
Ask HN: What is your best concentration aid while programming? - yotamoron
Concentrating for long hours is hard. What's your trick for keeping your mind focused for long hours while programming ?
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koof
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.

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elviejo79
Pair programming. when you keep discussing what you are doing with a collegue,
your mind keeps the flow.

~~~
j45
Never thought of it that way.

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pasbesoin
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._

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smtlaissezfaire
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.

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

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wackfordjf3
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

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genieyclo
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>

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anujkk
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>

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j45
<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.

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swalkergibson
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.

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

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jamesra
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

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1point2
Same - dance, re-mixes, mashups or rock.

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

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tuxidomasx
A nice sativa and a chill environment.

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tectonic
Pair programming and a standing desk.

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saliksyed10
deadmau5 4x4=12 continuous mix

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Craiggybear
Smoking. And, occasionally, drinking red wine.

