Studying With ADHD: Tips To Boost Focus And Information Retention

For those living with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), studying can be challenging and stressful as a result of the symptoms of this form of neurodivergence. These difficulties can negatively impact an individual’s ability to excel academically, professionally, or in their personal projects. Here, we’ll examine exactly how ADHD can impact a person’s ability to study, and then we’ll share studying methods that may reduce the severity of this impact. 

How attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder affects focus

It’s not uncommon for individuals with ADHD to have trouble focusing on homework or studying due to the way this form of neurodivergence affects the brain. While ADHD may present somewhat differently from one individual to another, common symptoms that may affect studying include:

Impulsivity 

Those living with ADHD may have trouble with impulse control due to brain structure and neurotransmitter levels. As a result, it may be difficult for them to focus on a task and avoid giving into distractions, and frustration with studying could lead to procrastination or an emotional outburst.

Inattention 

It can be challenging for those with ADHD to stay on task—particularly if the individual finds the task at hand uninteresting or difficult. This may cause them to lose track of where they are during a studying session or fail to comprehend the details of the material. 

Executive dysfunction

Individuals with ADHD tend to face challenges with executive function, which may impact their ability to organize and prioritize tasks, engage in sustained focus and effort, use working memory and recall, and manage emotions. As a result, they may struggle to organize study materials, set reasonable goals, retain the information gained from studying sessions, and recall it when needed. 

Hyperactivity

Some people with ADHD may experience restlessness, constant fidgeting, or difficulty staying in one place for extended periods of time. This may make it challenging to sit and study, as they may experience the need to move around. Hyperactivity may also cause those with ADHD to experience racing thoughts, which can further exacerbate trouble focusing.

Four tips to help individuals with ADHD study

While the above symptoms can be disruptive, it is typically possible to effectively cope with them in order to study or accomplish other tasks. To compensate for the potential impact these symptoms may have, people with ADHD may benefit from trying the following study tips. 

1. Reduce distractions in your environment 

As mentioned above, those living with ADHD may be prone to distractibility—which means that the quality of one’s study environment can affect focus. While it’s not always possible to control every element of your environment, doing what you can to simplify it may help you keep your attention on your work. Some ways to do this include:

• Remove devices. If there are certain items in your environment that you don’t need for studying—such as your phone, a gaming device, or a TV—it may be helpful to remove them or move to an area without them. Having them nearby may draw your attention away from your work or cause you to procrastinate on studying by offering a faster source of gratification.

• Consider using blocking apps. If you need to use your phone or a tablet for studying, it may be helpful to download a blocking app. They allow you to list the applications or websites you find most distracting and block them between certain hours of the day. You can set these blocks to expire after your scheduled studying time is over.

• Study alone. While many people choose to study in a coffee shop or library, these may not be the most productive study spots for someone living with ADHD because environmental noise and movement may be distracting. Instead, doing your work alone in a quiet place and/or with the use of noise-canceling headphones could help promote focus.

2. Experiment with productivity techniques

There are lots of different strategies out there that may help you organize your studies in a way that empowers you to focus and get things done. Some examples include:

• The Pomodoro technique. This strategy can help an individual with ADHD manage their time and organize their study sessions into more manageable chunks. It involves working in 25-minute intervals separated by five-minute breaks, which may help a person recover their ability to focus and study for longer durations. For those who struggle to initiate tasks, it may also be helpful to try the Reverse Pomodoro, which involves starting with a short break before getting into a longer session of studying (often 45 to 90 minutes).

• “Eat The Frog.” “Eat the Frog'' is a productivity approach that involves identifying a challenging task (“the frog”) and completing it (or “eating it”) as one’s first activity of the day. For example, those with ADHD may find it easier to complete a studying session if they take care of it first thing in the morning. Or, they might be able to build more momentum in a study session by beginning with the most difficult part, like outlining their notes or running through flash cards. By getting the most challenging task done first, people may find they are more motivated to complete other tasks throughout the day. 

• Pareto principle. Also known as the 80/20 rule, the Pareto principle posits that 20% of the work will yield 80% of the outcome. For studying, this could mean that by focusing on the 20% of the material that’s most important, individuals with ADHD may leverage their attention span in the most optimal way possible. If applied correctly, this principle may also allow a person to avoid becoming overwhelmed and to retain more essential information. 

3. Create a reward system

Reward systems can be a potentially effective way to enhance studying motivation and ensure that certain milestones are reached. With this technique, individuals with ADHD can break down their studying into more manageable sections with clear objectives. Having a system like this in place may also help to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter of which those with ADHD may have insufficient levels.

To create a reward system, it may be helpful to start by establishing your goals. These may be to study for a specific duration, to cover a certain number of chapters, or to study all the material that may be on an upcoming quiz or exam. You might chart your progress in a journal or spreadsheet, listing your objectives and recording whether you reached them. 

You might then assign smaller rewards for completing daily goals and larger ones for completing longer-term objectives. You may also wish to set up rewards for successfully utilizing the information you learned, such as scoring well on a test. The rewards you choose may vary but could include spending a day at the beach, making your favorite snack or meal, or having a night out at the movies. 

4. Speak with a therapist about how to study with ADHD

For many individuals, the challenges of ADHD may be difficult to manage without the support of a mental health professional. A therapist can offer the opportunity to discuss the challenges that ADHD may be creating in your life, including difficulties that relate to studying. They may also be able to help you build organizational skills, learn time management techniques, and find ways to cope with impulsive or hyperactive symptoms. 

Online therapy for those having a hard time studying with ADHD 

Some people with ADHD are hesitant to engage in therapy because they don’t want to commute to in-person appointments or because they tend to feel overstimulated or distracted in an office environment. Such individuals may find it more comfortable and convenient to engage in virtual therapy sessions from home. With an online therapy platform, you can get matched with a licensed therapist and meet with them from anywhere you have an internet connection.  

The efficacy of online therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Research suggests that online interventions can be beneficial for those experiencing ADHD. One meta-analysis utilizing data from six randomized controlled trials suggests that online interventions may be effective in improving social function and attention deficit in adults and children with ADHD.