Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 54 posts

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#41

Post by rwnspace »

krylon wrote: post #3

It's not exactly new and exciting, but I found that listening to calm, instrumental music helps me focus. Mostly Ambient. If you do not like electronic music, Stars Of The Lid or Bohren & Der Club Of Gore are very much worth checking out. Also, https://mynoise.net/ has worked wonders for me. In both cases, it seems that unstructured audio input, like, occupies the parts of my mind that would otherwise distract me.

For ambient, I really enjoy Taylor Deupree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2hh2hAPyc8

My personal favourite for working (or unwinding or cooking or cutting your toenails), though rhythmic & structured electronica, would be Jan Jelinek's Loop Finding Jazz Records: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hIgBEXuQD8

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#44

Post by oldsklgdfth »

jdpigeon wrote: post #40

If anyone's interested in neuroscience and machine learning, we're working on a fun little project to use EEG to track focus and optimize productivity here: https://github.com/neurotechx/neurodoro

As interesting as an idea as this appears, I am hesitant to think that it would do anything other than distract me even more.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#45

Post by chatmasta »

SelfControl.app is still my favorite Mac app ever. Add a list of sites to block, set a timer, go. I have a huge blacklist. I enable a 24 hour every night. This way I don’t even have a chance to start procrastinating the next morning.

The crazy thing is how many times you’ll try to go to one of your addicting sites even though it’s blocked. SelfControl acts as a great circuit breaker in this case, and can also show how bad the addiction is.

If I want to read HN, I have to do it on my phone. If I’m looking at my phone, I know I’m screwing around, so it doesn’t last long.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#46

Post by busymichael »

chatmasta wrote: post #45

SelfControl.app is still my favorite Mac app ever. Add a list of sites to block, set a timer, go. I have a huge blacklist. I enable a 24 hour every night. This way I don’t even have a chance to start procrastinating the next morning. The crazy thing is how many times you’ll try to go to one of your addicting sites even though it’s blocked. SelfControl acts as a great circuit breaker in this case, and can also show ho…

I built something just for email. https://dndemail.com keeps your inbox empty and only delivers your new messages on a set schedule. That keeps me out of my inbox and focused on my real to do list.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#48

Post by glancast »

I've found FocusAtWill invaluable -- it's music designed specifically to keep you in flow. I use the timed function to ensure I take breaks at proper intervals, and you rate how focused you were during the session. http://ssqt.co/mQbYXSq (this link gives you $20 bucks off your first bill if you decide to sign up after the trial)

paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.04255

"how it works" (with citations): https://www.focusatwill.com/app/pages/science-of-focus-conce...

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay focused while programming/working?

#50

Post by yesenadam »

I go for a smoke :-) But you could walk around the house or block. I get so many good ideas while sitting there smoking for a few minutes, in the backyard gazing into the trees. I think when/if I stop smoking, I'll pick a spot outside to go to and sit for a few minutes. Its pretty amazing, usually the answer to the next problem pops into my head. Probably the vast majority of my good ideas come in those few-minute breaks.
Post reply on HN