Do you ever wish you could “just do the thing” like the neurotypicals do? In this talk, you won’t learn that — but you will learn how to put systems and practices in place that will help you stay organised and focused with your ADHD rather than despite of it. And then you will be able to do the thing and thrive in your career! I’ll share what I’ve learned about how my ADHD brain works in the decade since being diagnosed as an adult and what I need to succeed in everyday life and my career.

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Set Yourself Up For
Success, ADHD Edition
Geek Beacon Fest 2023

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Kai Katschthaler
● Tech Content Specialist
● Developer Educator
● Mental Health Activist

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Storytime: Me & the ADHD

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Organisation helped me manage my life
better, but it didn’t necessarily help me
cope with life better.
― Kai, right now

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Tools I use to organise myself
What we’ll talk about
Tools I use to improve focus
Accepting and meeting my needs
Asking for accommodations
01
02
03
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ADHD brains like order.
They just don’t always know how to create it.
Tools I use to organise myself

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My organisational ecosystem
Inbox Calendar
To-Do App
Notes App

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Inbox (Email, Slack, etc.)
→ filed away (archive, delete, save
attachment, etc.
→ act on immediately
→ triggers further action

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To-Do App Calendar App

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Inbox
Appointment
Task/Reminder
File Reply

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Recap
So now I have:
● All tasks in to-do app
● All reminders in to-do app
● All appointments in calendar
● A relatively tidy inbox
Anything that comes in gets:
● Handled right away (filed,
replied to, etc.)
● Snoozed for later
● Turned into a task,
appointment or reminder

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Notes
● Notes
● Planning
● Drafting

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Paperwork

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Neurodivergent solutions for a neurodivergent brain
Tools that help me focus

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Things that help me work better and stay focused
Minimising Distractions
Find tools you can use anywhere
and whenever
Different Times
Containing chaos instead of
controlling it
Finding Supportive Tools
…for different tasks
Preventing Understimulation
Body doubling Work Wherever
Neurodivergent brains need an
ND-friendly work setup
With a little help from your
friends
…that allow me to focus on
what’s important

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A healing journey
Accepting, meeting and
communicating my needs

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Accepting needs and ADHD traits
Anxiety
Unmasking makes overwhelm more obvious, but also
more avoidable
Getting overwhelmed
Find ways to remove sensory triggers
Sensory issues
Consciously looking doors, double checking emails,
etc.

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Regulating my nervous system
Taking a break
Notice when your brain is under-stimulated and find
reliable and easy ways to fix it
Dopamine is cheap
Find the right stim that works for you; there are many
options out there
Stimming
Give your nervous system a chance to calm down and
regain your focus

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Overcoming internalised ableism
Asking for accommodations

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(c) Maryam Abdul-Kareem

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(c) Froehle/The Inclusion Solution

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Things that can help
Organisational
Tools
Symptom
Management
Environment
Management
Asking for
Accommodations
Be kind to yourself!

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Thank you!
Do you have any questions?
https://linktr.ee/thegrumpyenby