Mindfulness on the Go: Why Stillness Backfires for Neurodivergent Minds

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of mindfulness for neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with ADHD, and offers practical alternatives for mindfulness practices.

If mindfulness has ever made you feel foggy, sleepy, restless, or more activated, this episode is for you. In Part 2 of our conversation on Mindfulness and being Neurodivergent, Brett and Dr. Megan Anna Neff (creator of Neurodivergent Insights ) explain why mindfulness can be uniquely challenging for neurodivergent people—especially ADHD—and how it often comes down to arousal dysregulation . For many ADHDers, being still can nudge the nervous system toward hypoarousal (foggy, checked out, shut down), and the body compensates by fidgeting, tapping, or seeking stimulation just to get back online. Then we get practical with Mindfulness on the Go —ways to build mindfulness that work with your nervous system: movement, music, walking, and tactile options, without pressure to do it perfectly. In this episode, we cover: Why stillness can backfire for ADHD and neurodivergent nervous systems What hypoarousal can look like in everyday life Why fidgeting can be regulation (not failure) “Mindfulness on the Go”: active approaches that actually work A simple tool for distance from thoughts: “I’m noticing I’m having the thought…” Want the foundation first? Part 1 is linked in the show notes…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Megan Anna Neff

Guest: Brett

Topics covered

• mindfulness
• neurodivergent challenges
• ADHD
• arousal dysregulation
• active mindfulness techniques

Keywords

• mindfulness
• neurodivergent
• ADHD
• arousal dysregulation
• hypoarousal
• fidgeting
• active mindfulness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Neurodivergent Insights

Books & works: Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated From Anxiety, ACT Made Simple: An Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

More episodes of Neurodivergent Insights with Dr. Megan Anna Neff

• Adult Autism & ADHD Assessments, Demystified (Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Jess Hogan) · June 12, 2026 · 1h 11m
• AuDHD and OCD: How to Tell What's What · May 30, 2026 · 21 min
• The Real Story Behind Rising Autism Rates · April 17, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Autistic Burnout and the Stress Cycle with Amelia Nagoski · April 3, 2026 · 51 min
• When Autism Hides the ADHD: 6 Ways It Gets Missed · March 22, 2026 · 20 min
• ADHD Hides These 6 Autistic Traits in Plain Sight · March 8, 2026 · 15 min