
How to Focus - cjoh
http://infovegan.com/2010/07/26/how-to-focus
======
NyxWulf
I used to use techniques like this to maintain my focus. Let me toss something
out though that might be a bit controversial. Perhaps having to do this is a
sign of ADHD. For me it was. There are many signs and symptoms, and
unfortunately many people have heard that people are over medicated on things
like Ritalin and Adderral. However, the thing to consider is that people with
strong ADHD actually have a different brain structure. It turns out that the
focus benefits of being on the medication only works for people who genuinely
do have ADHD, and does not work for "regular" people (if there even is such a
thing).

Let me just say, that Adderral changed my life. I used to have what I termed
"Reddit seeking behavior". I could work on tasks that were interesting, but if
it got a little rough or boring - what's happening on Reddit, or HN or Digg?
However when I got on Adderral that entirely changed. I still check HN, but
much less frequently because I'm busy getting things done. I don't have to
resort to extreme changes in my environment to resist distractions. It comes
naturally now.

I don't discount or disagree that focus can be improved. I know it first hand,
but I would also argue that people with ADHD have some additional things going
on that are much harder to train. If you are one of those people, getting on
the appropriate medication could well change your life. I know it did mine.
That's a big statement, and often over used, but for me, it changed the way I
experience every day life in substantial and dramatic ways.

Take it for what it's worth, YMMV.

~~~
derefr
Did you find that it impacted your creativity/lateral thinking? I sometimes
consider focus-enhancing drugs, given that I feel that I'm not nearly focused
enough in my programming or my daily tasks—but I'm also a writer of sci-
fi/fantasy stories, and I wonder if taking such drugs would prevent my mind
from drifting to the kinds of places it needs to go to give me new material.
Thoughts?

~~~
eavc
One nice thing to keep in mind about these drugs is that the majority (the
stimulants) function on an as needed basis. That is to say, unlike an anti-
depressant or cholesterol medication which depends on daily usage over a long
period of time, the stimulant medication can be directed at a block of time as
little as 5 or 6 hours.

If you find that it negatively impacts your creativity or that it just doesn't
make you feel like you, you can use it only for those occasions when you
especially need to sit still/focus/etc..

A therapist friend of mine doesn't take her meds on days when she sees
patients. She does take them when she has to catch up on all the paper work
that she lets accrue.

What's more, there's a nice little truism that comes up from time to time
around here that just because something feels like work, that doesn't mean
it's actually productive. I think the same might be true of creativity. Within
the first hour of taking my first medicine, I had a kind of fuzzy discomfort
at how quiet my brain was. I'm used to having a flood of disparate ideas and
impressions. Having that slew of noise in my head may occasionally yield some
creative product that otherwise would be lost, but by the same token, I often
will find a creative thread that I am excited about only to have it slip away
as some other tangent jumps in front of it in my mind's eye.

------
panic
<http://i.imgur.com/39U4k.png>

This is an image representing an average-length human life; each box is one
month.

------
vishaldpatel
So, this works for me:

Step 1: Clear your mind: \- Close your eyes, take a deep breath and say
"oooooooooooooom" ten times. Try to keep your voice as steady as possible -
concentrate on trying to keep the intensity and pitch of your voice
consistent.

Step 2: Open your eyes slowly. Your mind will feel clear and you can now focus
on the task at hand.

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jknupp
Interesting that an article on how to focus, which I read in Readability,
contained 28 links. I wonder if this was an intentional assualt by the author
to prove his point.

~~~
Entlin
My thoughts exactly. Out of those 20 links, the author expressly asked the
reader to click at least one link to understand his point. And that was a link
to a picture that a good article could have easily embedded inside his
article.

I guess without proper "paid" media, articles of this quality is all we get.

~~~
cjoh
It's a matter of preference I suppose. Ultimately, I tend to keep images out
and stick with links because it gives users more control. I feel like a big
image there will have everyone rushing to see the screenshot, whereas someone
can open it up in a new window to get the point with minimal flow distraction.

Regardless, I use links because I think I ought to be doing you the service of
linking to my original sources -- usually well founded research -- rather than
just presuming that I'm to be trusted.

A link isn't distracting. You clicking on it is. We need articles with more
links to background information, not less. See:

<http://infovegan.com/2010/06/19/bloggers-and-bills>

~~~
dieterrams
I appreciate links to sources, but links are definitely distracting. Even if
you don't click on it, a link forces your mind to imagine what's at the other
end of that link and make a decision about whether it's worth clicking on.

If you frequently link to many sources within a single post, it might be
better to use superscripts and link to sources at the bottom (which,
incidentally, is how PG does it). These are still distracting, but
considerably less so when they're used exclusively for citations, as opposed
to digressions.

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vidar
Vipassana meditation is basically the boot camp equivalent of this, it is
nothing but focused attention. Highly recommended.

