Tic Mythology 20 - Attention Push-Ups

Difficulties with inattention or loss of focus are common in individuals with Tourette’s or persistent tics. In fact, a diagnosis of ADHD is far more common in individuals who also have a diagnosis of Tourette’s. Growing up with such a challenge can be extremely frustrating and many people hear lots of criticism, judgment, correction, and even punishment for losing their focus. It can also interfere with many aspects of one’s life, including learning, work, and social relationships. It’s no wonder people end up attaching a lot of stress to it and commonly identify “inattention” as a problem!
In this video I talk about how to let go of the criticism (what to “NOT DO”) and instead focus on what we can “DO” to help ourselves. I often describe this as doing “mental push-ups” because we expect attention to wander and practice bringing it back when it does. It doesn’t matter how many times you have to “bring it back”, the very act of noticing and bringing it back makes your ability to direct your attention stronger and ultimately is the magical skill we wish we had all along!