Quick idea for getting motivated.

[Tiddler]

I’ve found something that might be useful that I thought I’d share.

I’ve been using the lumosity website. It’s got lots of games that are meant to be ‘brain training’ and there seems to be some useful studies that back this up.

Anyway, it’s not the brain training that interests me at this point, but how I feel when I’ve been working on some of the games. One in particular is a maths game that builds up to being really very fast indeed and I love it. By the end of it I feel really energized and I’m then able to pick up my work and get a fair bit done before it begins to wear off.

Just an idea that may be useful for someone else too!

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[Anonymous]

Hi Tiddler, I’ve been debating getting Lumosity (or Happy Neuron) for some time. Do you find it helps with memory, concentration etc as well? When I had the free trial I thought it was making a difference.

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[kc5jck]

Yes, we want a full Tiddler weekly evaluation on your progress and how it helps you.

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[Tiddler]

Ah. Okay. I’m glad some others are interested in Lumosity!

I have made quite pleasing progress so far. I’ll describe some of the activities and how I think they’re helping:

The ones where I have to work at speed are giving me a bit of a kick up the backside. I’m getting faster and faster at them and that is very exciting. Although speed is my weakest area, seeing the improvement is a big kick.

Some of the activities work on having to remember what you’ve seen previously and you have to click whether the next one is the same or different. As you progress, you have to remember what the one TWO places before was like and decide whether the symbol you’re looking at now is the same or different. I am slowly making progress on these and feel they’re helping a little with my memory already. (It’s only been a month so far.)

Some work on visual attention – man they’re HARD! Sometimes you’ll see a bird flash briefly on the screen, with some dots flashing up too AND a letter. You have to remember the letter and click on exactly where you saw the bird at the same time. Others ask you to click on things in the order they appeared or you’ll see several numbers flash on screen and you have to click on where they were in order of size.

Some have faces and names that you have to link in various ways. Not easy for me at all but I’m definitely improving on it and I feel that I can recall the names of a few of them instantly which Im hoping will help when I’m meeting people.

The logic and maths problem solving games are my favourites. I find them pretty easy. That said, I’m getting a lot more satisfaction from the tiny improvements I’m making on the stuff I find hard!

Some require flexible thinking – ‘brain shift’ and again I find them very challenging. For example, you have 2 boxes, both with a letter and a number in. One box needs the letter to be a vowel and the other needs the number to be even. When the letter and number flash up in each box, you need to remember which box requires which rule, remember work out quickly if it fits and rmember which key to press. I get very muddled on that one but I’m finding strategies to help, which I feel is helping me make decisions about things I struggle with.

There are word games too that supposedly help with that ‘tip of the tongue’ feeling when you just can’t[ get the right word out. They’re fun but there are times when my brain just switches off and I end up staring at the clock ticking down wondering what on earth I can write that starts with the letters ‘pro’ for example!

Here are some free ones just for fun. You can sign up for a 30 day trial. A year’s membership was quite expensive but I found an internet code to type in that brought it down from £60 to £47, so that was worthwhile.

http://www.lumosity.com/brain-games/speed-games/speed-match

http://www.lumosity.com/brain-games/attention-games/lost-in-migration

http://www.lumosity.com/brain-games/problem-solving-games/raindrops

Have fun!

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[Tiddler]

Also, I’m Tiddlerfish on there if anyone does sign up – you can ‘friend’ people on there apparently but I haven’t worked out what that means particularly!

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[munchkin]

I really enjoyed the free trial I did of Lumosity – I’m not sure if it was helping me or just another hyperfocus, but I would have kept using it if it was free…

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[Tiddler]

YEah. I forgot that bit. The first week I signed on I spent every spare moment I had on there. It’s settled down now to just my ‘dead’ time that I would normally have spent arguing with people on forums. 😳

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[munchkin]

The thing about ADHD is that when your in a non-distracting environment, and you enjoy the task, you’re going to do better. The tasks in lumosity require more focus than your average situation, so they seem hard for us.

Still – if we are lacking the chemistry to focus, more practicing of the tasks might not be the answer – or only part of the answer?

An interesting idea would be to try these lumosity puzzles on my laptop in different environments and times of day to test for my best working environment and most focused time of day… color me intrigued!!

I suppose it doesn’t have to be lumosity – just any task where you can measure your ability to focus based on how fast or accurate you did the task – sudoku?

then see how that goes when you change your parameters: medicated/nonmedicated, morning/afternoon, good night’s sleep/bad night’s sleep, healthy meal/unhealthy meal…

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[Anonymous]

Thanks for the tip!!!! Ill take what I can get Tiddler!

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[Tiddler]

I’ve been doing a little of that, munchkin. I’ve found that I do just as well with a DVD on in the background (I often have Frasier or similar playing while I’m on the computer.) I do less well when the kids are bouncing around me. I seemed to do extremely well after the valium I took last night before I crashed out. (Back problems!)

I started drifting from my work a little while ago so I did one of the speed number games again and I really did generate enough (whatever it is) in my brain to get straight back to work and write another 2 pages of my report.

Very interesting…

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[Tiddler]

I’m wondering if I try to work straight after a brisk walk with the dog will i have the same reaction?

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[Anonymous]

I have tried the lumosity website and did the free trial. It is interesting and there appears to

be some science behind it.

Unfortunately in the US I could only find a 3 session trial. Will look further

Thanks for the detail information, Tiddler

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[Tiddler]

I tried to start a new thread but the site won’t let me for some reason.

I am having a VERY odd day. I feel extremely energised, motivated and I’ve done around a quarter of my uni coursework today – seriously!

I really can’t put it down to the lumosity games – I’ve been playing them for a month without such a successful effect.

So. What could it be? WHY am I feeling like this?

I am on pain meds for my back. I was pretty knocked out by the codeine and diazepam but today I’ve just been taking the nefopam hydrochloride.

I’ve not had them before. could it be there’s something in them that’s making me…dare I say it…focus?!

I feel very peculiar. I’m in a bit of discomfort with my back and have spent the day in bed but it’s been the most productive day I’ve known in…well…I wouldn’t like to think how long.

What’s going on?! Anyone?

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[Tiddler]

Oh. My. Word.

http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20100152152#b

Oh good grief. Could it be that I’ve stumbled across something that is actually going to pull me out of this pit?

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[Scattybird]

Goodness Tiddler that IS interesting. I have never heard of nefopam before, I mean as a painkiller. How fascinating that it’s helping you to focus though. Obviously must work if someone is taking out a patent.

According to Wiki it can make ones urine pink so don’t panic Tiddler if that happens!

Guess it’s not wise to take with other ADHD meds. Just goes to show how careful we have to be though. Goodness knows what else is out there that might help us, or indeed harm us if taken with the stimulants. I for one just assume I can pop a painkiller when needed but maybe not……

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