when to skip it.

For neurodiverse individuals, meditation can be supportive - but it can also backfire if done at the wrong time.

So, what should you consider?

It may work best for neurodiverse individuals to avoid meditating when you’re already highly agitated, anxious, or overwhelmed. Meditation slows you down and brings awareness inward, which can actually intensify distress in the middle of a sensory overload or emotional meltdown.

As one neurodivergent writer, Zoe Williams, puts it, “starting meditation when you’re on fire emotionally can feel like throwing gasoline on the flames.”

If you’re in physical pain or sensory discomfort (such as being overstimulated by noise, light, or touch), it may also be best to postpone your practice. Meditation can heighten bodily awareness, sometimes making discomfort more pronounced.

Overall, meditation should feel safe and nourishing.

If it doesn’t, choose other grounding practices (gentle movement, nature time, creative play) until you’re in a calmer place. And skipping meditation when your system needs something else is not failure - it’s tuning into what you truly need in a given moment!

Turn Your Struggle Into Your Biggest Strength

It’s possible! You may just need to come at it from a different angle. We're not all built the same. If we were, how boring would the world be? (We’d also likely miss out on so many wonderful inventions and innovations.) So, let’s celebrate our differences and find what works best for you and your unique needs.

This may take trial and error, but once you figure out how to harness meditation and mindfulness for your neuro make-up, you’ll find stress and emotional regulation that much easier, too!

Read Next: How You Can Master Meditation: The Calming Art of Mindfulness