Ambient noise generators like mynoise and noisli have been a great help in getting dev and documentation work done amidst noisy workplaces. What about you? Is there anyone out there who doesnt need noise cancellation headphones or ambient noise generators to get focus intensive work done?
Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
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Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#2This sounds like a silly trick, but I literally put a post-it on my monitor with the name of the task I'm currently working on.
It's very easy to get distracted by things in my environment and on my screen, and just seeing a sign in my line of vision that says something like "making redlines for mobile screens" helps me re-focus.
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Edited to add: the task needs to be something specific, not an abstract like "doing UX work." I take advantage of Asana's sub-tasks to try and break down all my work into the most robot-like steps possible. That keeps me focused on the task itself, instead of figuring out what my next step is.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#3I listen to a lot of music and try to make myself work at late hours, when nobody else is around. ADHD medication helped me over the years as well, and allows me to function well every day.
The best way I've ever been able to explain my thought process is as a branching tree, in which the trunk is the primary focus and the branches are the wandering paths that I think of along the way. Unmedicated I cannot help but only suggest where to think, but when medicated I can choose.
Luckily I can make my own hours or else I can't really manage much social interaction without needing to leave.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#4Communicate with your team a physical signal for what is focus time and when you're open to "office hours." The simplest example could be "if I have headphones on" or you can have some sort of trinket on your desk that shows when you're free or when you need to focus.
That combined with proper away messaging on Slack/IM, you should be able to get focused chunks of time
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#5[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#6By work being more interesting than being bored out of my mind. If the work's boring though, an album or two from my collection; C418's One is pretty great.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#7When I'm struggling to focus I just walk away from my desk. It doesn't matter where I go or what I do. I spend up to 10 minutes letting myself think about whatever my mind naturally brings to the table. Usually when I return to my desk the distractions I was struggling with no longer bother me.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#8This sounds like a silly trick, but I literally put a post-it on my monitor with the name of the task I'm currently working on. It's very easy to get distracted by things in my environment and on my screen, and just seeing a sign in my line of vision that says something like "making redlines for mobile screens" helps me re-focus. --------- Edited to add: the task needs to be something specific, not an abstract like "…
It's not silly at all; it's a good trick. It's one that the Pomodoro technique uses, and at least one piece of productivity software (Vitamin-R) that I know of. Having a clear immediate-term goal is very valuable for getting stuff done. Just defining it is a good start; having it in front of your face can't hurt either.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#9Get a Bose QC 35, it will change your life and also your future flights.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus at work?
#10Have kids at home.