Okay so GCSE’s, A-Levels and all the rest of the exams are on their way back around.
Getting closer and closer every day, I can almost guarantee you’re starting to feel the pressure!
You’ll start to feel frustrated, Laying all your books out on the table just to look at them thinking that somehow if I’ve placed my books there it at will least look like I’ve been studying and maybe with the slightest bit of hope something might just go in.
Maybe I’ll even invest in some new stationary, make it look pretty, that might make it work.
By it I mean your brain.
Everyone gets stressed around this time, it’s a super difficult time for everyone but more often than not it’s 10x more difficult for those of us with ADHD.
Quite often as you go through your education you’ll probably be made to feel insufficient and to put it straight forward pretty stupid.
I mean hey I was told by the deputy head of my school that I was so bad at maths that I wasn’t even allowed to take a class that helped people who struggled with maths, is that not the most ridiculous statement ever!
I want to strip back all of the pressure and the stress for just a second.
Let’s imagine that exams aren’t the most important thing ever and it’s not the end of the world if you ‘FAIL’
Are we all in that mindset?
Perfect!
That’s where I want us to stay.
Because it’s all true.
One of my all-time favourite analogies is…
‘You can’t make a fish climb a tree’.
This represents so many parts of our lives, but let’s look at it in a school setting.
It’s compulsory for us to study subjects such as English, Maths and science which is acceptable for the basics of each, But unnecessary when it comes to the amount of pressure placed on each of us to complete the end exams and come out with a grade no lower than an A*.
Now think about this when it comes to someone who is ADHD. For someone who is ADHD having to study a subject of little to no interest to them, in a surrounding that completely obliterates their brain stimulation is damn near impossible.
Their brain quite literally switches off.
Where’s the dopamine gone?
So I want you to know this, It’s completely okay to come away from school without straight A’s.
It’s also completely okay if you’re idea of ‘trying your best’ is different to the next person.
We all learn differently and we’re all interested in different things.
If we were all interested in the same thing the world would be a pretty dull place.
But what if you really do want to come away with all straight A’s?
That’s a completely valid request.
So we have to look at the conventional way of learning.
More often than not you sit at a desk for hours on end with a pen and maybe some revision cards, You’ll reading the same line over and over again with your fingers crossed tightly behind your back, hoping that somehow your brain will remember that one sentence so you can eventually move onto the next.
I can tell you now, this probably won’t work.
You need to learn to switch it up!
Every 10-15 minutes head outside and go for a stroll, heck, run around and do some star jumps! Why not?
Anything that’s going to give you that little dopamine rush to get you through the next 10-15 minutes and help you retain that information is what you need.
Something as simple as even listening to your favourite song will give you that extra little bit of dopamine.
I know it can be difficult to ask for help, it can feel embarrassing to stand out from the crowd and do something unconventional but I promise you it will help.
So next time you’re stuck in a class or at home and you can feel the frustration building or even your brain slowly falling asleep, Jump up and do a star jump!
Who knows you might just help someone else who’s in the same boat as you.
Hannah x