Ask HN: What's your technique to damage-control interruptions to flow?

#1

Post by djanowski » Wed, May 25, 2016, 2:16 PM UTC

My third kid was born two months ago, so I'm working from home a lot to help with everything. Even though I'm at my desk, interruptions are common.

Are there any techniques to resume your flow-requiring task more efficiently?

Re: Ask HN: What's your technique to damage-control interruptions to flow?

#2

Post by noir_lord » Wed, May 25, 2016, 2:32 PM UTC

Make a quick note of where you where and what you where doing when you are interrupted.

Something as simple as "figuring out why the flexbox grid is doing foo on safari when it shouldn't be".

When you come back to the task in an hour you can then quickly remember what you where working on.

Re: Ask HN: What's your technique to damage-control interruptions to flow?

#3

Post by djanowski » Wed, May 25, 2016, 2:41 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #2

Make a quick note of where you where and what you where doing when you are interrupted. Something as simple as "figuring out why the flexbox grid is doing foo on safari when it shouldn't be". When you come back to the task in an hour you can then quickly remember what you where working on.

That's a good first step.

However, flow is more than knowing what you're working on.

Maybe there are techniques to not lose that state of mind so easily?