Studying With ADHD — Part I

I’ve struggled with ADHD for as long as I can remember.

It made getting through middle school and high school, and even the beginning of college so challenging that once upon a time I thought “maybe college just isn’t for me.”

I felt stupid, lazy, defeated, and like something unnammable was just “off.” Eventually though, I learned that I had a condition called ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

A condition which, among other symptoms, significantly hampers one’s ability to focus on command.

Now before I go on, I want to acknowledge that many in the medical community debate whether ADHD is even a real condition in the first place.

This is because, many doctors argue, ADHD isn’t a condition all on its own, but rather, a condition which emerges when a number of other constituent conditions, like anxiety, are present.

I’m not a doctor (yet!) and I’m not here to debate the validity of ADHD. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s a “made up” condition at all. For all I know it could be, but for the purposes of this blog and my own daily life, I treat it as though it is.

That being said, however, I do attend to the condition in discrete pieces, and try to break it out into different symptoms to address those first.

After years of feeling dumb and lazy, I’ve figured out a toolbox of tactics to help cope. Here are some of my tips for overcoming ADHD and becoming a proficient student.

1. Get up early. I find that getting up early even when I don’t need to and forcing myself to get right into my hardest task is a good way to kick procrastination (another fun ADHD symptom) in the teeth.
2. Eat breakfast — Psychology literature says that eating breakfast on a regular schedule, and eating foods with a low glycemic index help to regulate the body and mind, essentially cutting down on its ability to produce too much cortisol, which can lead to stress, neurotic feelings, and anxiety.
3. Cold showers — Cold water helps to “reset” the vagal nerve, which is linked to anxiety and stress reduction.
4. Take 5 minutes between tasks to meditate and refocus — Since it’s easy for ADHD sufferers to have chronic feelings of anxiety or overwhelm, I find it helpful to pause momentarily between tasks to engage in box breathing techniques, short meditations, and time to “refocus” on the new task.
5. Use the Pomodoro method — Pomodoro is a study technique where you break big tasks into smaller 25 minute sessions, with 5 minute breaks in between. After 4 sessions, you take a longer break. You repeat as often as needed until all your tasks are done.
6. Stay well hydrated — your body and brain need water to function proficiently.
7. Get 8 hours of sleep.
8. Don’t be a perfectionist. Figure out what needs to get done, and do it until it’s good enough. Focusing on perfection is a good way to waste time and procrastinate on other important things.
9. Eliminate distractions. Even though I use my phone to time my pomodoros, I turn the screen over and put it out of arm’s reach while I’m studying to avoid social media and text message distractions.