ADHD Study Tips (how to regain control)

Koi

20 May 202207:46

Summary

TLDRThis session explores ADHD and offers five practical tips to improve focus for students with ADHD-like tendencies. It emphasizes that ADHD doesn't diminish intelligence but requires effective tools. Key strategies include using visual learning, gamifying tasks, incorporating movement, removing distractions (especially phones), and having an accountability partner. The speaker also encourages personalized study approaches and recommends external resources to help with productivity and time management. With a casual, engaging tone, the class aims to help learners overcome focus challenges and optimize their academic performance.

Takeaways

📅 The ADHD seminar starts at 11 AM in the Zen Den.
🧠 ADHD doesn't mean someone is less intelligent; it's about finding the right tools to manage learning.
💡 People with ADHD experience difficulty focusing, procrastination, and managing time but should consult a doctor if these symptoms interfere with daily life.
🖍️ Visual learning is an excellent tool for ADHD students because colors, diagrams, and mind mapping help them engage and retain information better than just words.
🎮 Gamifying study sessions, such as using the SQ3R method, can help maintain focus by turning learning into a competitive game.
💪 Movement and exercise release neurochemicals like dopamine, aiding in focus for ADHD learners. Even small actions like playing with a fidget toy or doing push-ups can help.
🔕 Removing distractions, especially phones, is crucial for focus. ADHD learners should create quiet study environments and avoid stimulating places like coffee shops.
👯‍♀️ Having a study partner or accountability buddy can motivate ADHD students to stay on track.
🎧 Use calm, mellow music to help focus during study sessions.
🎓 Mike and Maddie offer helpful courses on Skillshare about studying, productivity, and time management, and there's a free one-month trial available.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the ADHD seminar in the video?
-The ADHD seminar aims to provide tips and strategies to help individuals with ADHD manage their focus and learning effectively. It addresses common challenges like difficulty focusing, procrastination, and managing time.
Why does the speaker emphasize that having ADHD does not mean being less intelligent?
-The speaker wants to dispel the misconception that ADHD affects intelligence or capability. Instead, they explain that people with ADHD just need different tools to manage their studies and daily tasks.
How can visual learning help individuals with ADHD according to the speaker?
-Visual learning is beneficial because it's more stimulating and engaging, utilizing colors, pictures, and diagrams that convey information better than words alone. The process of drawing or handwriting also helps slow down the mind, making it easier to focus on and retain information.
What is the SQ3R method mentioned in the seminar?
-The SQ3R method is a reading comprehension strategy that stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. In the context of the seminar, it's used as a way to gamify studying by setting questions to answer before reading, making the process more engaging.
How does movement help individuals with ADHD focus better?
-Movement increases the release of neurochemicals like dopamine and adrenaline, which are typically lower in individuals with ADHD. This can help improve focus and learning, even if it’s just simple activities like playing with a fidget toy or pacing.
Why is removing distractions especially important for individuals with ADHD?
-Individuals with ADHD are more susceptible to distractions due to their high sensitivity to stimulation. Removing distractions, especially their phones, can significantly help them maintain focus and avoid impulsive behaviors like checking social media.
What is the role of an accountability buddy in managing ADHD symptoms?
-An accountability buddy can provide motivation and structure, helping individuals with ADHD stay on track with their work by studying together and holding each other accountable for their tasks.
Why might the speaker suggest using mind mapping instead of traditional note-taking?
-Mind mapping involves using minimal words, images, and colors to represent ideas and their connections. This technique is more stimulating and less linear, making it easier for people with ADHD to visualize and remember concepts.
What is the bonus tip provided at the end of the seminar?
-The bonus tip suggests using resources like Skillshare courses to improve study skills, time management, and productivity. These courses are recommended to help ADHD students build effective habits and strategies.
What should someone do if they suspect they have ADHD according to the seminar?
-If someone suspects they have ADHD, they should consider taking a screening test and speaking with a doctor. It's important to distinguish between occasional symptoms that everyone experiences and those that persistently interfere with daily life.

Outlines

00:00

🧑‍🏫 ADHD Seminar: Initial Skepticism

The narrator begins by questioning whether attending an ADHD seminar is the right decision, feeling unsure if they actually have ADHD. They express doubts but mention being easily distracted and unable to focus for long periods. Despite not fully believing they have ADHD, they decide to attend the seminar to gain useful tips. As the class starts, the instructor introduces the topic, highlighting the common problem of students arriving late or missing class entirely.

05:01

📚 Understanding ADHD and Its Challenges

The instructor explains that ADHD doesn't mean lower intelligence but rather requires different tools to manage learning. They answer a question from a student, Kev, about how to know if someone has ADHD. The instructor clarifies that while everyone experiences focus problems occasionally, ADHD is characterized by persistent issues that interfere with daily life. If these symptoms become a regular problem, it's recommended to take a screening test and consult a doctor.

🎨 Tip 1: Visual Learning for ADHD

The first tip for managing ADHD focuses on the benefits of visual learning. Students with ADHD are often distracted by stimuli but can engage more effectively with information presented visually. Drawing or handwriting forces the brain to slow down, allowing for deeper engagement with the material. Visual learning tools such as mind mapping, using colors, and minimizing text are suggested as effective strategies for ADHD learners. The instructor also notes that this method can benefit even non-ADHD learners, especially creative types like Kitsunes.

🎮 Tip 2: Gamify Your Learning

The second tip involves turning learning into a game. The instructor introduces the SQ3R method, where students set questions before reading and then race to find the answers. This technique helps maintain engagement while improving study focus. A competitive element, such as studying with a partner, is recommended to make learning more enjoyable and effective.

