Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#1

Post by blhack » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 6:31 PM UTC

For me, I'll turn my phone off, close my email, close the door on my office, and shut the lights off.

It's just me, some music (lately the Tron OST [the daft punk thing]), and a couple of VIM sessions.

The amount of quality work I've been able to get done in the last couple of weeks by employing this has been outstanding.

The next best thing is to stay really late, after everybody has left.

Something that I really struggle with at work is interruptions. People don't realize it, but stopping in to just say hi is very distracting. The threat of a manager stopping in to get a progress report on what I'm up to at that very moment can also be very distracting, which is why working after hours is so nice for me. (The threat of somebody stopping in is gone).

Howabout you, HN, what are you productivity hacks?

(And yes, I realize that I'm being a complete prima donna with this. The problem is that I've been given a couple of impossible deadlines in the last couple of weeks, and my boss has basically given me a "do whatever you need to to get it done" pass)

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#2

Post by vbrenny » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 6:54 PM UTC

I use to put my headphones and have some instrumental music playing, mid-loud. Preferably some fast (but not aggressive) tunes - it feels like my brain is 'overclocked'. I don't like lyrics because I always end up paying attention to it. Helps me getting focused, avoid distractions (by signaling to people that you're busy and concentrated AND not letting you hear external noises) and gets me an 'isolated from the world' sensation.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#3

Post by blhack » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 6:56 PM UTC

vbrenny wrote: post #2

I use to put my headphones and have some instrumental music playing, mid-loud. Preferably some fast (but not aggressive) tunes - it feels like my brain is 'overclocked'. I don't like lyrics because I always end up paying attention to it. Helps me getting focused, avoid distractions (by signaling to people that you're busy and concentrated AND not letting you hear external noises) and gets me an 'isolated from the wor…

I tried the headphones thing for a long time, but it would usually result in people just coming over and knocking on my desk until I looked at them.

They'd then give a little polite smile and a "Hey, huh, are you busy? Whatcha doin?"

I feel like a jerk literally shutting the lights off (so they think I'm not here), but it does seem to be working (things are getting done, I mean).

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#4

Post by ben1040 » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 6:57 PM UTC

The next best thing is to stay really late, after everybody has left.

I don't have an office to hide in, so when I'm on a deadline at work, I'll just come in late and leave really late. I get a ton more done when I'm there alone and nobody else is around to corner me.

For side projects, I'll go to the library. For centuries the library has come with the expectation that it's the place where you go to be serious. It works.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#5

Post by vbrenny » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:03 PM UTC

blhack wrote: post #3

vbrenny wrote: post #2

I use to put my headphones and have some instrumental music playing, mid-loud. Preferably some fast (but not aggressive) tunes - it feels like my brain is 'overclocked'. I don't like lyrics because I always end up paying attention to it. Helps me getting focused, avoid distractions (by signaling to people that you're busy and concentrated AND not letting you hear external noises) and gets me an 'isolated from the wor…

I tried the headphones thing for a long time, but it would usually result in people just coming over and knocking on my desk until I looked at them. They'd then give a little polite smile and a "Hey, huh, are you busy? Whatcha doin?" I feel like a jerk literally shutting the lights off (so they think I'm not here), but it does seem to be working (things are getting done, I mean).

Well.. the whole ideia is to give out the message of 'I'm busy'. I have coworkers that use unplugged headphones, just to get the message delivered. Of course, it works only if other people understand this signal.

You can try to use some form of humor to disguise it.. try a little warning sign with something like 'DO NOT DISTURB: Genius doing science'. People will, at least, stop at the sign to take a closer look and you will be aware that they are coming, not scaring you.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#6

Post by blhack » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:03 PM UTC

ben1040 wrote: post #4

The next best thing is to stay really late, after everybody has left. I don't have an office to hide in, so when I'm on a deadline at work, I'll just come in late and leave really late. I get a ton more done when I'm there alone and nobody else is around to corner me. For side projects, I'll go to the library. For centuries the library has come with the expectation that it's the place where you go to be serious. It w…

Sadly, I'm not allowed to come in late. Staying late means that I'm eating into my own personal time.

There was an article a while ago talking about how geeks never negotiate to be payed properly. Most of them will just shut up as soon as they're making enough to pay their bills on time. As long as they're not worried about being evicted from their house, or having their car repo'd, they're fine.

I think this is because a lot of geeks have a genuine interest in their jobs. To me, writing good code, or shipping good products is a pride issue. I'm not really doing it because I'm making money, I'm doing it because I enjoy it.

I mean...when I go home, I read about coding, I write code, I write about coding, I think about coding etc. I love it.

So staying late, while it can be annoying, isn't really so bad. I'm doing the same thing at work that I would be at home, and my computer at work is a whole lot nicer than my computer at home.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#7

Post by freshhawk » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:08 PM UTC

Funny, I've had the Tron OST on a loop at work for the last few weeks as well. I definitely find that instrumental music is the way to go, especially if it is upbeat or energetic.

Lately I also pull up my org-mode work journal file, create a new entry for the day and find my next actions for the project i'm working on. Then I start my 25 minute time-boxing timer, the only anti-procrastination thing that's ever worked for me.

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#8

Post by blhack » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:12 PM UTC

freshhawk wrote: post #7

Funny, I've had the Tron OST on a loop at work for the last few weeks as well. I definitely find that instrumental music is the way to go, especially if it is upbeat or energetic. Lately I also pull up my org-mode work journal file, create a new entry for the day and find my next actions for the project i'm working on. Then I start my 25 minute time-boxing timer, the only anti-procrastination thing that's ever worked…

Time boxing timer?

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#9

Post by veyron » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:14 PM UTC

Drive! I particularly enjoy the 78th street road through central park -- with the top down and the hip hop on 12.

Driving is a great stress release (assuming you can control yourself) and acts as a sort of forced context switch (so you have those few moments when you get back, before being inundated with other tasks, when nothing and no one can interrupt you)

My music, of course, is hilariously offensive hip hop and rap (the lyrics in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK-BC27NdHs are particularly NSFW but it gets the juices flowing)

Re: Ask HN: What do you do to get into "work mode"?

#10

Post by blhack » Thu, Jun 16, 2011, 7:22 PM UTC

veyron wrote: post #9

Drive! I particularly enjoy the 78th street road through central park -- with the top down and the hip hop on 12. Driving is a great stress release (assuming you can control yourself) and acts as a sort of forced context switch (so you have those few moments when you get back, before being inundated with other tasks, when nothing and no one can interrupt you) My music, of course, is hilariously offensive hip hop and…

Driving is a good one. I still say that some of the most mentally productive years of my life were when I had a 45 minute each-way commute in a jeep with no CD player.

The things I came up with during those drives were awesome :).