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Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

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Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#301

Post by Aurornis »

Teridee wrote: post #112
keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

At my company, we have daily standups and they throw off my whole morning. I only really work effectively when I am left to it and so have outlook/slack/messages turned off during periods where I am trying to focus - has got me in trouble with management a few times but I am not sure what else i can do. The piece was a good read but its so personal to me that it doesn't really help sadly.

This exact complaint is very common among juniors I’ve mentored: A single meeting can destroy their productivity for hours following the meeting.

The most successful advice I’ve found is to find a way to reset after meetings without using your computer. For whatever reason, they’re emotionally drained after meetings. They get back to their computer and reach for Reddit or Twitter or something for a low effort snack, which then spirals into an hour or more of doomscrolling or distractions. This then translates into self disappointment at their low productivity, which further drives them to seek more cheap online entertainment and the cycle repeats.

So try something else. After your standup, go for a walk. Don’t use your phone. Do some stretches if you WFH or have a quiet place. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the rut that destroys your productivity.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#302

Post by swader999 »

muhblah wrote: post #268
keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

This reflects exactly my day to day struggles. Especially that productivity boost when every one starts leaving, and I _was not able_ to finished the smallest one of my tasks planned for the day 'til then most of the time. I'm writing "was not able" on purpose here, because as someone (being blessed) with ADHD, your brain does not allow you to make progress on the smallest tasks due to all those fireworks being blown…

Yup, I think all the meds for this can succumb to tolerance. A real life Flowers for Algernon. Over the years I've upped the dose, switched meds, drug holidays but nothing has matched how well my brain worked the first couple of years on meds.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#303

Post by atcalan »

b33j0r wrote: post #171
keyle wrote: post #33

This hits home. I think we need to really take a hard look at today's world of tech and how we communicate and collaborate. I find that, if time allows, I get a massive productivity boost after 4:30pm and everyone is either winding down or leaving. All the sudden, the walls flatten, the horizon deepens and I enter a deep state of flow. Around 10 AM, after an elongated "stand up", I should be ready to go... And yet it…

I have been fired while I was off getting more insurance-approved stimulants. You ask us to perform unreasonably tops, then hate us for inventing doordash and shit because: we were smart labor, not cheap.

In the US? EEOC would like to have a word with your employer.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#304

Post by atcalan »

sedivy94 wrote: post #210
navjack27 wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think ADHD is the new norm. Huh? ADHD is a debilitating and disabling disorder... I don't think you're talking about ADHD.

ADHD has little to no physiological markers. As the floor of expectations for attention and executive functioning continues to rise, the rate of diagnosis increases.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839459/#:~:tex.... O.o

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#305

Post by atcalan »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #254
tapland wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I noticed: Other people would get hyper from coffee, I would not. My brain would calm down a lot with the help of caffeine. I would regularly down 3-4 red bulls (diet) in the evening if I knew I needed to fall asleep and sleep well. I'm not sure if it's been studied but anecdotal evidence from others seem to suggest I'm not alone and that some others have the same experience.

N=1, I sleep better on stimulants than off them. No problem falling asleep after drinking coffee (usually it makes me more sleepy), or even taking a prescribed stimulant before going to bed.

There is actual research on this. So n>>1.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#306

Post by swozey »

flir wrote: post #296
swozey wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand it. My company is fully remote but they are absolutely horrendous at async comms. I was trying to walk someone through adding a docker build process to their CI and.... he just couldn't communicate/understand it through slack and he wanted to schedule a meeting. Great, now instead of being able to respond while working on other things I have to cut out an entire hour of my day just for you. Thanks.…

Interesting. I like the daily meeting - gives me an anchor for my day that works with the meds. But like most ADHD people when unmedicated I get more productive at night, so I can see why you'd hate the daily checkin.

I'm about 20 years in and the first 10 years of my career as a SWE I had absolutely horrendous managers and daily checkins felt more like proving to someone that you had done any work the day prior, shaming you if you didn't produce enough. I have a hugely negative connotation to them even today, vs feeling that they're a positive team-collab sort of scenario.

At two companies the actual CEO and CTO were in every single one of our standups (startups of course).

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#307

Post by atcalan »

fao_ wrote: post #221
sedivy94 wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD has little to no physiological markers. As the floor of expectations for attention and executive functioning continues to rise, the rate of diagnosis increases.

citation needed. ADHD is a deficit in dopamine processing/production within the brain, it has physiological signs that we can look for: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11689-022-09440-2

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839459/#:~:tex.... Correct. fMRI studies show stark prefrontal activation differences between ADHD and neurotypical brains. I have run fMRI studies for air traffic controllers, who have the opposite experience from ADHD. Very high working memory and processing speed.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#308

Post by b33j0r »

atcalan wrote: post #303
b33j0r wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been fired while I was off getting more insurance-approved stimulants. You ask us to perform unreasonably tops, then hate us for inventing doordash and shit because: we were smart labor, not cheap.

In the US? EEOC would like to have a word with your employer.

I’m too old and arrogant to be litigious. I just try to clear the path for the next generation by equipping them with expectations that match reality closer than I got.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#309

Post by Bjartr »

Difwif wrote: post #39
upupupandaway wrote: post #10

I swear that every time I read an article by somebody who claims they've been diagnosed with ADHD, it is the same formula: "when I was a child...", "I didn't know what it was", ..., "I was finally diagnosed with ADHD", then finally "I have super powers no one else has so I will use them to my advantage". I would love to see an ADHD version of the horoscope/personality tests administered by Stagner and Forer. I predic…

I have been personally diagnosed with ADHD and have benefited from medication but it doesn't come without its costs. My wife was diagnosed when she was very young and we've had a lot of time to run self experiments and discuss ideas. I don't think people want to hear this but I believe so many people think they have ADHD because of a lack of discipline. Even people with ADHD will understand what I'm talking about. So…

> I believe so many people think they have ADHD because of a lack of discipline

A fundamental characteristic of my ADHD is lack of discipline. I cannot force myself to do something if ADHD is getting in the way. On the rare occasions it's not, and I have initiative (a truly precious resource), it doesn't matter how much or little I enjoy the task, or how uncomfortable the task is, it's getting done.

As I'm sure you know, ADHD diagnosis, like many other diagnoses, needs two things: 1. Have at least N of M symptoms on a list. 2. Have those things have a material negative impact on your life.

> the only thing missing is forcing yourself to get shit done

...yes? Obviously?

As far as I understand it, that's the whole point. People who don't have ADHD just don't struggle with that to the point that it shapes their life, it's just an occasional annoyance that doesn't require any special effort to deal with.

Re: Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer

#310

Post by koonsolo »

simplyluke wrote: post #243
koonsolo wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Get to work regardless if distracted and agitated. Close all apps except what you need to work and BOOM!, let the magic happen Isn't this the part that actually does the heavy lifting to get stuff done?

Most productivity hacks are window dressing around this.

Yeah, but this blinking light is still at another level. I'm glad it works for the OP, but to me this really stood out as pretty absurd.

Sounds a bit like: I have a hard time falling asleep, so I have this blinking light next to my bed. I take a sleeping pill and let the magic happen. My heart rate then syncs to the light and I fall asleep. This light works great!

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