What can really work well is an ambient background noise, such as the TNG engine ambient noise or whatever you are into (SWTOR station ambient, ...), wind, ocean.
The trick then is to put it on exactly when the focussed studying starts, and to turn it off abruptly when you (have to) interrupt, e. g. for phone, door, water.
That prevents you from the half-assed "I'm technically working right now" when you are really not.
Even after I became aware that I have ADHD in my 40s, additional years were still wasted after not getting treatment, with lost jobs, money etc.
Sitting on a referral from the GP for 18 months now, and they don't even give me an appointment in a distant future. The only thing that worked for me in my 20s: Set the bar low enough. Stop "planning" to study for 3 hours "tomorrow", or half-assing 2 hours while a video plays, you are on the phone and get coffee 5 times. Instead, admit that you'll only get 25 minutes in. But do them today, completely focussed, no distractions, not even getting water, no toilet break etc.
Think of it like squid game. The team that gets the best test score after 25 minutes studying lives. You'd rather pee in your pants than to get up and certainly wouldn't check your phone.
Worked for me, can't say if it will for you.
I use plain old mindmaps for many things. When they are related to tasks and todos, I use a tool where it has little checkmarks, possibly completion progress bars, failed-icons, blocker-icons etc.
For understanding a topic, e. g. from a textbook or a job problem, hand-drawn works better with the additional freedoms it provides, such as this one: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/53571999/Mindmapping
It fits in nicely with how I work through a text:
Is that also related to ADHD? Mind blown, because that is one of my defining weaknesses, and always has been!
tl;dr: software developer
Software developer. Unable to thrive at school or university, I had phases ever since I had a PC where I self-improved with more or less intensity. A few years where I had neither energy nor motivation, but discipline to do a little bit most days. Just a solid hobby-level.
Then out of nowhere It became an obsession for 5 years, like it usually does for a substance or gaming addiction. Just wake up, immediately study, trying to get everything perfect, to understand all the competing approaches and their reasons to every problem, only sleep when I can't keep my eyes open.
Finding mentors online, big names in their niche. Most people think that these people are annoyed from hundreds of "fans" who want to learn, but actually, that rarely happens, and when they see how much effort you put in, they are happy to help. One day, the phase ended as quickly as it had started. But I still had the knowledge.
That was 20 years ago. Much of the stuff from back then is still relevant, but there are the massive changes to web clients, and there are "clouds". In relation to relevant frameworks and standards, I'm far less skilled now, but I have two decades of reference projects which make me LOOK better.
A problem is that working away from home really doesn't work for me, thus having to refuse > 95 % of offers (they just come, I don't apply). But since 2020, that is no longer an issue.
If I ever go back to studying, it definitely has to be from home. Might even have worked out the first time then. Over 50 % of my energy went into the logistics of being at a specific location at a specific time with coursework done, and picking up the course certificates. Yes, I did all the courses for an intermediate diploma and more (back before BSc and MSc was a thing), but failed in picking up 20 % of them before they were destroyed.
Exactly, just that one single "sprint" is a good day for me already
Yes, apparently they can do a lot with that information. I'm not sure what to say though. Coffee can make me really tired, or extremely stimulated like a cartoon squirrel.
I can nap on Modafinil, which is a narcoleptic drug used only off-label for ADHD. It's basically like coffee on coffee.
Good job achieving all that on hard mode!
The only thing that really works for me is when I make it a 25 minute hyper-focussed challenge: Set a timer and make the maximum progress that is theoretically possible in that time. No getting water, no toilet breaks, no looking at the phone. Beats 3 hours of getting a glass of water, toilet breaks, getting hungry, realising I should work out and shower first and finding more reasons to jump up any day - surprisingly. Got to always treat it as if it were a competition.
Not the worst that can happen. Job lost, dishes done.
I even encourage myself to do this, so at least SOMETHING gets done.
Funny thing is that this is the ONE ADHD thing I don't have. My trick: Super-panic about being late.
The broader strategy is that I set an exact time that triggers the "panic mode". So for example when I need to take a 3 day trip, I put my open suitcase in the middle of the room and fill it only casually as is convenient, starting days before. Hours before departure, I'm putting what is still missing in, but very relaxed, and do other things such as shower, eat, whatever needs to be done. But like 20 minutes before departure, the "panic mode" is triggered. Whatever is still missing then is done with maximum stress, only absolute show-stoppers, no optionals, complete panic the whole time.
Knowing that panic mode is still there to help last minute, allows me to do the entire thing very relaxed.