Ask HN: Do you find it difficult to meditate as a programmer?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13344296

by cryptozeus • 10 years ago

3 4 10 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I would love to know if any of you regularly meditate and if you find it difficult because of the nature of tech industry ? I am a programmers and my mind is always trying to debug. Even after coming home I can't shut down the problem solving analytical side of my brain.

maXMB• 10 years ago

The more experienced I get the easier it gets for me to meditate and reflect on other things than programming. I also find it easier to leave jobs problems at work and compartmentalize. Maybe a dynamic context dependant shift in your priorities would help?

kseistrup• 10 years ago

Short answer: no

I've been meditating some 25+ years and although it can be difficult at times (because of mind chatter), I reckon it would be more difficult to live without meditating.

If you're having difficulties accepting your mind's current behaviour, you could try to meditate more (say, half an hour morning and afternoon) and engage in activities that don't exacerbate your condition (say, activities that use your senses or stimulate your creativity or emotions).

LukasRos• 10 years ago

I don't think there's anything specific about meditation versus programming. If your mind tends to wander off it can be because of code that still needs to be debugged in the same way it can wander off to thoughts of, let's say, household chores or life's big questions.

jonny_storm• 10 years ago

I no longer experience much difficulty meditating, though some days are certainly better than others.

Meditation can be quite demanding when you first begin, especially if, like myself, you never much developed a capacity for focus and restraint while growing up. But consistent practice will eventually yield positive results, whether you perceive it helping or not. Just be steadfast in your practice, and within a few weeks time, you should observe at least a small difference. The first time your inner voice and all the other background noise relents and grows silent, you'll be more driven to continue, and the benefits will be manifest.

As Rich Hickey points out in his talk on Hammock-Driven Development, leaving the hard problems to your subconscious is more efficient and, at times, more rewarding. And I would point out that feeling less harried outside work is a boon unto itself.

Ask HN: Do you find it difficult to meditate as a programmer?

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