Modafinil: https://www.gwern.net/Modafinil
Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
81–90 of 188 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#82There are many incremental improvements that can make a small difference, but in my opinion the most important thing is to optimize your environment first and foremost. One of the most effective strategies I've learned isn't necessarily cheap, but it works: Get two computers. One is your work computer. You only work on it. One is your play computer. You only play on it. If you struggle with self-control, use extensio…
Totally agree. I even go with three. One work gave me, one for my own hard mental work and one for everything else.
For me, I am just not going to play on my personal work computer after going through the trouble and space to set all this up.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#83Not joking: stop going on the internet. It's scientifically proven to boost concentration. More specifically, do one thing, and only that thing, for a set time period. Do not check your phone, do not even have it in the same room. Do the one thing until time is up.
Whenever I go on twitter it messes up my momentum for that whole day. At least that's how it seems.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#84Just joined a Flow Working workshop by Dr. Antoine Larchez and had some interesting results. As a lifelong (functional) procrastinator with diagnosed ADHD, I brought down 2.5h of effortless (once started) work on paper, some of the best in a couple of months if not years. I have yet to see whether the methods are scaleable and replicable for me, but a lot of the content resonated with me, especially the insight that…
As someone who also has adhd and is a functional procrastinator at times saboteur I'm curious if you could elaborate on your "mind emptying exercises"?
Write, in anyway that feels mentally relieving. Whether it’s a journal or a whiteboard.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#85Not joking: stop going on the internet. It's scientifically proven to boost concentration. More specifically, do one thing, and only that thing, for a set time period. Do not check your phone, do not even have it in the same room. Do the one thing until time is up.
A few weeks ago I installed the browser plugin Intention on my workstation. It has been great, having a reminder that I am getting distracted and being given the option to be distracted on purpose for a limited amount of time.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#86Modafinil: https://www.gwern.net/Modafinil
I think Sam Altman had the same answer to this question lol
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#87Not joking: stop going on the internet. It's scientifically proven to boost concentration. More specifically, do one thing, and only that thing, for a set time period. Do not check your phone, do not even have it in the same room. Do the one thing until time is up.
I've replaced a lot of my normal web surfing time with putting in some bluetooth headphones and listening to audiobooks. Much more fulfilling than spending hours on the internet where I can't even remember what I did that whole time, and you're freed up to do other things like work out, prep food, clean the kitchen, etc.
Not sure if it has improved my concentration, but it has improved all sorts of aspects of my life in surprising ways. Like I'm now the type of person who doesn't mind hand-washing all the dishes where, in my 20s, I'd let them pile up in the sink—I just do it while listening to a book.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#88Not joking: stop going on the internet. It's scientifically proven to boost concentration. More specifically, do one thing, and only that thing, for a set time period. Do not check your phone, do not even have it in the same room. Do the one thing until time is up.
Since accessing the internet (and sometimes even the Web) is often a part of an IT job, the "one thing" approach is pretty helpful. Keep in mind what are you doing. If you're reviewing a pull request, you only need the Github page, and not the rest of the pages on the WWW. Also, timeboxing things helps. It's hard to work on one thing indefinitely , it can even induce panic. But if you're using something like the pomo…
I'd like to strongly second timeboxing here. This is how all really busy people do it in my experience.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#89A few more from Dr. Huberman: ADHD & How Anyone Can Improve Their Focus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFL6qRIJZ_Y How to Focus to Change Your Brain - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG53Vxum0as
I've tried to listen Huberman so many times but have hard time focusing. He seems to rattle off a list of things without any emotional hooks to keep the user engaged.
I normally have a hard time watching long "monologue" videos but I feel like Huberman usually does a good job of keeping my attention. He speaks with eloquent intonations and maintains a piercing eye contact with the camera. I admit his videos can be a bit tedious sometimes but I just frame them as "classes", which makes them easier to bear.
He could for sure add in some sugar to help the medicine go down, but it would make the already long videos longer.
Re: Ask HN: Any scientifically proven techniques to boost concentration?
#90I don’t believe it’s scientifically validated, and I don’t have a direct link off hand, but check out Trataka, which is staring at a fixed object for a set amount of time (e.g. a candle or an image with a dot).
HealthyGamerGG YouTube channel has videos on it.
Apparently the yogis have been doing it for 1000s of years.