Ask HN: How to Focus Again? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#41

Post by nosefurhairdo » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:15 PM UTC

heliodor wrote: post #32

nick0garvey wrote: post #26

A lot of people in this thread point at motivation or mental health issues. The issue is likely not so complicated. You have forgotten how to focus. We live in a world where we are constantly distracted. This is forced on us. The apps we use compete over our attention, our workplace expects quick replies over Slack, our free time is always accompanied by a smart phone pushing us notifications. These effects are getti…

Huberman has an episode explaining the brain workings of procrastination. Give it a watch/listen to pick up a few tips. https://youtube.com/watch?v=K-TW2Chpz4k Edit: here are some summaries: https://podcastnotes.org/huberman-lab/leverage-dopamine-to-o... https://healthnews.com/family-health/healthy-living/andrew-h...

Huberman is the man. He's also got an episode specifically on ADHD which OP may find valuable.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#42

Post by marginalia_nu » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:15 PM UTC

gabereiser wrote: post #30

Have you had Covid? Long-Covid can manifest as brain fog or the inability to focus, get frustrated, or become panic about it. I’ve known a few people who had Covid and the following year suffer from undiagnosed long-covid brain fog and anhedonia.

To be fair, this could also be the effects of Covid isolation. Getting cut off from socialization and physical activity for years on end is a surefire way to induce a depressive episode in the healthiest of minds. Not everyone's made out to tend a lighthouse.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#43

Post by nathias » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:16 PM UTC

focus is a muscle, you have to retrain it

I suggest you shift your time off to more focus building activities, like reading long narratives etc.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#44

Post by phito » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:16 PM UTC

moltar wrote: post #13

If you really want to get a diagnosis from a professional, you don’t need to wait two years. That’s absurd. I just had a call with a licensed professional in Portugal for a €90 fee out of pocket. It took one hour session over Zoom to get an answer. I’m not a Portuguese resident. Just a country I was in at the moment.

In my country (Belgium), I've been told there is a 10+ years waiting list for adult autism diagnosis. 2 years for ADHD doesn't sound implausible to me. It sucks.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#45

Post by eloisius » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:18 PM UTC

nick0garvey wrote: post #26

A lot of people in this thread point at motivation or mental health issues. The issue is likely not so complicated. You have forgotten how to focus. We live in a world where we are constantly distracted. This is forced on us. The apps we use compete over our attention, our workplace expects quick replies over Slack, our free time is always accompanied by a smart phone pushing us notifications. These effects are getti…

Don’t sleep with your phone in the bedroom.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#46

Post by DashAnimal » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:19 PM UTC

Consider getting a blood test if you haven't already. At the very least, it'll help you knock off any possibilities that you may be low in iron, vitamin D, or vitamin B12. For me, that turned out to be the case and taking supplements fixed the issue.

And this goes without saying but have you tried, and I mean REALLY tried the following (be honest with yourself):

- Cut down on your phone time. Delete your apps for at least a month. Cut down on news. Cut down on distractions. Even your normal apps you find useful, turn off any notification sounds or popups.

- Exercise regularly.

- Eat a healthy diet, nothing that spikes your blood sugar like sugar-heavy or processed food.

I'm not saying this is the solution for every one and the solution for everything, but there have been multiple times in my life I haven't felt like myself and returning to these "basics" really helped me.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#47

Post by barrysteve » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:20 PM UTC

Focus used to mean buckling down and adding a lot of effort and output to a task. Push big rock hard to build pyramid, or smash hard thing with hammer, means adding a lot of energy to the task.

Focus means now to subtract out everything that isn't.

Everything that isn't the answer to your task.

And don't hold the stuff you got rid of.

Find the valley where the answer to your question fits.

As soon as you feel the desire to add things, or feel any desire really, you'll be back onto tasks that categorically can absorb additional energy. Cleaning the mower, cutting grass, tripod'ed the iPad while talking off your gf's ear (or whatever).

Descend the mountain, get to the bottom of all relationships, use critical thinking to lighten your workload, not add more analysis. Let go of having a full working map of your code in your 'mind' as you go... or at least your process for finding a code answer is along the same path as letting go of juggling multiple concepts in your mind until there's just one left.

Complete opposite of how I grew up working.

Oh gosh I'm doing it now by over explaining this. Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#48

Post by pbhjpbhj » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:20 PM UTC

pizzaknife wrote: post #36

theres no replacement for a cougar in the back seat. take more risks and put yourself in uncomfortable situations

That probably works if you don't have dependents and you do have a good support network.

If someone is going to fall into poverty when you don't make it home, get out and walk (ie avoid the cougar at all costs) might be the best option? If you've no-one to come and pick you up if you crash into a tree ...?

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#49

Post by lnsru » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:20 PM UTC

loa_in_ wrote: post #29

smodo wrote: post #6

I’m super productive when I’m relaxed, happy and working on something I value. When I’m feeling depressed, I just can’t. It took me a while (10+ years) to learn how to feel my emotions and take them into account when trying to understand my own behavior.

Could you clarify if you mean 10+ years of life or 10+ years of experience in business for example?

Not a parent. It’s 10+ years in business. Can’t do anything except read Wikipedia in a toxic place with boss bullying me. Luckily I am counting my last days there. With a happy client who values my work I can code endlessly.

Re: Ask HN: How to Focus Again?

#50

Post by marcusverus » Sat, Sep 02, 2023, 5:21 PM UTC

hammock wrote: post #22

Dopamine detox. Cut caffeine, porn, social media, unnecessary screen time, etc cold Turkey for 7 days. Hard - and temporary- but will give you a glimpse of what your focus COULD look like if you change your lifestyle.

100% this. You can’t pump your brain up with high-dopamine inputs for hours each day and then expect it to settle for relatively low-dopamine tasks like reading, hobbies or work. Your subconscious knows there are high-dopamine alternatives and will constantly scan for/switch focus to them, foiling your efforts to focus on anything else. This isn’t internet bro science—read Dopamine Nation for the empirical foundation of this line of thinking.