
Ask HN: Do you find it difficult to meditate as a programmer? - cryptozeus
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&#x27;t shut down the problem solving analytical side of my brain.
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kseistrup
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).

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jonny_storm
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.

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maXMB
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?

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LukasRos
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.

