Ask HN: How to stay focused?
There are a lot of distraction to stay focused and be productive today.
Some tends to "cheat" with smart-drugs like Modafinil to be on top of performance.
What's your tip to avoid this non-productiveness?
Some tends to "cheat" with smart-drugs like Modafinil to be on top of performance.
What's your tip to avoid this non-productiveness?
Drink some of water when you wake up to hydrate yourself. We often mistake thirst for a desire to eat or restlessness. So eating or moving around often does not fix it. Keep a bottle of water nearby always.
Exercise also provides a great start to your day but o ly if you are well rested.
If there are lots of ideas circling in you head, it is time to pull them out and put them all on a list. Then prioritize what you need to do first. This removes mental clutter and give you room to work. It helps a lot if the last thing you the at the end of the day is to plan for the one thing you will do next day. This way you will wake up knowing how your day is going to be. This avoids decision fatigue early in the day. The todo should ideally be one or two and no more than three.
If you still find yourself distracted, it is because of some uneasiness that stems inside you. Find its source. Maybe the task you are supposed to be doing is vague or daunting, or you do not believe what you are doing is the best approach. Or the project is not what you expected it to be and you would rather spend your efforts on something more deserving. Whatever it is, identifying it is half the problem. Even a single step in the direction of fixing it can give you hope and energy to chug forward.
Meditation is also recommended as a great way to practice focus and introspection but I have not made a habit of it yet. Maybe soon.
In addition, there are other 30 minute work 'sprints' to keep you focused (I don't know these 'gimmicks' but they seem to be very effective for many).
* Write out the "why" of the task to help you efficiently resolve ambiguities.
* If it is a complex task, take some time to just spend writing down and resolving ambiguities explicitly.
* Pair program, or at least work alongside others who are working.
* Get 9 hours of sleep on a regular schedule.
* Exercise for 30 minutes in the morning or when you feel frazzled.
* If feeling frazzled, meditate. Sit down comfortably and focus on your breath and nothing else. When you notice yourself thinking about something else, gently guide your mind back to your breath.
* Block distracting websites using https://selfcontrolapp.com/ or https://freedom.to/
Knock out the most daunting/hardest/most stressful task first. For me that usually involves phone calls (yay social anxiety). First thing I do every morning is make sure all my phone correspondence is taken care of, that way I don't keep putting it off all day.
For general focus trouble - meditation works wonders. After getting the basics down you will be able to clear unwanted thoughts from your brain as easy as you swipe-up to close iphone apps.
Also this is personal so YMMV, but I realized my morning coffee was more habit than useful. Since I started skipping my morning cup I'm less jittery, less tired after noon, and the one cup I do drink makes a much bigger difference.
That type of focus, not energy / fatigue related focus, I struggle with.
With chanting comes the wisdom to exercise, have enough sleep and live a healthy, lifestyle while also being able to declutter my mind and build my inner core energy.
That for me has been the single most defining activity that has transformed my life. I work full-time, I do household chores and I continue to work on my startup and when many asked how I've been able to do it, it all starts with chanting.