In his journals from the 60s, the late Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh imagines enlightenment in a simple phrase: "I eat when I'm hungry; I sleep when I'm tired." Even within the monastic Buddhist community, Thich was known for the depth of his mindfulness. Here, he asks: What is being present, if not being aware of how you feel?

My mind zings and pings around in its natural state. I don't think that makes me different from any human. Yet it's the frequency of those ricochets that stands out. Can you imagine asking a young Robin Williams to read the daily news? You would have gotten one or two lines—at most—before he began riffing. This is what made him a remarkable improviser. It's also what would have made him a terrible 1950s newscaster.

I don't suppress my thoughts or apply an authoritarian-style focus. As a young person, I tried and failed repeatedly to do this. If you identify with symptoms of ADHD, you have probably tried this too. This cycle can be hard on you—which is a high price to pay for something that doesn't reliably work. Fortunately, there are other paths forward—and you can start taking them at any time. One of the simplest is to focus on the moment. Physical sensation is one of our most powerful guides.

Interoception describes your ability to notice signals coming from your body. The proverbial calls coming from inside the house! What are the first physical sensations you notice right now? The pressure of your body pressed up against a seat or your feet on the floor? A sense of hunger or thirst? Maybe a nagging pain or—on the opposite side of the continuum—a sense of comfort and relaxation? Naturally, we can't attend to all of these sensations all of the time. They fall into the background when you focus on a more salient task. In ADHD, they often fall into the background of the background (of the background).

If you have ever had an argument with your child over whether they have to go to the bathroom, you have likely experienced an interoceptive disconnect. No ADHD required—little ones are still learning their whole operating system. If you have ever stood up from a long period of being seated only to notice a sore back, you have experienced this too. The signals to change your position were there but were lost in the shuffle.

Diminished interoceptive awareness brings some baggage. For example, a feeling of fatigue is often blunted, particularly when you're engaged in an interesting task. As a double-hit, fatigue also makes you less likely to notice fatigue in the first place. Actually, it's a triple hit because folks with ADHD are often more sensitive to disruptions in sleeping. This can, in turn, bleed into blunted awareness of fatigue, hunger, and satiety—among other things.

Fortunately, the practice of attending to your body's signals is not only accessible, but it's also engaging for a highly active mind. The process does not involve suppressing any thoughts—or interfering with the natural functioning of your mind. Instead, you build the habit of checking in with your body frequently—perhaps beginning with noticing your breath. Are you inhaling or exhaling? You can do this whenever you notice your mind wandering—or at least wandering into places that are not serving you. I have learned to welcome those thoughts to join with me as I return to my breath.

Once you have reached a brief moment of stillness and presence, you can check in with your body. And if you're hungry, eat; if you're tired, sleep.