ADHD Study Habits for Teens (From a Mom Who Gets It)
If you’ve ever watched your teen spread their homework across the table like a crime scene investigation and then proceed to… pet the cat, scroll TikTok, and declare they’re “totally working on it,” hi, you’re my people.
I have ADHD. My kid has ADHD. Which means homework and study time at our house can sometimes feel like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. But—good news—there are strategies that actually help our brilliant, distractible teens harness their brains without squashing their creativity.
Here are some of my favorite ADHD-friendly study habits that actually work (most days).
1. Prioritize Like a Pro (or at least a pro juggler)
Ask: What’s due tomorrow? Next week? Next month?
Because let’s be honest—our kids will happily spend 3 hours in Canva making a title page look like the Sistine Chapel while ignoring the math homework due at 9:00 a.m.
The trick: teach them to tackle the “due tomorrow” pile first. Then move up the timeline.
2. Note-Taking, the BROIL Way
ADHD note-taking should not be “write everything until your hand cramps Or be paralyzed by wondering what is important even.” Enter BROIL—the shortcut for what’s truly worth jotting down:
Board → Anything the teacher writes on the Board or Smartboard.
Repeat → If the teacher Repeats it, it matters.
On the test → If you hear these words, grab your pen.
Important → If they say it’s Important, it is.
List → Any List (steps, causes, reasons, vocab).
BROIL keeps notes focused, simple, and usable later—no more wading through a 12-page novella of scribbles that say “idk??” in the margins.
3. Break It Down (Chunking = Magic)
Big projects = instant overwhelm.
But if you chop an essay, for one example, into baby steps—brainstorm → outline → draft intro—suddenly it’s manageable. ADHD brains thrive on small wins. Each checkmark feels like confetti.
4. Know Your Golden Hour
Some kids are night owls, others think best bright and early. Help your teen experiment: when does their brain feel most “on”? Protect that window for their hardest work. Also, if your kid is taking ADHD meds, work with the meds, not against them. Meaning? Know how and when their particular meds work best and try to help your teen know this trick too.
5. Block It, Don’t Just Wing It
Put study time in the calendar. Not “later.” Not “after Roblox.” Real blocked time, like an appointment with their future success.
6. Pomodoro Method = Power
Set a timer for 25 minutes → work.
5 minutes → break.
Repeat. It’s a productivity hack that keeps focus snappy instead of marathon misery.
7. Time Management: The Unicorn Skill
Visual timers can be game-changers. A clock that literally shows the time draining away helps make “5 more minutes” feel real—not theoretical. I’d be remiss if I didn’t once again link my fave time timer here (and psst it’s on sale too!) https://amzn.to/4mHSp7A
8. Space Matters
Declutter the desk. Have a dedicated “study zone.” ADHD brains are like sponges—we soak up every pen on the floor, every snack wrapper, every buzzing phone. The fewer distractions, the better.
9. Multisensory Learning = ADHD Superpower
Visual: color-code calendars, tabs, and notebooks.
Auditory: take turns reading aloud with a study partner.
Physical: fidget, bounce, stand, stretch. Try active recall, mind-maps, or moving while memorizing.
Try it! The more senses involved, the stickier the learning.
10. Emotions: The Secret Boss Level
ADHD isn’t just about focus; it’s about feelings. Homework stress can spiral into full teen meltdowns. Teach calming strategies:
Deep breaths (my favorite technique I leanred while training for marathons we’ll dub “ smell the flowers, blow out the candles” breathe in through your nose, like you’re smelling flowers, then purse your lips and slowly blow out like with candles, it slows down a racing heart and brings your brain back to the here and now)
Short mindfulness breaks
A calm, comfy study corner (bonus if it involves fairy lights, or is that just me?).
11. Minimize Distractions (Yes, Put the Phone Away)
Silence mode is your friend. Or park the phone in another room. If music helps, try lo-fi beats, binaural beats, or even “pink noise” or “brown noise” to keep the brain steady.
12. Body-Doubling: Not Just for Twins
Sometimes just having another human in the room also working (a parent, sibling, tutor, or even a FaceTime buddy… ok to use your phone for good)) makes homework happen. Presence = accountability.
13. Breaks Are Not Failures
Snack, stretch, hydrate, flop on the couch for a few minutes. Breaks keep the brain from frying. The trick is: planned breaks, not “oops I just watched three episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
14. Know When to Quit
If your teen is staring at the page like it’s written in Sanskrit, or there are tears or they just seem like they’re spiraling, it’s okay to say: “Enough for today.” Sleep is often more productive than slog.
15. ADHD Wellness = Academic Fuel
The basics really do matter:
Exercise: daily movement resets the brain.
Nutrition: real meals, not just Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Hydration: water, water, water.
Outdoor time: sunlight is nature’s ADHD vitamin.
Final Word (From a Fellow ADHD Mom)
Study habits aren’t about becoming someone else—they’re about finding what actually works for our wonderfully Neuro-Spicy kids. Some days will be smooth, some will be a hot mess. That’s okay. Progress over perfection. And, we’re building habits for life really…so be patient.
And remember: your teen’s brain isn’t broken—it’s just wired for creativity, resilience, and about a thousand ideas a minute. With the right systems, they can channel that brilliance into schoolwork and still have time for video games, sports, or whatever else lights them up.
Let me know if you try any of these! Would love to hear if anything in particular helps out!
Xo,
Carolyn
(This post may contain a few affiliate links. No pressure, no extra cost to you—just things I love that might help your kid this school year and helps me keep the podcast & blog as free resources to all).
