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Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#71

Post by markhelo »

snide wrote: post #40
malanj wrote: post #35

I'd highly recommend that you research "Flow": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) . There's a great book by Csíkszentmihályi on the topic also called "Flow". Basically Csíkszentmihályi figured out what the "zone" actually is, what stimulates it and how it leads to productivity and happiness.

I've heard this guy on NPR and other radio programs promoting his book. While I find the subject fascinating I get distracted by his marketing buzzspeak and branding. Specifically that he dubs his concept "Flow" when it's been more commonly known as "in the zone" for decades. I could come to no reasoning other than his need for a new brandable term. Not a big deal I guess, but overall undermined the work to me. Havin…

The book is a great read and talks about his research on talking to people. He provides interesting examples of people who you might think do boring jobs but can manage to get in flow and how they do it. Overall, he proposes a theory on how we get in flow and techniques we can use.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#72

Post by raamdev »

phillmv wrote: post #31
Gravityloss wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you do while your tests run? :)

Ideally, you find other short tasks that you needed to get done but in practice I keep a New Yorker or a book by my desk. Less likely to only come to my senses half an hour and 8 tabs later ;).

I'm at the HN and "8 tabs later" stage. Thanks for the reminder. Back to work!

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#73

Post by Arjuna »

a3voices wrote: post #45
Arjuna wrote: post #39

In my experience, the secret is highly correlated to the preparation that I do before the work even begins . What this means is practicing a daily combination of correct eating, rigorous exercise and quality sleep. With these elements in harmony and alignment, I am able to bring it. I recommend a morning yoga routine [1]. This will clear the mind, revitalize the body and set the ground-work and tempo for a fantastic…

Going on a walk outside in the morning like I do is probably better exercise than yoga.

"Going on a walk outside in the morning like I do is probably better exercise than yoga."

I also enjoy walking (and hiking).

My personal take is that, rather than viewing one form of exercise as being superior to another, I view different forms of exercise in how they can serve me and fulfill me in their own, unique ways.

Yoga serves me in a different way than walking does, and vice versa. By the same token, kettle-bells serve me in a different way than yoga does, or mountain biking does, or any other fill-in-the-blank exercise activity does.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#74

Post by lionesscg »

Every Sunday I create a week schedule where everything I have to do during the week is included. I start by setting week goals and build the rest accordingly. Keeping in mind the next task and everything you have to accomplish throughout the day helps keeping focused. Oh and by the way I also believe that loving and believing in what you are doing is the key to stay in the zone.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#75

Post by Consultant32452 »

Step 1: Go home Step 2: Work on something that interests me

My home work environment is set up with minimal active distractions (no coworkers, no TV in sight, etc.). Working on something I'm interested in causes me to naturally ignore more passive distractions such as messing with my phone, doodling, etc.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#76

Post by codyb »

I find the hardest part to be starting. If I can sit and focus even for five or ten minutes I'll be good to go for a while. But if I never start, or start and drag myself to hackernews, then fark.com, then check my text messages, and e-mails, then check my bank account and pay bills. Well, it's quite obvious I get nothing done. Then I decide I'm tired and go to bed. I've been relatively stressed mentally recently having gone through a really tough break up which left me relatively distraught and emotionally stunted, starting my first full time job as an application developer, and starting grad school with two classes which I take in the evenings. I've been close to really screwing up grad school, felt the stress during my days at work, and resulted to alcohol and drugs to feel okay on weekends. Lately I've calmed down. And although I've got quite a bit of work to do before I'm fully qualified to pass my courses, my work productivity has gone up, and I've set a goal to sit every day and do even a little coding. What's making it exciting is I'm learning all of Java's new features which makes me feel confident about bringing them to work when we switch on up to Java 8 and just making any progress actually makes me excited to start coding the next day. So anyways, that's my personal story about losing my ability to get in the zone and finding it by dismissing the relatively overwhelming aspects of my position and just trying to start and get anything done.

(It might also help I just bought a MacBook Pro which I'm really enjoying developing on).

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#77

Post by ctdonath »

Eliminate the tension of knowing interruptions may happen. Greatest productivity is after 4PM on a day I can work late, when everyone else is heading out or gone, and there is no looming anticipation of someone/something interfering. It's like finding an open road, straight, dry, and no chance of surprises rolling into your path: just floor it and go.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#78

Post by rhizome »

brodney wrote: post #63
a3voices wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because your body is in motion the entire time.

I'm a little biased because I do practice yoga. But I also walk. And, for me personally, yoga is always a more vigorous workout. I can't imagine how walking could ever approach the level of intensity yoga provides.

Well, they're different exercises. Walking burns just about the same number of calories, though.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#79

Post by adam12 »

Arjuna wrote: post #39

In my experience, the secret is highly correlated to the preparation that I do before the work even begins . What this means is practicing a daily combination of correct eating, rigorous exercise and quality sleep. With these elements in harmony and alignment, I am able to bring it. I recommend a morning yoga routine [1]. This will clear the mind, revitalize the body and set the ground-work and tempo for a fantastic…

I agree that you don't need a gym. You really don't even need any equipment at all. There are some great cardio workouts on YouTube.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?

#80

Post by lem72 »

rhizome wrote: post #78
brodney wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a little biased because I do practice yoga. But I also walk. And, for me personally, yoga is always a more vigorous workout. I can't imagine how walking could ever approach the level of intensity yoga provides.

Well, they're different exercises. Walking burns just about the same number of calories, though.

According to this, Yoga burns more calories at all intensity levels: http://www.weighttraining.com/features/burning-calories
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