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

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

#31

Post by smackeyacky »

ehnto wrote: post #28

Get my phone out of sight, disable access to websites that distract me, put on some music with no lyrics and low musical movement (often OSTs for movies or games). I also have a separate fun and work computer which helps it be a distinct environment. More abstract, I got rid of social media and started reading again in order to increase my attention span. "Feed" style sites decimated my ability to concentrate.

Soundtracks definitely. Jazz too although I find using vinyl for this too distracting. I generally fire up a streaming service or an old 5 cd carousel player full of CDs. I also get grumpy during work that requires extended concentration which helps a lot as the long suffering family knows not to interrupt :-)

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

#32

Post by acgh213 »

mraza007 wrote: post #29

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

Yeah its a great idea. Until one of the latches breaks and its just unusable. Why is it so difficult to just put your phone in a different room on silent and walk away?

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

#33

Post by santa_boy »

I'm still experimenting but I got myself a WeWork (deeply discounted) membership yesterday. After COVID19 distancing for ~9 months now!

I find that going to a nice place to work with good company (whom you don't know very well) is quite effective from my prior experience.

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

#35

Post by dorkwood »

One weird trick I use is to listen to a particular kind of music. The genre isn't important. Neither is the content. What's important is that I've listened to that same music while experiencing a flow state in the past.

Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up. It's just my personal experience.

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

#36

Post by aareet »

dorkwood wrote: post #35

One weird trick I use is to listen to a particular kind of music. The genre isn't important. Neither is the content. What's important is that I've listened to that same music while experiencing a flow state in the past. Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up.…

This resonates very much with me - I've been carrying around a playlist I discovered on 8tracks ("Homework at Hogwarts") for years now that I play when I need to focus and get something done.

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

#37

Post by rvr_ »

For me, it's all about doing less. Remove all the cruft and see what happens. You will find out if it's working if you start missing the flow of time. When you are in the flow, there is no past and no future. You are just into "now" but not in a stressed way. You just keep doing what you're doing until your body says otherwise.

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

#38

Post by nobody_nothing »

dorkwood wrote: post #35

One weird trick I use is to listen to a particular kind of music. The genre isn't important. Neither is the content. What's important is that I've listened to that same music while experiencing a flow state in the past. Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up.…

Agreed. Often times it's easier for me when the music doesn't have lyrics (although if I've listened to it enough times, even that stops mattering).

Lately my flow music is Xerrox, Vol. 4 by alva noto[1].

[1] https://album.link/s/5czmSKJDla5GcXs6IMOLAc

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

#39

Post by Donald »

nlh wrote: post #9

Here's a trick that works for me that's totally impractical, but is a hint/roadmap to finding a repeatable system: I've been doing a lot of travel to Europe lately, and the return flight has become my greatest deep work experience ever. I enjoy it so much that I actually look forward to it now and wish I could do it more than ~4 times a year. I fly either Zurich or Frankfurt to SFO on United and get an economy bulkhe…

> Obviously as I said it's not practical to fly around the world to get work done

A friend of mine finished her novel through repeated long-haul flights from JFK. The on-going expense alone is motivating.

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

#40

Post by yawnxyz »

dorkwood wrote: post #35

One weird trick I use is to listen to a particular kind of music. The genre isn't important. Neither is the content. What's important is that I've listened to that same music while experiencing a flow state in the past. Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up.…

same! I'll usually listen to chillhop tracks and it helps, and usually I'll just shuffle the same songs. And they can't be really good songs or that'll distract me.

Sometimes I'll also listen to Russian songs, weirdly that does it for me (I don't speak Russian)

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