Hack Your Brain: Ways to improve your thought processes

As developers we are always looking at improving and optimizing our workflows, but why don't we also do that with our thoughts? This talk will explore ways to improve those thought processes through looking at techniques like mindfulness, having a growth mindset, implementing new habits like how you do a sprint and even why speed reading might work for you.

Transcript

1. @tech_christine
   Hack Your Brain
   Ways to improve your thought processes
   

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2. @tech_christine
   You can improve yourself
   

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3. @tech_christine
   

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4. @tech_christine
   Evette
   Software Engineer
   Nick
   Network Engineer
   Dell
   Product Designer
   Peyton
   Product Manager
   

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5. @tech_christine
   What is the problem?
   • Thoughts just keep circling
   around
   
   • Feels overwhelmed with
   worries and general chaos
   
   • Everything wrong is
   happening to her
   

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6. @tech_christine
   The Solution? Mindfulness
   

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7. @tech_christine
   – Jon Kabat-Zinn
   professor/creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness
   “Mindfulness is awareness that arises
   through paying attention, on purpose, in the
   present moment, non-judgementally”
   

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8. @tech_christine
   What is mindfulness?
   • Mental habit of paying attention without thinking
   
   • Logging for your brain
   

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9. @tech_christine
   Let's try a quick
   meditation
   

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10. @tech_christine
    How to practice mindfulness
    • Focus your attention on something
    
    • Keep your focus, but don't judge
    yourself
    
    

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11. @tech_christine
    Am I going to need a lot of
    props?
    

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12. @tech_christine
    Nope
    There is no perfect way to meditate
    

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13. @tech_christine
    What can it help
    with?
    Emotional balance
    
    Response flexibility
    
    Downregulation of
    fear
    

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14. @tech_christine
    What else can it help with?
    Insight
    
    Empathy
    
    Morality
    
    Intuition
    

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15. @tech_christine
    How will this help Evette?
    Thoughts just keep circling around
    
    • Allows her to redirect thoughts
    
    Feels overwhelmed with worries and
    general chaos
    
    • Helps with fear and chaos by down-
    regulating
    
    Everything wrong is happening to her
    
    • Helps her find insight and
    perspective
    

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16. @tech_christine
    What is the problem?
    • They have a resolution list a
    mile long
    
    • Starts and stops trying to
    tackle procrastination, healthy
    eating, exercise...
    
    • Lots of to-do lists and is
    always late
    

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17. @tech_christine
    –Will Durant, writer/historian/philosopher (often attributed to
    Aristole)
    “…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,
    then is not an act but a habit.”
    

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18. @tech_christine
    What is a habit?
    • Not just "something you do every day"
    
    • Frequently recurring behaviors, that trigger when a cue is
    encountered then behavior is performed automatically
    

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19. @tech_christine
    Example Habits
    • When you wake up (trigger),
    you brush your teeth (habit).
    
    • When you get to work
    (trigger), you check your
    email/slack (habit).
    
    • When you get stressed
    (trigger), you eat cheetos/
    chocolate (habit).
    

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20. @tech_christine
    

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21. @tech_christine
    How to form a habit?
    1. Identify your goal
    
    2. Create environmental triggers
    
    3. Define your reward
    

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22. @tech_christine
    

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23. @tech_christine
    

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24. @tech_christine
    How will this help Dell?
    They have a resolution list a mile long
    
    • Mark that list off one at a time
    
    Starts and stops trying to tackle
    procrastination, healthy eating,
    exercise...
    
    • Habits build on habits, start small
    
    Lots of to-do lists and is always late
    
    • Make sure the habit is part of a long
    term goal
    

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25. @tech_christine
    What is the problem?
    • Avoids Challenges
    
    • Gives up easily
    
    • Feels threatened by
    the success of others
    

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26. @tech_christine
    What is a solution?
    Growth Mindeset
    

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27. @tech_christine
    

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28. Think of yourself like
    vanilla software
    It is just a starting point, can always improve with
    more add-ons and frameworks
    

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29. @tech_christine
    Belief > Action > Growth
    

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30. @tech_christine
    Questions to challenge why
    • Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them?
    
    • Why look for friends or partners who will just shore
    up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also
    challenge you to grow?
    
    • Why seek out the tried and true, instead of
    experiences that will stretch you?
    

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31. @tech_christine
    

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32. @tech_christine
    Fixed vs Growth Mindset
    I suck at math vs Math has been challenging for me
    
    I’ll never be an artist vs I feel dissatisfied with all of the art
    I’ve tried to make
    
    I’m not good at handstands vs I haven’t learned how to do
    handstands yet
    
    I’m just bad at it, and I don’t care vs It's not a priority for
    me to learn right now
    

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33. @tech_christine
    

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34. @tech_christine
    How to put it into practice?
    • Accept you are not perfect, but can improve
    
    • Change your perspective on failure and criticism
    
    • Don't focus on the end result, focus on the process
    
    • Learning fast != learning well
    

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35. @tech_christine
    If you find yourself discouraged
    Remember, “I’m just not good at this yet.”
    
    

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36. @tech_christine
    How will this help Nick?
    • Avoids Challenges
    
    • Embrace Challenges for learning
    opportunities
    
    • Gives up easily
    
    • Only through some perseverance
    can you learn
    
    • Feels threatened by the success of
    others
    
    • Find lessons and inspirations in
    others success
    

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37. @tech_christine
    What is the problem?
    • Has a long reading list and
    no time
    
    • Backlog of emails and
    articles to read
    
    • Wants to stay current in tech
    and business articles
    

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38. @tech_christine
    A solution? Speed Reading
    

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39. @tech_christine
    Reading is a three step process
    1. Fixate
    
    2. Saccade
    
    3. Process
    

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40. @tech_christine
    Increase your throughput
    

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41. @tech_christine
    Speed Reading Techniques
    • Skimming
    
    • Meta guiding
    
    • Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP)
    

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42. @tech_christine
    RSVP Example
    

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43. @tech_christine
    Note of Caution
    speed and
    comprehension can be
    a trade-off
    

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44. @tech_christine
    A solution? Speed Reading
    Smarter Reading (which might make you faster)
    

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45. @tech_christine
    Better Reading Technique
    1. Skim before
    
    2. Improve your fluency to help your speed
    
    3. Know what you want, before reading
    
    4. For better retention, think and examine the text
    

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46. @tech_christine
    How will this help Peyton?
    Has a long reading list and no time
    
    • Reading time gains will help cut that list
    
    Backlog of emails and articles to read
    
    • Skim the ones with less retention
    needed, read smarter with others
    
    Wants to stay current in tech and business
    articles
    
    • Will be a thing of the past
    

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47. @tech_christine
    Evette
    Software Engineer
    Nick
    Network Engineer
    Dell
    Product Designer
    Peyton
    Product Manager
    Mindfulness Growth Mindset
    Habit Building Speed Reeding
    "
    ✒
    

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48. @tech_christine
    What questions do you
    have?
    

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49. @tech_christine
    

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