21–30 of 60 posts
- hit the head
- grab a coffee and stare at trees for a minute or two
- flash cards / language practice
- stretch / pull-ups / push-ups
- tidy desk / incrementally organize or improve handwritten notes
(But also admittedly way too often: pulling out my phone and looking at social media.)
You’ll lose your mind if you try to micro-optimize your life like this. Use that time to breathe.
Option B: Have a side project or personal you're hacking on with Claude/Codex and pop back to the terminal to respond to the latest prompt / get in cranking on the next feature.
If not phone specific activites, then I'd highly recommend having a cube and not just a 3X3 but even harder and its pretty intuitive
It's best to just practice mindfulness in these periods. Literally just observe the world around you. Or observe yourself, your breath. Be silent and observe the thoughts that fly through your head like you would watch cars go by on a road. It's a fancy way of saying do nothing. But it's still a productive way of taking no actions. You're appreciating the world you live in and the body you inhabit. If you can't spare…
Some ask, “how can I maximize productivity in the few minutes of breaks I get?”
Where am I going next? And many other questions that constantly doubt the future.
The truth is they are worried about a future that we don’t even know it exists.
Bringing their attention to this moment— right here — is sometimes all they will ever need.
Mindfulness is a skill that will take a lifetime to master.
It's best to just practice mindfulness in these periods. Literally just observe the world around you. Or observe yourself, your breath. Be silent and observe the thoughts that fly through your head like you would watch cars go by on a road. It's a fancy way of saying do nothing. But it's still a productive way of taking no actions. You're appreciating the world you live in and the body you inhabit. If you can't spare…
To put it in terms that this crowd would appreciate, it's like garbage collection for the mind. It may not feel productive in the short term, but the longer you go without it, the more you can be weighed down.
Meditation is a preventative for burnout.
You’ll lose your mind if you try to micro-optimize your life like this. Use that time to breathe.
Downtime / doing nothing is so crucial for letting your brain marinate over a problem or idea! Leave those gaps be. Option B: Have a side project or personal you're hacking on with Claude/Codex and pop back to the terminal to respond to the latest prompt / get in cranking on the next feature.
If I have some energy, do a few squats, old man push ups against the desk, or try to strengthen my knees by standing on one leg a few seconds at a time.
- Read and revise my todo list. I find I actually spend a huge amount of time thinking about my to do list, and I think it pays off. One better decision of what to work on can save days, lead to new ideas, or even completely change the course of what I work on.
- Sometimes I guess I manage to squash a bug or complete some other minor task, but probably I'm more productive if I just use that time to think rather than context switch twice and rush some minor task.
- The big exception is if I can get something started that will run on its own for a long time. Then 10 spare minutes can save hours.