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Finding a Productive Place to Code?

posted by janrinok on Monday March 24 2014, @01:08PM   Printer-friendly
from the ask-uncle-Jan dept.

Subsentient writes:

"I have a short attention span, a very short one, and I have very, abnormally poor energy levels, to such a point that while my physical strength can be up to snuff, my mind is always running at 8Mhz. I am a programmer. This is a problem. However, I find that some places are better to code at than others. If I can sit somewhere upright, looking down at the monitor, in a comfortable position, I can sometimes get some work done, and if my monitor is large, soft, and bright, I am better off still. Do soylentils have issues with location? What would you suggest for being able to sit down and code for hours, something I have NEVER been able to do?"

 
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  • (Score: 2) by wjwlsn on Monday March 24 2014, @01:43PM

    by wjwlsn (171) on Monday March 24 2014, @01:43PM (#20375) Homepage Journal

    Study after study has shown that for people who primarily think for a living, need a quiet distraction free environment in order to be truly productive.

    This may work for the majority of knowledge workers, but for those with ADD/ADHD, it may be the wrong answer. I say "may" because some may respond well to a quiet, serene environment... but for others (like me), such an environment actually makes things worse. I think this is because most of my distractions are actually from my own head ... stray thoughts, weird ideas, mental static, lack of regulation, etc. My brain often seems like a radio without an antenna, or with a malfunctioning tuner.

    What helps me to get rid of unwanted mental noise is: a) at work, some headphones and familiar music with a steady beat, or b) at home, a beer or two. Then, on top of that, a quiet, distraction-free environment can be nice, but is not necessary. When my brain is not pumping out its own noise and static, I seem perfectly capable of ignoring all external distractions.

    --
    I am a traveler of both time and space. Duh.
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 25 2014, @11:54AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 25 2014, @11:54AM (#21016)

    My brain often seems like a radio without an antenna, or with a malfunctioning tuner.

    That's a perfect description of how my brain feels most of the time (short of chemical aids to force focus, but those only work in the short term and have very large negative effects for me in the longer term).

    Usually, I start out being distracted by too much quiet, so I put on music. After a while, if I'm intensely working on a project, I'll start to find noise distracting, so it's back to quiet. Repeat ad infinitum. What also works is getting out of my usual workspace and finding a crowded coffee shop or library. I seem to be able to focus just fine in a crowd of total strangers--not so much around co-workers and friends.

    Another thing: when I need to do math, I can do it just fine on paper but I have to write every step down, or I lose track of where I am. If someone asks me to explain something in the middle, I'm completely lost until I've had a minute to settle my brain back down and get it all back in my head (same for coding). Some people seem to be able to do it all in their head--not me. I need my paper.