Hayley Standen is a registered nurse, passionate advocate, and proud neurodivergent woman navigating life with ADHD and Misophonia. Her brain is what she lovingly calls spicy—a mix of scattered brilliance, deep empathy, and a whole lot of heart. She lives in beautiful Tasmania with her husband and their rescue dog, Odie, where she embraces the rollercoaster of life with humour, warmth, and love.

In her role as a school health nurse, Hayley works closely with children and young people every day, supporting their physical, emotional, mental and social wellbeing. Her work includes delivering health education, promoting wellbeing, and providing early intervention and support across a wide range of health needs. Within this role, she creates practical, supportive resources and provides education to fellow staff and professionals, helping to build greater awareness and understanding of Misophonia and neurodiversity within schools and the wider community.

Outside of her professional work, Hayley is the proud founder of Living Spicy—a platform and community where she shares insights, resources, and reflections on living with ADHD and Misophonia. Living Spicy is where she celebrates the messy, joyful, and unpredictable moments of neurodivergent life, always with a generous sprinkle of humour, nostalgia, and love. Whether she’s sipping iced matcha, dancing in the kitchen, reading yet another novel or creating tools to help others feel seen and supported, her mission is to educate, empower, and create awareness, empathy and understanding—with love at the core of everything she does.

Talk title: Navigating The Noise: Misophonia & A Spicy Brain