Philosophy
The ideas behind Alfie — where they come from and why they matter for neurodivergent wellness.
Alfie is built on a specific set of ideas about how people regulate, make sense of things, and change. Every design decision traces back to one of these.
The Frameworks
“Your body knows before your mind does.”
Polyvagal Theory · Stephen Porges
Your nervous system state shapes what's available to you cognitively. When you're dysregulated, thinking harder doesn't help. Alfie starts with your body — not your thoughts — because that's where regulation begins.
“Up, down, or processing — not good or bad.”
Window of Tolerance · Dan Siegel
Upregulate cards bring you up from shutdown. Downregulate cards settle you from overwhelm. Integrate cards help you process within the window. The four categories map directly to nervous system states.
“Your words, not ours.”
Clean Language · David Grove
Alfie uses your exact words back to you. No reframing, no "it sounds like." Questions that open exploration, not questions that lead somewhere. You make meaning. Alfie holds the space.
“Different channels for different people.”
ISOMA Channels · Organic Intelligence
Image, Sensation, Orientation, Meaning, Affect — five channels through which you can regulate. Some people regulate through movement, others through visualisation, others through sense-making. Each card shows which channels it engages.
“Energy isn't infinite, and it isn't equal.”
Spoon Theory · Christine Miserandino
Every card has an energy cost (1–3 dots). On a one-dot day, you need a one-dot practice. The system meets you at your actual capacity, not your ideal.
“Suggestions, never instructions.”
Self-Determination Theory · Deci & Ryan
Autonomous motivation beats controlled motivation. For neurodivergent people who've spent a lifetime being managed, choice matters more than most. Alfie never says "you should."
“Unfinished things take up space.”
Zeigarnik Effect · Zeigarnik / Masicampo & Baumeister
Incomplete tasks loop in your head. Making a plan is as effective as completing the task for freeing cognitive resources. The Sweep skill gives every open loop a home so your mind can let go.
“What broke the pattern today?”
Exception-Spotting · Angus Fletcher
The Daily Review is built on finding exceptions — the sparkle, the snag, the thing that stood out. One intentionally-explored exception is worth more than three catalogued ones.
No Streaks, No Guilt
There's no streak counter. No "you missed a day" notification. No gamification that turns self-care into another performance metric.
We've deliberately rejected nudge-based design. After reviewing the research, we found that nudges produce small effects at best and conflict with Alfie's core principle: agency over manipulation. We explain why we're suggesting something. We always offer alternatives.
If you use Alfie every day, great. If you disappear for two weeks and come back, also great. Alfie picks up where you left off without comment.
References
- Grove, D. & Panzer, B.I. (1989). Resolving Traumatic Memories. Clean Language origins.
- Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory. W.W. Norton.
- Siegel, D.J. (1999). The Developing Mind. Guilford Press.
- Organic Intelligence — organicintelligence.org
- Miserandino, C. (2003). "The Spoon Theory." But You Don't Look Sick.
- Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2000). "The 'What' and 'Why' of Goal Pursuits." Psychological Inquiry.
- Gendlin, E.T. (1978). Focusing. Bantam Books.
- Fletcher, A. Storythinking. Exception-spotting and narrative intelligence.