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Instead of browsing, I do situps, pushups, etc. I get back to work the second my simulation finishes.

Well, sometimes I do that. It is effective when I do it.

Interesting. I try to keep a newspaper or periodical handy, something offline and inert. While my project compiles, I read a few hundred words and do not get so engrossed I lose my original train of thought.

I think my colleagues would start to look even more funnily at me than the already do if I started doing this. Especially since we work in an open office environment. If I had an office I would definitely consider.

For now I think I will try and heed troutwine's advice: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1379082

I'm still working on this, too. Read the classic NADD description: http://randsinrepose.com/archives/2003/07/10/nadd.html if you don't know it yet ;)

If you use Visual Studio, you can setup a sound to play when the build is finished.

Setting a timer (even for just 3 minutes) works well for this problem.