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[ad_1] [00:00:00] Nathan Wrigley: Welcome to the Jukebox podcast from WP Tavern. My name is Nathan Wrigley. Jukebox is a podcast which is dedicated to all things WordPress. The people, the events, the plugins, the blocks, the themes, and in this case, ADHD, focus and working in tech. If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast, you can do that by searching for WP Tavern in your podcast player of choice, or by going to wptavern.com/feed/podcast. And you can copy that URL into most podcast players. If you have a topic that you’d like us to feature on the podcast, I’m keen to hear from you and hopefully get you, or your idea featured on the show. Head to wptavern.com/contact/jukebox, and use the form there. So on the podcast today we have Chris Ferdinandi. Chris, a web developer with ADHD, has navigated both the human resources and web development landscapes. He’s here to share his unique experiences and insights on how ADHD has shaped his career and daily life, as well as offer practical strategies for managing ADHD in the workplace and beyond. We talk about the world of ADHD, exploring the challenges and advantages it brings, especially in a world designed for neuro-typical individuals. Chris talks about the abundance of ideas, risk-taking behaviour, and the lack of impulse control that can present both opportunities and obstacles. He candidly discusses how ADHD affects his ability to focus, regulate attention, and how it impacts emotions and impulse control. Chris refers to ADHD traits as superpowers, and embraces them whilst also acknowledging the real world difficulties. He discusses how ADHD individuals often struggle with hyper focus, and how interruptions can be particularly detrimental to their workflows. He suggests structuring workdays with blocked off meeting times to maintain focus upon tasks which need doing in the timescales required. We also touch upon other workplace accommodations, the importance of understanding ADHD subtypes, and navigating disclosure in professional settings. Chris emphasises the strengths that come with ADHD, and offers practical tips like starting small tasks, trying to regulate dopamine and taking breaks. Towards the end of the podcast, Chris invites listeners to engage with him and explore more resources on his website, which is linked to in the show notes, which you can find at wptavern.com/podcast, where you’ll find all the other episodes as well. If you’re curious about how ADHD can turn challenges into career strengths, this episode is for you. And so without further delay, I bring you Chris Ferdinandi. I am joined on the podcast by Chris Ferdinandi. Hi Chris. [00:03:21] Chris Ferdinandi: Hey Nathan. Thanks so much for having me. [00:03:23] Nathan Wrigley: You are very, very welcome. Chris is on the podcast today, we just had a little chat actually about how we connected, and that’s a story in itself. We were going to do a different podcast episode, but we’ve ended up doing this one. The story today is going to be all about ADHD. I explained to Chris that I know what the acronym means, we’ll have question marks about the acronym’s appropriateness as well. But I actually don’t know how it applies to people’s lives. My knowledge of medicine and all of that is pretty poor in all honesty. So there’s a nice conversation to be had. Before we begin that conversation, Chris, I’m just wondering if you could just set out the stall, give us your two minute bio, who you are, what your relationship is with web development, and all of that. [00:04:04] Chris Ferdinandi: Yeah, absolutely. I’m a web developer, I have ADHD. I originally started off my life as a human resource professional, sometimes called personnel, depending on where you’re at. And I had a WordPress blog because I had really strong opinions on how HR worked, and what I liked about it, and what I didn’t, and I wanted to have a little bit more control over look and feel of that. So I taught myself web development, and eventually loved it so much that I made it my job. So WordPress literally kickstarted my career. But early in my career, I felt like I couldn’t get anything done. I was pretty sure I was going to get fired from my first job, and that kind of sent me down this whole rabbit hole of exploration, and learning about productivity and stuff. But since then, I’ve discovered a bunch of systems and strategies that work for me, that let me turn my ADHD into a superpower. One of the things I learned is that a lot of productivity advice for neurotypical folks just does not work for ADHD people. And yeah, so I’m here today talk about the joys and struggles of being a developer with ADHD. [00:05:03] Nathan Wrigley: Oh, it’s really interesting. I’m really pleased that you are willing to talk to me about this, and I do apologise if I put my foot in my mouth at any point. But we’ll try to get through it, and hopefully you’ll be able to educate me as the podcast episode goes on. My understanding of ADHD, as I said, is incredibly narrow. I really only know what the acronym is, and the broadest brush strokes of what that might mean. We use the term in the UK ADHD, that acronym, but I’ve also heard people say ADD. Do you just want to outline what the acronym stands for? And just flesh out a little bit how it applies to your life, and what it means for you, and how you might be different from somebody without ADHD. [00:05:42] Chris Ferdinandi: Absolutely. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder. They used to be, like I think around the eighties, nineties, they were considered two different things. These days, in most medical literature, it is all ADHD, and then there’s a few different subtypes. One of them is inattentive, which is what you would normally think

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