~~~
pkghost
Seconded. There's more than a bit of literature documenting the benefits of
mindfulness/insight/vipassana meditation, which, besides an increase in the
ability to focus, include reduced stress and anxiety:

<http://bit.ly/9OKHt9> (google scholar search)

And "...a nuts-and-bolts, step-by-step guide to Insight [Vipassana]
meditation...":

<http://www.kusala.org/udharma4/mpe.html>

~~~
mian2zi3
I second the recommendation for Mindfulness in Plain Language. Great book.

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blaix
I've used the pomodoro + Spaces + single monitor technique for a while. I
actually took things a bit farther and now keep my laptop on a stool to the
left of my desk (I do my main work on a desktop). Instead of having a separate
Space for non-work stuff (chat, email, casual browsing), I keep it all on the
laptop. I only use it during pomodoro breaks and I have the screen go to sleep
after only a couple minutes of inactivity so it's not distracting when the
breaks are over.

I've found that since I have to perform the physical act of swiveling my chair
to comfortably use the laptop, it is much less tempting to get distracted. It
was too easy to "just check my email really quick..." or "just respond to this
one instant message..." when it was only a quick Spaces shortcut away.

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lss
I don't know why in the world people think that it's "normal" to sit still for
hours on end focused on a task. Has that ever been natural for us? Kids can't
do it. Most adults can't do it without caffeine or other drugs. Why do we keep
trying?

The answer for me is balance. Work for two hours, then 1 hour break. Maybe
exercise. Then when I come back, I'm focused and ready to go for another hour
or so. Then maybe break, run an errand, have lunch. Take a short nap. Then
work for another 2 hours.

Also, if you're having trouble focusing, ask yourself how much you like what
really like what you're doing. I've been a programmer for 6 years, thought I
liked it but had problems focusing, then realized my true passions were
elsewhere.

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anthonyb
I find that actually focusing is not an issue - it's more the 'getting
started' part that I have trouble with, ie. tackling serious issues/features
in the code base, rather than just frittering around the edges, tidying up
minor things, checking HN, and so on.

I just tried pomodoro today as an experiment based on this article, and ended
up going waaay overtime on several of them. As in, an hour or more of
sustained focus at a stretch. So I suspect that the paperwork and the "have to
stop after 25/35/45 minutes" parts are actually impacting my productivity (by
popping me out of 'the zone'), not helping it.

~~~
_debug_
+1

After reading a suggestion on HN, I now try to start with something productive
instead of email. If I HAVE to check my email first, I'll first start an alarm
countdown to 10 minutes and then check email + HN.

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thecircusb0y
I'm not a fan of medication. I believe some people really do need it to
balance out, but I think others just need some proper dieting and exercise to
balance their body's chemistry out. Our bodies aren't made to sit around all
day on a computer, we need to have some physical activity to stimulate the
rest of your body and give your mind a break. Perhaps thats the problem people
have with focus'ing, is that they are overworking their mind. My friends,
colleagues, joke I have adult add, or whatever you call it, because I jump
from topic to topic. Perhaps. But when summer came rolling around I began
hiking miles and miles of the Adirondack Mountains. I began to bike around.
Not to mention I picked up a motorcycle and began riding that. These
activities away from the screen, really help. I still jump on topics, but when
I work, I'm focused on what i do. Granted I can't wait to get out of work to
go on another ride or hike. Get off the computer, and read a book, go for a
walk, do something that doesn't require you being near a screen. Get some real
achievements in life, not on the xbox. Check your diet for being healthy. You
will have to google on this one cause everybody's diet is different. For me as
I try and lose more and more weight (so I can go skydiving), I tend to eat
leaner protein, and keep on the carbs for energy, making sure to exercise to
burn the carbs right. Some of you might want some St. John's Wort, for your
moods, others may want to get some more Omega3's in their body. I'm no
dietition, I just like to research what I can eat naturally before turning to
synthetic drugs pushed by a corrupt government and group of doctors looking
for money in treatments and never the cures. Once a day I try and push myself
physically to a racing heart, and it in turn clears my mind. The joy you can
get from pushing your body will clear your mind and help you appreciate it
much more.

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mhd
The article starts by mentioning Nick Carr, who recently wrote a book about
how the Internet is ruining our mind/attention span. Steven Pinker
disagrees[1]. (Which Carr tries to rebut[2])

I'm always a bit scared about the large influence a few pop-sci titles have,
especially the ones that aren't even written by scientists.

[1]: <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/opinion/11Pinker.html?_r=1>

[2]:
[http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2010/06/steven_pinker_a.ph...](http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2010/06/steven_pinker_a.php)

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captaincrunch
I use concerta... 30 minutes till focused.

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endlessvoid94
I've been using the pomodoro app for a few weeks now, and I love it. I've
found I can get twice as much work done before I started to lose my
concentration.

Also, vidar mentioned Vipassana which I also have tried in the past. I
meditated daily for a few months and my focus increased a TON. Extremely
beneficial.

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kadavy
I find that AntiRSI not only prevents me from developing RSI, it also keeps me
focused by making me take breaks:
<http://download.cnet.com/AntiRSI/3000-18487_4-85044.html>

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davidwparker
Pretty good article. I used to use Remember The Milk too, but deleted my
account a few weeks ago as my list(s) ended up being way to distracting. I
never felt like I was making any progress.

I'll definitely check out Pomodoro though.

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mvp
Getting off the computer helps me to focus. I use a pencil and paper to work
on any task that doesn't really need a computer. I print off long articles to
help me read them with concentration.

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Synthetase
I usually commit browser suicide and grab a meal if I ever start slowing down.

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karlzt
this: <http://userstyles.org/styles/28042> helps me.

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guelo
tldr

~~~
guelo
I thought this was a hilarious comment considering the article. but I know,
this isn't reddit

