http://www.focusatwill.com
I'm interested to try this but the free trial should not be hidden behind a signup wall. I bet this drives away 90% of potential users.
Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
101–110 of 110 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#102This is what works for me. YMMV:
* Have some external metric that you trust to judge success. Because if you're like me you're internal "sense" of what is productive or not is often wrong. I know my 10 hour long in-zone hacking sessions are way less productive than my four hour well-rested in-zone hacking sessions - no matter how neat they might feel - because I see my delivery-rate drop.
* Get enough sleep (for me, 8 or 9 hours a night).
* Do a sane amount of "work" each day (for me, if I try and code for more than 6 hours a day I see my performance drop).
* Block out time. I have chunks of my day set aside for coding, pair working, reading, etc.
* Don't track time - track off-task interruptions. Keep track of whatever interrupts your N hours off coding (or whatever). Work at preventing those interruptions in future. If you're on a team be broad in your interpretation of "off task" - because your job is to optimise everybody's productivity - not just yours.
* Have rituals / an environment for work (when I sit in this chair at this time I am in work mode.)
* For coding I've found TDD to be a really effective way for me to get into the zone. Especially if I leave myself a failing test. It's got that intermittent reward cycle that's just crack for the brain.
* When I have trouble focussing I find something like Pomodoro Technique (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) a way to trick myself into the zone. I can "force" myself to focus for "just 25 minutes". And after a loop or two it just clicks.
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#103In 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…
How much yoga do you do in the morning? Is there a set amount you recommend? I often go to group yoga lessons (90 min., in the evening), but an hour and a half is a bit much for the mornings ;) Thanks!
My strategy is to do sun salutations until my body fully warms up, and then do a handful of (usually standing) poses that seem like they'd feel good. It may take me 10 or 15 minutes.
More is great, of course, but even a brief session does wonders.
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#104Being in the zone (lots of energy, ideas, inspiration, optimism, focus) is really a vague description for when your body is functioning optimally. People who are depressed are given SSRIs (selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors) because your mood is largely governed by the levels of seratonin available in your brain. Similarly, your focus / "motivation" / "drive" is largely determined by dopamine. Acetylcholine, ano…
+1 for the allergens - best thing I ever did for my overall mental health was realize I was gluten intolerant
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#105In 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…
How much yoga do you do in the morning? Is there a set amount you recommend? I often go to group yoga lessons (90 min., in the evening), but an hour and a half is a bit much for the mornings ;) Thanks!
90 minutes is legendary!
I work a 45 minute morning yoga routine. That seems to be an optimal amount of time for me to do some good work and find my bearing.
After warming up, the core of the routine is a modified version of the Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation). For example, the flow for this is:
1. Start in a standing position like Mountain pose, but with hands in Namaste.
2. Stretch the arms up and out to either side (parallel to the floor) and bend forward (like a dive).
3. Move the arms in and reach down to the floor.
4. Flow into plank (push-up position: palms on the floor, elbows slightly bent and knees off the floor).
5. Flow into upward dog (knees off the floor).
6. Flow back into plank and do a push-up.
7. Flow into downward dog.
That is the start of the routine, and everything revolves around it. For example, after step 7, I perform different asanas, like Warrior I, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, Triangle pose, etc. Then, I flow back by reversing the steps (i.e., 7 through 1).
Near the end of the overall routine, I close out with balance asanas, including Chair pose, Side arm balance, Warrior III, etc.
Once my coding day is done, I rock a 45 minute round of some other form of exercise (i.e., not yoga). I personally find that a twice-a-day routine really helps me with my cadence and outlook in all aspects of my life.
Hope that helps!
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#106http://www.focusatwill.com
Good point - I also use this and I like it a lot!
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#107In 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…
The gym has one main advantage, you invested time to get there. When I had a gym in my apartment building, I'd put on my gym clothes, go down there, and workout for an hour without a problem. Once I was there, I had no trouble staying.
Now, I have some gym equipment in my room. This doesn't work nearly as well. I'll start to workout, then check that forum post to see if anyone replied, then I'll browse YouTube for some music, then I might do a few sets, and finally I get distracted by something and quit.
For me, the gym, or biking outdoors works best. Once I'm on my bike, I'll mess around for hours. If I try to bike indoors, I'll last about 2 minutes.
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#108In 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…
The gym has one main advantage, you invested time to get there. When I had a gym in my apartment building, I'd put on my gym clothes, go down there, and workout for an hour without a problem. Once I was there, I had no trouble staying. Now, I have some gym equipment in my room. This doesn't work nearly as well. I'll start to workout, then check that forum post to see if anyone replied, then I'll browse YouTube for so…
This has been my problem also. I've kinda solved it by dedicating one specific empty space in my place to working out (a room or what not), with the one mental rule that I'm not allowed to exit this area at all until I've finished my workout.
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#109In 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…
Sadly, for me, my work day starts with a crazy hectic 90 minute commute to work. By the time I reach the office, there isn't time for anything else but to get started on work.
Re: Ask HN: How do you get and stay in the "zone"?
#110Different things work for different people but I'll throw my techniques into the ring. I have worked from home for the last 10 years so some of these won't be suitable for a corporate environment. - Start immediately, as soon as you get to your work environment. For me that means no breakfast, no coffee etc... until one function/problem/failing unit test/something is done. Since I'm at home when I wake up I get dress…
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