Ask HN: What is your best concentration aid while programming?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3274920

by yotamoron • 15 years ago

10 20 15 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Concentrating for long hours is hard. What's your trick for keeping your mind focused for long hours while programming ?

Mz2• 15 years ago

Having seen this type discussion before, I'm guessing a top answer will be music (for some people: Music with no lyrics).

jamesra• 15 years ago

Im interested in knowing what kind of music? not genre, necessary...but level of familiarity. I learned that I can use a playlist of really otherwise distracting music like pop, but if it's pop that i've heard 100x before, it works as well as background noise. But also with the added benefit of a good beat which helps sometimes to keep me going

Mz2• 15 years ago

This has been asked before, possibly multiple times. This is the first link I came across when I searched: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=212682

You might try searching for something more recent (I joined the site well after that post was made, so I'm sure it's been asked more recently) and/or ask again. I'm not really a hacker. My son suggested I listen to music when I code, which is not a whole lot, and it did help me. But I mostly do other things and, besides, my oldest son tends to have lyric-less music on much of the time that I am home and on the computer (or he's playing a game, which has a similar effect in terms of background noise).

When I'm stressed out, he sometimes intentionally plays the background music from some video game he had when he was a kid. For me, it sets the mood of "all is right with the world because my kids are okay". It's very effective in calming me down. But that's something very specific to me and I can't even tell you the name of the video game (though my son could).

Best of luck.

1point2• 15 years ago

Same - dance, re-mixes, mashups or rock.

elviejo79• 15 years ago

Pair programming. when you keep discussing what you are doing with a collegue, your mind keeps the flow.

j452• 15 years ago

Never thought of it that way.

j452• 15 years ago

http://www.simplynoise.com seems to be doing it for me lately. Sometimes I leave it at a fixed level, sometimes I let it oscillate slowly.

tectonic• 15 years ago

Pair programming and a standing desk.

Craiggybear• 15 years ago

Smoking. And, occasionally, drinking red wine.

anujkk• 15 years ago

I like to listen violin music or any other soft slow instrumental music. It keeps me relaxed and focused. For example, this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EQ6eHeBrhM

smtlaissezfaire2• 15 years ago

Usually several factors go into being focused (not necessarily ranked in order):

* Determination. How much do I care about this feature / bug fix?

* Long blocks of quiet. No distractions. This is usually why late at night works really well for me (no interruptions for meals, no emails, etc).

* Interesting factor. Doing drudge work is highly unmotivating. Using a new technology or building something I consider cool (say, a compiler) is tons of fun and I can't rip myself away from it.

smtlaissezfaire2• 15 years ago

Also, forgot to mention sleep. Being well rested always helps - the opposite, being quite tired - leads me to have a hard time focusing.

saliksyed10• 15 years ago

deadmau5 4x4=12 continuous mix

swalkergibson• 15 years ago

Classical music has, in my view, created the most productive 3 weeks I have ever experienced. Check out the Mozart channel on Pandora. Check and mate.

koof• 15 years ago

Considering "music" is always one of the most common answers to this question, and undoubtedly something you've tried before, you might also want to consider "no music". Time and time again I've realized how much I get invested in whatever I'm listening to, want to switch tracks, which makes me open up my browser/Spotify, makes me want to research new music, I end up on Facebook... It's best for me to just turn it all off. You may want to try doing the same, if music has been the norm for you.

tuxidomasx• 15 years ago

A nice sativa and a chill environment.

mapster• 15 years ago

I play a rave song, on repeat. that keeps me in the zone for 3 hrs.

genieyclo• 15 years ago

Kashiwa Daisuke's april.#02 track from the april.#02 album. Half an hour of background music to help you accomplish and focus a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEAEmwBbMT8

wackfordjf3• 15 years ago

I use the Pomodoro Technique through this website: http://tomatoi.st/ 25 min of work, 5 min short break, 25 min of work, 5 min short break, 25 min of work, 5 min short break, 25 min of work, 15 min long break. rinse repeat

pasbesoin• 15 years ago

Good health (losing it teaches you this).

Ignoring people who want/insist that you be "like everyone else". E.g. living in a noisy dorm, studying in the library at a table full of chatters, working in an open floor of cubicles.

Be yourself. In the long run, you'll gain more acceptance that way, anyway. And you'll be able to effectively work.

And the long hours come naturally, when you're doing something that interests you. Note that, not infrequently, that interest will have more of a social context -- and motivation -- than you might expect. Just, approach that context on your own terms.

Ask HN: What is your best concentration aid while programming?

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