Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by qumpis on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @11:08AM
(#38278238)
Why not put these earbuds in the office?
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by actionfromafar on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @11:25AM
(#38278467)
Overthinking responses to interruptions, looking for visual cues etc?
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by wpm on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @01:11PM
(#38280141)
Did you not read about all the visual and social interruptions they talked about? Noise-cancelling for your eyes is called a blindfold.
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by gopher_space on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @01:49PM
(#38280673)
The fundamental point is that I'm not putting a box on my head so I can cope with your open floorplan.
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by smcleod on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @02:00PM
(#38280850)
Way too many distractions in an office, it’s not just trying to tune out sound, it’s visual, temperature, lighting, social, commuting etc…. They all increase your load.
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by lolinder on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @02:03PM
(#38280885)
I did, but that was never enough: even 37dB ear muffs aren't enough to completely suppress the noise of a conversation happening nearby, but the ear muffs plus the walls and the door are.
And, of course, as others point out, the auditory distractions are only part of the problem with an open floor plan.
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by qumpis on Thursday November 16, 2023 @09:08AM
(#38289656)
I've got good results with white noise, not sure if that's something that would work for you. And of course I didn't suggest that this eliminates other distractions.
Re:Hacking ADHD: Strategies for the modern developer
by jacobyoder on Wednesday November 15, 2023 @02:19PM
(#38281092)
I've been in open office plans where wearing earbuds/headphones was seen as hostile/negative towards others. This was many years ago, but... not that many (in the mid 2000s).
The most important ADHD accommodation for me has been a private office (in my case working from home).
I'm insanely distractible—the slightest noise can throw me off, and even the threat of an impending interruption is enough to make me lose focus thinking about how I'll respond if it comes. In an open office, I had very little control over my environment, and so it was impossible for me to keep focused for any length of time. If it wasn't a coworker interrupting me personally, it was a conversation happening behind me, or even just someone walking by and me wondering if they're going to interrupt.
At home, I have a private office with a locked door, and I put on hearing protection over earbuds, which blocks essentially all sounds from the house. I can control my notifications, so if I'm in flow I'm completely uninterruptible.
The other big benefit from privacy is that I don't have to feel guilty when I do get distracted with something. There's no one to see me and judge me for not "looking like I'm working", so when I do lose focus for hours and then get the whole day's work done in a single hour of hyperfocus, no one knows or cares that I couldn't stay focused that day—all they see is that I finished what I said I would. Privacy allows me to use my strengths (working well under pressure) without fear of judgement.