So it’s finals week and you know that you should study but a lot of things seem so much more interesting. Like cleaning your room, doing chores, and finally finishing that pile of laundry that’s lying in the corner. This is also the time when college students start to show symptoms of inattention to studying and hyper-focusing to other stimuli; symptoms which are very similar to those found in ADHD.
So let’s start with the basics. ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, is a neural behavioral disorder taking place in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain (the place where we do our thinking). Due to outside stimuli and low amounts of adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin in the brain one is more easily distracted, ‘hyper’ or both. Outside stimulation such as chemicals from our environment, what we eat, how we spend our time, and how much sleep we get can help or hurt us.
Even if you don’t suffer from ADHD the coping skills I am about to lay out will save you time, energy and stress!
1. Snack while you study
Grab a healthy snack high in protein like almonds or a greek yoghurt. High amounts of protein help keep your brain focused. Eating a snack also assures that your blood glucose levels will remain stable and that you will be alert. If you feel like you are dragging have some dark chocolate almonds or add fruit to your greek yoghurt to release serotonin and make studying more bearable.
2. Sleep
I am sure you know how important sleep is but I will remind you all again. Sleep not only helps repair the body, store knowledge, and help solve problems but it also aids in focus and memory retention. So don’t plan on cramming the night before the exam because chances are not only will you be cranky during the exam but you won’t remember much either.
3. Take breaks
There is only so much studying you can take before it gets to be too much and you hit that wall. Get up and take a walk, go for a run, call a friend, or read a chapter of a good book. Just do anything that temporally breaks you out of your study bubble.
4. Limit screen time -> stimuli
This may be difficult (especially since most of us are constantly connected to our devices), but you need to limit your time in front of screens and replace it with interacting with people or animals.
5. Eat a big breakfast day of the exam
Remember the protein!
6. Breathe
Yes, it’s a stressful time but take a breath and relax!