I've used Adderall (not ADHD diagnosed) a couple of times, and it helps a significant amount. However, I know it can't be the real solution - my problem is concretely that anytime I work on something, I can't work on it for long amounts of time - every 15 minutes, I will either visit HN, Reddit, some game, or have to get up and physically leave the desk. I can't bring myself to work on things for extended periods of time. How do you guys do it?
Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
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Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#2Was in a similar place. Try pomodoro technique to split things in quarters making life easier.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#3I found using an inhaler helped me to breath during periods of chest tightness and more easily during exercise do you think I'm asthmatic?
Go get tested for ADHD, man.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#4Some ideas for you.
Ctrl-f "fite timer"
https://www.friendlyskies.net/maybe/the-balance-first-approa...
Start with 45m break, 5m clarity through planning, 10m direct work tasks.
Ctrl-f "debrief" after that and use the debriefing module.
If you are still struggling then look at the words you are using to describe the problem you are experiencing, they are probably not accurate or they leak too much leverage in your case.
Try to keep all square/T list items to less than 2m each and in batches not to exceed 10m per long timer cycle.
More troubleshooting:
https://www.friendlyskies.net/maybe/defeating-procrastinatio...
https://www.friendlyskies.net/maybe/what-do-you-do-when-you-...
Foundational:
https://www.friendlyskies.net/maybe/the-productivity-triangl...
Good luck & hang in there, you got this.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#5> my problem is concretely that anytime I work on something, I can't work on it for long amounts of time
If this is always true, even when you're working on something that interests you, maybe consider getting that ADHD diagnosis? If it's just something you struggle with occasionally or when you're slogging through boring tasks that's something you should be able to improve.
It really depends on the type of work you're doing though. I doubt there'll be any one trick that works for everybody in every situation. Sometimes having music or a podcast or a TV show in the background keeps my mind engaged while I'm working on something that isn't exciting enough to keep it quiet. Sometimes I just need lots of breaks to keep my sanity. For work that requires a ton of focus I tend to work best in quiet dark places where there isn't much to pull my attention off of what I'm doing. Caffeine never hurts no matter what I'm working on.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#6Focus, like many skills, can be improved, but takes practice and training to build up longer focus times. The below is mostly based on ideas from the Pomodoro Technique®[1]
To start, do a task without distractions for your current ability - 15 minutes. Set a timer and stay on task until time runs out.
Take a short break - 5 minutes, maybe 10 at most.
Repeat the above 2-3 times, then take a longer break, something around 25-30 minutes. If you feel OK, do another 2-3 rounds and then go do something less taxing that doesn't take deep focus.
If you have truly focused for the time, you'll know it. Just starting out, a couple of hours of work will definitely sap your energy.
Gradually increase you focus works times by 5 minutes. If you can get to 25 minutes without feeling the need to do something else, that's great. If you can do the above cycles with your full attention for a total of four hours, you're doing well. Not a lot of people can do really intense, focused work for more than four hours a day. The rest of your work day, do low-intensity things like answering emails, cleaning up your work area (both physical and virtual), and such.
There's an entire book devoted to this that I can recommend: Deep Work Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#7A tangential question. What exactly does it feel to be like in Adderall? I'm intimately familiar with the 15-minutes venture into Reddit/HN etc so if I were to, say, take Adderall, just what exactly inside me would change?
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#8Just context switch every 15 minutes. Set up a pi-hole that blocks reddit and hn during working hours and whenever you catch yourself auto-pilot typing it in the address bar do a context switch.
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#9I spent 10pm to 1am to finish a daily project. Very productive, during day just answer questions and attend meetings, is impossible
Re: Ask HN: How do you focus on work for long periods of time?
#10A tangential question. What exactly does it feel to be like in Adderall? I'm intimately familiar with the 15-minutes venture into Reddit/HN etc so if I were to, say, take Adderall, just what exactly inside me would change?
I was diagnosed with ADHD and was prescribed vyvanse. The first day I took it it was an extremely intense calm feeling. I had a design doc I had been mulling over for weeks but for some ungodly reason was unable to actually put onto paper. When the drug kicked in I was fully alert and all the uncomfortable feelings that had prevented me from actually doing what I needed to do went away. The doc was written in 3 hours.
I will say, it definitely brings you above baseline in ability to concentrate, even with adhd. I was basically unable to do any deep work because of random 30 minute meetings interspersed throughout the day. With vyvanse I can basically leave a meeting and within 5 minutes of it finishing be in the zone working on a different task.
I'm on week 3 now and the intense calmness has faded but my ability to do tasks and focus remains to a certain extent.