{“data”:[{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”Finals season is in full swing, and with over half a million college students swarming the city, it’s crunch time here in Boston. Unless you happen to be some sort of superhuman, procrastination is inevitable and you probably have a _lot_ to do in a very little amount of time. Whether you’re a student with two term papers due before the crack of dawn or an overworked employee with a demanding boss, there’s a good chance that you’ve been tempted by a little thing called Adderall. \n”}},{“type”:”html”,”data”:{“text”:”“}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”The prescription medication is used to treat symptoms of ADHD, but it’s notorious for being passed around college campuses and high\\-pressure environments to those who have not been diagnosed with anything. Adderall has been given this reputation of having magic powers, powers that are proven to dramatically increase concentration and, to put it simply, help people get shit done. As a stressed\\-out college student, I’ll admit that, yes, it’s enticing. But the cold, hard truth is that unless you have a prescription, it’s also illegal.\n\nSo that got me thinking \\-\\- Adderall, Ritalin, Vivance \\-\\- these can’t be the be\\-all, end\\-all. There are people who really do need those drugs, and they obtain them legally. But there must be other ways to get myself actually start focusing without taking a risk. After some trial and error, I’ve compiled what I’ve found to be a successful a list of ways in which you, too, can mimic the effects of Adderall without actually taking the drug.\n\n**Omega\\-3 Supplements/Fish Oil Pills**\n\n”}},{“type”:”image”,”data”:{“file”:{“url”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1-1248777384CAvY.jpg”,”full”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1-1248777384CAvY.jpg”},”text”:””}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”Starting us off on the more medical side of Adderall and Ritalin alternatives, one of the most overlooked supplements is the fish oil pill. While these will probably make your breath smell \\(nothing a tic tac won’t cure\\), they have an extremely high concentration of omega\\-3 fatty acids. These acids not only provide energy and make hair shinier, but also make for stronger, healthier cell membranes. In turn, brain cells become a lot stronger and are able to function a lot smoother, especially when it comes to concentration and memory. Long story short, fish oil pills do two pretty brilliant things: 1\\) they increase brain function and 2\\) they make your breath smell\\-\\-that way you’ll be too self\\-conscious to socialize instead of work.\n\n**Ristretto**\n”}},{“type”:”image”,”data”:{“file”:{“url”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Ristretto—by-Charles-Haynes-700×525.jpg”,”full”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Ristretto—by-Charles-Haynes.jpg”},”text”:””}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”Espresso is often the drink of choice when it comes to pulling an all\\-nighter, but what many don’t know is that there is also ristretto. I’m certainly not a coffee connoisseur, but after talking to a few baristas I can tell you that ristretto is another great way to get in your daily dose of caffeine without binging or crashing so quickly. This Italian word literally translates to “restricted” because when baristas pour it, they cut off the blonder, lighter last drips of the shot. Because of this, ristretto doesn’t contain quite as much caffeine as espresso \\-\\- enough to stimulate some serotonin \\(a neurotransmitter that helps with focus, among other things\\), but not too much so that you have a sharp, painful crash. Oh, and it’s a bit sweeter \\(but still bolder\\) than espresso. Yum.\n\n**SelfControl App**\n”}},{“type”:”image”,”data”:{“file”:{“url”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/self-y-u-no-self-control.jpg”,”full”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/self-y-u-no-self-control.jpg”},”text”:””}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”This tactic may make you hate yourself 20 minutes later, but it gets the job done. [SelfControl](http://selfcontrolapp.com/) is a clever little app that allows you to create a “Blacklist” blocking whichever websites you so choose. My usual list of suspects include Netflix, Facebook and YouTube, but SelfControl lets you add as many other sites as necessary. A word to the wise, though: choose carefully. This app is powerful. You can set the timer for anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours, and once you press “Start,” those websites are as good as done. Don’t even bother trying to open up a different browser or restarting your computer \\-\\- it won’t work. Trust me, I’ve tried. It’s a pain when you want to take a ten\\-minute Netflix break, but ultimately it’s for the best because we both know Netflix breaks don’t last ten minutes.\n\nOh, and if you have a serious deadline, the app even has a “Whitelist” option, which blocks everything \\(yes, everything\\) on the Internet except whatever specific websites you add to the list. This would also make for a mean prank to play on your roommate, but I wouldn’t suggest doing it until after you both sign your lease.\n\n**Tricking Your Brain**\n\nYou know that wave of middle\\-school nostalgia \\(or pain\\) you get when you walk by a heavily\\-cologned Abercrombie store? Or that tingly Christmas\\-is\\-here feeling you get when you see that Starbucks has come out with its holiday cups? As you probably already know, that’s your brain associating scents and images with memories. So here’s an idea \\-\\- what if you created memories associated with study habits?\n\nThis trick is going to take a little longer to play out, but I promise it’s worth it. Since the brain most strongly connects memories with tastes and scents, what you can do is create consistent study or work habits based around these things. Every time you sit down to write a paper or finish an assignment, go and grab a particular drink or snack. Or when you’re feeling motivated \\-\\- as silly as this sounds \\-\\- spray a particular perfume, light a certain candle or heck, grab some Febreze. This sounds like a load of bullshit, but it’s not \\-\\- it’s science. Once you get into the habit of doing these things, your brain will start to associate caramel macchiatos or Hawaiian Aloha Febreze with study time. And voilà, you’ve trained \\(or tricked\\) your brain into actually getting down to business.\n\n**Green Tea**\n”}},{“type”:”image”,”data”:{“file”:{“url”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/tumblr-m87p86Toib1rpuycn.jpg”,”full”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/tumblr-m87p86Toib1rpuycn.jpg”},”text”:””}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”If you’re not a coffee person, green tea can be a pretty awesome alternative. People who take Adderall are actually advised to drink green tea, as it has this magical amino acid called “L\\-Theanine” in it that it combats some of the stress and hyperness that goes along with having ADHD. The cool thing about L\\-Theanine is that it produces a calming, stress\\-relieving effect that doesn’t make you drowsy or groggy. And combined with the caffeine that’s also in green tea, you have what I like to call an award\\-winning package: calmness and alertness, minus the crash.\n\n**Inspirational Movie Scores**\n”}},{“type”:”image”,”data”:{“file”:{“url”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ET.gif”,”full”:”http://www.bdcwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/ET.gif”},”text”:””}},{“type”:”text”,”data”:{“text”:”If you’re looking for some good tunes to play while you work, I’d suggest straying away from any that will have you singing along \\-\\- basically anything über poppy that’ll run the risk of distracting you. Classical music like Mozart and Yo\\-Yo Ma are always good go\\-tos, but if you’re worried about being put to sleep, here’s a better idea: inspirational movie scores. Head to Pandora or Google and you’ll find a vast variety of super dramatic compositions that will get you in the mood to seriously get shit done. Songs like “Gonna Fly Now” from \”Rocky\” \\(you know, the infamous running\\-up\\-the\\-steps scene\\) or “The Winner Is” from \”Little Miss Sunshine\” or even the \”Lord of the Rings\” movie soundtrack will make you feel like you’re the protagonist and you’re about to do something awesome, whether that’s writing a paper or doing your taxes.\n\nSo there you have it, kids, the effects of Adderall minus the actual drug. Now get to work!\n\n”}}]}
