January creates the illusion that everyone starts at zero

University students often arrive motivated and optimistic for their new academic year, but quietly carrying the same invisible load from the year before:

• half-implemented systems and shaky routines,

• accumulated shame,

• nervous systems jammed stuck in fight/flight/freeze mode,

• and an unspoken fear of “not keeping up - again.”

What’s striking is that many of these students are well-supported on paper - they have diagnoses, perhaps accommodations, maybe meds, and clinicians who care deeply.

But there’s a gap at the start of the year that we rarely name:
We reset the calendar, but not the capacity.

I’ve been seeing this pattern across my student clients in South Africa, as well as the UK, US and Australia - and it’s the reason I’m developing a new online ADHD student course launching in March 2026, designed around what students actually need before executive strategies can stick.

Let’s unpack it then:

• why “fresh starts” can backfire for ADHD students
  

• the missing foundation most support models skip
  

• and what helps students start the year without burning through their energy by week three

Why insight and motivation aren’t enough

Many ADHD uni students are highly reflective and aware.
They understand their diagnosis. They can explain their challenges clearly. They’re often desperate to get motivated so they can fully engage in their courses.

But insight doesn’t equal readiness.

What I’m seeing is that students - especially neurodivergent ones - need a stabilising phase at the start of the year: A way to reduce internal noise and self-blame, rebuild trust in themselves, and re-enter academic demands with scaffolded capacity, not just good intentions.

Without this phase, near year optimism often turns into February/March exhaustion, come the start of the new academic year.

A small shift that I find works well

Almost every ADHD student I work with arrives asking for systems.
New planners. New apps. New routines to finally make things “work.”

One student I’ll call Leanne arrived end of last January with exactly this request.
She was motivated, organised on the surface, and already had a long list of tools she was using, and tons she planned to try.

But before introducing anything new, we paused.

Instead of building systems, we spent time unpacking the previous year Leanne was carrying with her.

Together, we:

• named the struggles that followed her out of the previous academic year

• mapped which ways of thinking and working drained her energy, and which quietly supported it

• reframed the tools that “didn’t stick” not as failures, but as data about what her brain couldn’t sustain

Something shifted almost immediately.

Her urgency softened.
The pressure to “get it right this time” eased.
And when we eventually introduced new strategies, they landed on a nervous system that felt steadier - and a student who felt supported rather than nervous to start.

The goal wasn’t to do better.
It was to start supported.

This is the foundation most support models skip - taking time to stabilise before introducing strategies.

Why I’m building the University ADHD Student Coaching course - starting online in March

I see the relief ADHD university students feel when they understand how their brains work - that the heaviness of starting again is common, and that they need different ways of setting themselves up.

I want this for more students. Years of running groups for neurodivergent students and professionals have shown me the power of community - especially spaces where students see others like them: smart, capable, and navigating the real challenges of varsity and life.

This March, I’ll be running an online ADHD University Student Coaching Group - a small, 8-week programme for university students with ADHD (formal diagnosis not required; executive functioning challenges welcome).

The group offers structure, gentle accountability, and a supportive space to build sustainable routines alongside peers who know ADHD, warts and all. It includes weekly group sessions, resources and recordings, and guided tasks between sessions. I’ve also included a bonus 1:1 private online session with each student priorb to the course starting, to help students personalise the work and plan for the year ahead.

Session dates and times will be set collaboratively, and I like to discuss the course cost directly with students as I have a few payment options.

If a student comes to mind, you’re very welcome to share this with them or reach out. You can click on the image below to download the PDF (or click here). My email address ([email protected]) is included on the email - that’s the easiest way to get in touch.

I’m happy to chat through what this support looks like with clients on a free, no-commitment intro call - they can pop me an email at [email protected] to set it up.

Why this newsletter exists

I started this once-a-month email because many of us are seeing the same things in our rooms - but rarely have space to reflect on them together.

This is a place where I’ll share:

• patterns I’m noticing in ADHD and neurodivergent support

• clinical reflections that sit between research and practice

• and updates on trainings and courses I’m developing

If there’s anything you’d like more information on, or if you’re seeing similar trends in your practice, hit reply to let me know! I’d love to connect.

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet subscribed, please hit the button below to join us. I respect your inbox, and will share this newsletter with thoughtful intention.

Thanks for reading, and cheers until next time!

Warm regards,