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Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

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Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#1

Post by shaydoc »

Do you ever suffer from brain fog after a day of intense thinking/coding ?

Some days after intense working I leave the office spaced out, to the point I wouldn't drive. Thankfully I hop on the train.

I also find the whole prolonged screen exposure and posture just leaves me with a headache and neck ache.

I really notice how much better I feel after maybe 3 days off work..

Re: Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#4

Post by malux85 »

I used to get this - it turned out that I was not breathing enough, which caused my blood pressure to go up. I would get so focused on a problem my breathing would slowly become more shallow.

Now I have a water bottle on my desk and I slowly sip it all day, it forces me to get up every 1-2 hours to use the bathroom and fill the bottle back up -- and I deliberately use the bathroom 1 floor down to force me to go up and down the stairs

Re: Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#6

Post by rhcom2 »

malux85 wrote: post #4

I used to get this - it turned out that I was not breathing enough, which caused my blood pressure to go up. I would get so focused on a problem my breathing would slowly become more shallow. Now I have a water bottle on my desk and I slowly sip it all day, it forces me to get up every 1-2 hours to use the bathroom and fill the bottle back up -- and I deliberately use the bathroom 1 floor down to force me to go up an…

> I deliberately use the bathroom 1 floor down to force me to go up and down the stairs

This is such a good idea that I'm stealing immediately.

Re: Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#7

Post by hacker_9 »

I get this if I spend too much time programming. You just need to get up and take breaks, for example after every task you complete. Go do stretching or read a book, let your mind unwind, then get back to it after 20 mins. Not all offices allow for this so if yours doesn't consider changing job, for your own health.

Re: Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#8

Post by cjensen »

Please get checked out by a doctor. Anytime you have really weird symptoms, it's best to be sure it isn't something serious.

Short answer: No, I've never had anything like that.

After concentrating for an extended period, I'm slightly out of it when switching to talking to someone. But it clears up quickly and has never been anything so bad that "I wouldn't drive."

Re: Ask HN: Does coding give you brain fog?

#9

Post by yodon »

malux85 wrote: post #4

I used to get this - it turned out that I was not breathing enough, which caused my blood pressure to go up. I would get so focused on a problem my breathing would slowly become more shallow. Now I have a water bottle on my desk and I slowly sip it all day, it forces me to get up every 1-2 hours to use the bathroom and fill the bottle back up -- and I deliberately use the bathroom 1 floor down to force me to go up an…

Years ago when I was just getting into the film/EFX industry, a grizzled old vet told me "when you're in production, drink lots of water because otherwise you'll never get up from your desk"
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