🏃 Tip 3: Use Movement to Boost Focus

Movement is another method to improve focus, particularly for people with ADHD. Physical activity increases dopamine and adrenaline levels, helping with attention and learning. The instructor advises students to incorporate small exercises into their study routine, like pacing or using a fidget toy, rather than a full workout. These simple actions can make a significant difference in maintaining focus during study sessions.

🔕 Tip 4: Remove Distractions

Removing distractions is crucial, especially for ADHD students. High-stimulation environments like coffee shops are discouraged. Instead, a quiet, calm place is ideal for studying. The most important distraction to remove is the phone, which can automatically lead to mindless scrolling. Even having the phone in sight can trigger distractions. The instructor encourages students to keep their phones out of reach, out of sight, and rely on more focused technology like 'focus bands.'

🤝 Tip 5: Study Partners for Accountability

Having a study partner or accountability buddy can provide motivation and ensure consistency in study habits. Observing a partner working hard encourages similar behavior. The instructor recommends joining the Cage and Kuwait Academy Discord server to find study buddies, particularly within the community's respective clubhouses. They also suggest bringing study snacks to help build connections with potential accountability partners.

🎓 Bonus Tip: Online Courses for ADHD Students

As a bonus tip, the instructor emphasizes the importance of self-improvement and recommends several online courses that can help ADHD students succeed academically. These courses, available on Skillshare, cover topics like exam preparation, productivity, and digital workspace organization. Skillshare offers a special deal for students to access these resources for free, and the instructor urges students not to procrastinate and take advantage of the offer.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡ADHD

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a condition characterized by difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. In the video, it is a central topic as the seminar discusses ways to manage ADHD symptoms, such as lack of focus and distractibility. The speaker provides tips for students with ADHD to help them focus better in class and during study sessions.

💡Focus

Focus refers to the ability to concentrate on a task without becoming distracted. In the context of the video, maintaining focus is challenging for individuals with ADHD, and the speaker shares strategies to help improve focus, such as using visual resources, removing distractions, and incorporating movement.

💡Visual Learning

Visual learning is a method of understanding and retaining information through images, colors, diagrams, and other visual tools. In the video, it is highlighted as an effective way for people with ADHD to stay engaged, as they are often drawn to visual stimuli. The speaker recommends using mind maps and avoiding traditional note-taking to maintain focus.

💡Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a technique that involves visually organizing information by using diagrams, colors, and minimal words. This strategy helps slow down the thought process, which is especially useful for people with ADHD who may struggle with fleeting thoughts. The speaker suggests mind mapping as a tool to focus on and process information in a more structured way.

💡Gamify

Gamifying refers to turning tasks into a game-like experience to make them more engaging. In the video, the speaker recommends using the SQ3R method, which involves creating questions before reading and then quickly scanning for answers. This approach can help students with ADHD stay engaged by introducing an element of competition or challenge to their study sessions.

💡Movement

Movement refers to physical activity, which can help release neurochemicals like dopamine and adrenaline. People with ADHD often have low levels of these chemicals, leading to difficulty focusing. The speaker emphasizes incorporating movement, like playing with a fidget toy or pacing, as a way to improve focus and cognitive performance.

💡Distractions

Distractions are external stimuli that divert attention from a task. For individuals with ADHD, managing distractions is critical to staying focused. The speaker advises removing distractions from the environment, especially mobile phones, as they can trigger automatic, unconscious behavior that hinders concentration.

💡Accountability Buddy

An accountability buddy is a person who helps keep someone motivated and on track with their tasks. In the video, the speaker suggests studying with a partner to boost productivity. Seeing someone else work hard can inspire the individual to stay focused and complete their own tasks, a useful strategy for people with ADHD.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in reward and motivation. People with ADHD often have lower levels of dopamine, making it harder to focus and stay motivated. The speaker mentions that movement and exercise can help increase dopamine levels, thereby improving focus and learning.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks. It is a common challenge for individuals with ADHD, who may struggle with time management and motivation. The speaker references procrastination as a symptom that people might misinterpret as ADHD, and also suggests strategies to combat it, like gamifying tasks and using productivity courses.

Highlights

Introduction to the ADHD seminar with Captain Die at 11 AM in the Zen Den.

Kev admits uncertainty about having ADHD, describing difficulty focusing and getting easily distracted.

Instructor acknowledges that many people experience ADHD-like symptoms but emphasizes the need for a proper diagnosis if symptoms interfere with daily activities.

Tip 1: Use visual resources. ADHD learners are interest-based and often benefit from visual learning methods like diagrams, colors, and handwriting.

Explanation of mind mapping as a powerful tool for learning with minimal words, colors, and images to help retain focus.

Tip 2: Gamify your study sessions by using methods like SQ3R, where you create a question-based competition with a study buddy.

Tip 3: Use movement to increase dopamine and adrenaline levels, which helps ADHD learners focus better.

Suggestions for incorporating movement include fidget toys, pacing, and even simple exercises like push-ups.

Tip 4: Remove distractions, particularly smartphones, which trigger instinctive behaviors that disrupt focus.

Recommendation to use quiet spaces, mellow music, and avoid high-stimulation environments like coffee shops.

Tip 5: Have an accountability buddy. Seeing someone else work hard can help boost your motivation.

Students are encouraged to join the academy’s Discord server to find study partners and keep each other accountable.

Bonus tip: ADHD students are encouraged to seek resources like Skillshare to help with productivity and time management skills.

Mention of specific courses on Skillshare aimed at improving exam preparation, productivity, and organizing digital workspaces.

Reminder not to procrastinate on self-improvement, with a free one-month Skillshare trial for the first 1,000 users.