Ask HN: What is your trick to do deep work or study?

I pomodoro, like others have mentioned, but I find it works really well with extensive logging. I log that I completed a pomodoro and what I learned or discovered, sometimes cross-referencing other notes. I also sometimes log what I intend to get done during a pomodoro’s worth of work. The end product is the closest thing I’ll have to a lab notebook. The end product is really useful over different time scales: standups, one-on-ones, those annual self-evaluations where you have to try to remember everything you did last year...

I'm ADHD so Deep Work is one of the only two modes I have. I'm always in it when I'm doing what I want. When I'm not in it I'm usually being required by someone else to perform a task, in which case the mode I'm in is generally disinterested, uncooperative, aloof and constantly thinking about when can I get back to doing what I want to do?

My brain is only ever comfortable in Deep Work mode.

I'm the same, although I add a third: lots of caffeine + adderall is interesting to say the least.

I've had a lot of troubles getting into the deep focus state as my condition lets me get destracted (and/or annoyed) by slight variations of light, noise, smell and/or touch senses.

1. Obvious, but not obvious: Quit social media. It's an subconcious addiction factor. Stop checking instagram, stop checking tiktok, stop checking your phone. If you can't (which is normal at first), remove yourself the internet capabilities to do so.

2. In my case I quit my ISP bill. Quite literally. Now I'm on tethering and 2G slow most of the time, which sucks but is great, too. It only allows browsing the web for text based research, and only when I do not download images or any other distractions.

3. Put your phone in DND mode and uninstall all social media apps. Keep communication apps but disable notifications for all apps. Add your loved one as a "starred" contact so she/he can contact you in case of emergency by call or short message.

4. Remove outside distraction factors from your environment. TV running constantly? Sell it, you don't need it anyways. Too bright working spot? Change your flat layout. Too noisy next to the flat's door? Move your office desk somewhere else and isolate it by using matrasses or hanging up cushy blankets to reduce noise.

5. Get a working routine. Make it possible to be able to work offline, no matter the cost. Issues on github? Use my offline scrumboard extension [1] to sync issues while online, and read them later offline.

6. Don't listen to vocal music, because it distracts you. In my case I use ambient original glitchy type of music (none of that dubstep shit), because it lets me keep my focus for hours. Funkstoerung, Glitch Mob, Telefon Tel Aviv, Brothomstates ... to name a few.

7. Do all your meta stuff when you take a break, don't do it in between, it's pointless and inefficient. By meta stuff I mean cleaning the flat, buying food, or the need to go outside to get something done.

8. Don't set yourself tasks during the day that have a synchronous dependency on outside factors. Don't have phone calls, don't talk socially, it's just a distraction factor that helps your subconcious to have an excuse for being lazy.

9. The phone notification rule applies for your working laptop/computer, too. If your OS pops up notifications all the time (read as in: M$), don't use it. In my case I love gnome shell not for the UI, but for the UX. Zero notifications or popups that get in my way when I accidentially left my email client or telegram open.

10. Don't mix gaming and coding. If you do, you'll end up in a lazy state when you decided to work. It's an addiction and therefore can reward your brain with the wrong perceptive measurements. You should reward yourself only after a deep focus state, not before it.

[1] https://github.com/cookiengineer/github-scrumboard

A quick tip if you get distracted by phone I would suggest getting a time lock Kitchen Safe box so whenever you need to focus on a task put your phone or anything that distracts you from focusing in that box and set a timer. The box would remain locked until time expires and that would help you remain focused

Definitely check out kitchensafe