Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at URL http://bit.ly/2eRinnL. Mike Cavaliere discusses techniques and strategies for both managing distraction and memory challenges, as well as regular maintenance for our brain for optimal performance. He also talks about methods that can actually improve one's brain. Mike Cavaliere is the Director of Technology for ATTCK, a web development, design and digital strategy consultancy. He’s been in the software world for 15 years. Over the course of his life he’s found a lot of successful strategies for managing and improving ADHD. Over the past 9 years he’s been very passionate about brain science, and has done lots of self-experimentation.

1. ADHD & Technology
by Mike Cavaliere http://adhdtechies.com
Brain Hacks & Upgrades

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Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
adhd

3. Presented at QCon New York
www.qconnewyork.com
Purpose of QCon
- to empower software development by facilitating the spread of
knowledge and innovation
Strategy
- practitioner-driven conference designed for YOU: influencers of
change and innovation in your teams
- speakers and topics driving the evolution and innovation
- connecting and catalyzing the influencers and innovators
Highlights
- attended by more than 12,000 delegates since 2007
- held in 9 cities worldwide

4. Who are you?
Questions for the audience

5. My Story

6. Your Brain Can Improve.
…in a variety of ways.
…a lot.

7. Brain-Change Stories

8. Brain-Change Stories
Extreme learning disabilities gone
Crippling stroke recovery
Blindness cured
Parkinson’s

9. Normal guy acquires
superhuman memory

10. Some Background
and terminology.

11. “ADHD” === “ADD”
Different terms, same condition

12. Real vs Perceived ADHD
“ADHD is imaginary.”
“ADHD is created by our society/technology.”
“Everyone has ADHD nowadays.”

13. ADHD is a Real Condition
Not everyone really has it.
The brains of ADHD people are different.

14. Hacks vs. Upgrades

15. • A band-aid
• A workaround
• An indirect or temporary
solution
• a physical hardware change
• a stable software improvement
“Hack” “Upgrade”

16. • Quick results
• Cheap
• E.g., meds, workspace
changes, software tools
• Con: dependencies
• Con: limited effectiveness
• Con: effects not automatic
• Long-term / permanent(?) results
• Potential effect is large
• Automatic
• E.g., neurofeedback, Brain Gym,
hard-core meditation
• Con: time consuming
• Con: sometimes costly
• Con: requires discipline
“Brain Hack” “Brain Upgrade”

17. How to Approach
Brain Improvement

18. Your Brain is a Startup.
experiment, measure, repeat.

19. Treat everything as experiment
Measure before & after
Observe gradual changes
Your Brain is a Startup.

20. Macro Measurements
Intelligence tests
Functional abilities tests (audio, visual, etc)
High-level self-observation

21. Micro Measurements
Periodic self-rating
Apps?

22. Some Brain Hacks

23. Hacking Attention
by reducing distraction

24. Types of Distraction
Visual
Auditory
Social
Digital
Internal

25. Visual Distraction
Motion
Disorganization / workspace design
description

26. Visual Distraction
Organize desktop
Face away from movement
Visual barrier
hacks

27. Auditory Distraction
Noisy environments
Coworkers talking
Music w/vocals
description

28. Auditory Distraction
Noise-cancelling headphones
No vocals
Binaural beats
noisli.com
hacks

29. Social Distraction
Coworkers
Family / pets (when working from home)
Phone calls
description

30. Social Distraction
Do not disturb mode
Set expectations
Headphones rule
“No distractions” time blocks
Remote work days
hacks

31. Digital Distraction
Push notifs, desktop notifs
App sound effects
Social media, hacker news, etc
description

32. Digital Distraction
Do not disturb
Social media-blocking apps
When in doubt, close all apps
hacks

33. Internal Distraction
Daydreaming
Worrying
Sensations (itching, vibration, etc)
description

34. Internal Distraction
No hacks :-/
Mindfulness works wonders

35. Hacking Memory

36. Let the Cloud do the
Remembering
Make everything digital & automatic

37. Files
Code
Everything Else

38. Organization is Key
Have a system
(Folder structure / Tagging conventions)
Know the tool
(Advanced search / Keyboard shortcuts)
Review & refactor

39. Hacking Learning
and skill building

40. Spaced Repetition

41. Mental Practice

42. Cardio!
…and full-body movement

43. My Brain Upgrades
Experiments & results

44. Vipassana Meditation
• 10 days of silence
• Immersive practice
• Impulse control
• Mindfulness
• 100% free!
http://dhamma.org

45. Brain Gym
• Nervous system re-training
(primitive reflexes)
• Anxiety reduction
• Better control of eyes / body
• Communication ability
• Less ticklish, less prone to
startling

46. Interactive Metronome
• Handheld sensor w/timing
correction
• Improved sense of time
• Improved quantity estimation

47. Brain Games
• Memory & focus
improvements
• Best when combined with
exercise, other methods

48. Neurofeedback
• Brain-wave headset
• Movie stops when you don’t
focus
• Concentrate to start it again

49. Integrated Listening (ILS)
• Mozart & bone-conduction
headphones
• Improved visual learning
ability (significantly)
• Coordination improvements
• Increased flow (focus) states

50. Foundations
for brain development

51. Foundations
Sleep
Nutrition
Exercise
*Mental state

52. Sleep 101
• Light / Sound
• Movement
• Alcohol / Caffeine
• Technology
• Sunlight (in daytime)
• Exercise (in daytime)
• White noise
(at bedtime, for some)
Decrease (at bedtime): Increase:

53. Nutrition 101
Less sugar / artificial ingredients
More colorful vegetables
High protein, low carb
Elimination diets

54. Exercise 101
Cardio + full-body movement
30-45min / day is ideal
10 min/day is better than 2 hours/week

55. Mental State 101
Stress kills
Toxic personalities too

56. Happiness Fundamentals
Relationships
Personal development
Kindness
Purpose
*Play
http://thehappymovie.com

57. Happiness Fundamentals
Fun is good for your brain!

58. Thanks for listening!
ADHDTechies.com
Mike Cavaliere
mike@mikecavaliere.com

59. Watch the video with slide synchronization on
InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/adhd