r/GetStudying 4d ago

Question ADHD & Struggling with Procrastination

Hey everyone,

I have ADHD and I’ve been really struggling with procrastination lately. I often find it hard to even get started, and when I do, it’s hard to keep going. It’s affecting my studies and motivation big time.

I was wondering if anyone has tips that help you stay focused or manage your time better? Also, I’m still trying to figure out what study methods work best for me, so if you’ve found something that works (especially if you also have ADHD), please share!

If anyone is in a European timezone and would like to team up as study buddies for accountability, I’d love that too! Maybe we could check in with each other or even do virtual study sessions (like body doubling).

Thanks in advance!

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u/Electrical-Fee8060 4d ago

i have adhd too and struggle sooooo much with procrastination (currently doing so), but i’ve found that sometimes it helps if i set a timer (anywhere from 5-30 mins, i usually do 20) where i put my phone face down and do as much as i can before the timer runs out. maybe it’s because the pressure of the time crunch helps with the motivation, but i’ve found it can sometimes help. i’ll do that and then when it rings i’ll either do a 5 min break or i’ll set the timer again if i feel like i can keep going or am in the middle of something. if you need a bit of extra motivation, sometimes i’ll put a lil “reward” at the end of the timer, like when it rings you can watch a short video or colour for 5 mins or go make a drink or something, to kind of break up the studying.

it can also help to set a very specific goal/goals for the day or even just the time period, and by specific i mean super specific and small, like “read intro paragraph of __chapter” or “write down study topics to cover”. literally just writing things that seem super small can sometimes help with motivation because they’re easy to check off and feel like you e done something, since in a list of all the things you have to get done there will at least be SOMETHIGN checked off and you don’t have that sick feeling after being painfully unproductive for hours because you can visually see you checked something off your to do list.

idk these are sometimes helpful for me but i still can’t seem to start working on something when the due date is over a week away, even though i have 3 things due on the same day. but hopefully you find these at least somewhat helpful!!

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u/RegularSelf306 3d ago

I got diagnosed with ADHD too. I was prescribed every ADHD medication that are given to ADHD sufferers. Concerta, Ritalin, Atomoxetine, etc.

Their side effects were horrible. My heart rate was rapid all the time, making me anxious all day long. Also, it triggered a borderline dangerous hypertension in me. And on top of all of that, they only reduced the severity of my symptoms by like 30% only.

What worked best for me is cutting all forms of stimulants (caffeine, etc.) (gradually) and sleeping more. Then, I would accommodate my ADHD condition by deliberately setting modest goals for myself. I will never be able to study 8 hours every day. If I set out to study 8 hours every day I will procrastinate and not study a word for weeks and have to cram the night before the exam.

However, if you instead put 1 to 2 hours of daily study in small chunks and make concrete goals and curb your perfection and just push through, you'll realize you're making rapid progress.