How to Strengthen Executive Functioning Skills as a College Student with ADHD

As a college kid with ADHD, I’ve always struggled with the boring day-to-day tasks of being an adult. I mean, why would I sit down and do work when I could be watching a 2-hour long video essay about the secret rooms of Disneyland? Seriously, look it up. And unfortunately, I’m not alone: 15.5 million adults in the United States are diagnosed with ADHD (CDC, 2024) and almost 40-60% of them have executive functioning challenges (Kosheleff et al., 2023). So, in this incredibly important part of our lives, how can we make sure we stay on the right track? These 5 proven methods to improve executive functioning are a great start!  

1. Setting obtainable goals 

Goals that feel out of reach, vague, and unmeasurable can cause anyone to have a tougher time achieving them, but adding on the executive functioning issues and it can seem insurmountable. The solution: setting goals that follow the “SMART” format. Any time you set a goal, make sure it is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. The more thought you put into achieving your goals, the better your chances are of actually achieving them. 

2. Break down larger tasks into smaller ones 

Large, vague tasks like “cleaning your room” or “write a blog about executive functioning tips for students with ADHD” can feel overwhelming and stressful to those of us who struggle to even get out of bed sometimes. Breaking these larger tasks down into bite-sized items on your to-do list not only makes focusing on the task at hand easier, but it allows you to celebrate each time you complete something. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to take a break to celebrate making it through this paragraph. 

3. Prioritization using the Eisenhower method 

While redecorating your butterfly garden or beating your little brother’s time trials ghosts in Mario Kart are important, you may want to hold off spending time on these tasks until you’ve gotten the most important and timely things done first. A helpful resource for achieving this is using the urgent-important matrix. If a task is “urgent” and “important”, it should be done immediately. If it’s important but not urgent, these tasks should be scheduled for another time; if it’s not important and urgent, these should be on the back burner, and if a task is neither urgent or important, it should be deleted all together. 

4. Setting Timers 

It can be hard to tell your brain that you need to complete something from start to finish, but it's much easier to commit to something for 20 minutes. I set productivity timers almost every day, whether I’m doing the dishes or working on my marketing homework. And the best part? Once the 20 minutes is up, I’m already deep in the workflow. More often than not, I’ll set one or two more timers before I give myself a break.  

5. Engage in mindfulness practices 

When your mind darts in every direction at once like a pair of dropped Air Pods in a lecture, it can be difficult to focus your attention on the things that matter. Practicing mindfulness meditation, according to Cleveland Clinic, can improve inhibition control, letting you let avoid distractions to instead focus on what you need to do in the moment. 

At the end of the day, executive functioning with ADHD is less about “fixing” yourself and more about finding systems that make life feel doable. None of these tips are magical solutions, but together they can help you stay on track with if you know how to effectively use them in a way that fits your needs. 

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