concentration

How to keep concentrated and focused while waiting for your compiler?

When I'm working on software, I find that as soon as I have to wait more than around 6 seconds for the compiler or for the program to start (or simply for Visual Studio to process some really complicated command like, say, Space Bar), I tend to fire up the email client, or go read stuff on the Internet, or post questions on StackOverflow...

What activity helps you refocus?

Sometimes coding issues come up and you really need to think about something different in order to refocus. How do you forget about a current coding problem? ...

Secrets for burning the midnight oil

Tommorrow is the deadline, boy did it come fast!!? It's twisted but some of us have procrastinated just a tad as the thrill of an all-nighter makes things sharp and real- it must be the adrenaline. But how do you keep your mind on the game as the hours slip away and your eyes burn and squint? Do you eat lots of candy? Gulp cup after bi...

What tricks do you use to get yourself "in the zone"?

Once I am "in the zone" I am extremely productive and code just flows out of me, often I can get 2 or 3 days coding done in 1 day. But I find that often its hard to get to that place, I find myself procrastinating, getting distracted by other things (SO for example). Is this experience common? How do you force yourself into that state...

What do you do during compile times?

Closed as an exact duplicate of this question. When I write C++ code I compile frequently so that I can see that I'm not making a mistake or what errors to fix next. However, that practice is unfortunately highly inefficient, especially with bigger projects that take a long time to compile. Even if compilation takes only 30 seconds or...

Does white noise really block distractions and aid concentration?

Having stumbled across mentions of white noise on SimplyNoise.com and Wikipedia I have to admit I'm sceptical. Are there real benefits to listening to this stuff or would I be better off sticking to background music? ...

Ways to keep my concentration while programming?

Duplicate What Tricks do you use to get yourself 'into the zone'? I am working on a very important personal project. There is a lot do and accomplish. I am motivated every bit, but there are times when I lose my concentration and waste my time in the web. I usually read articles from programming.reddit.com or some question/answers...

What activities help keep minds fresh when working late hours?

We programmers generally need to work for long continuous hours, which turns our brain battery down. What things you do to keep your brain fresh and concentrated? ...

How do you deal with the more mundane parts of programming tasks?

My experience as a developer is that many projects or tickets are a mix of a short and focused very interesting task (e.g., designing some API or a platform to solve something) and a lot of repetitive and mundane tasks that cannot be automated (such as certain refactorings to use the API or platform, implementation of certain tests, some...

Are you able to close your eyes and focus/think just on your code?

Hi, I have some colleagues at work, they arrive at the morning, switch off email, phone, close the door, etc. Then they close their eyes and during 30 minutes try to focus on their programming (C++, C, etc) and remember what they did yesterday. Then and somehow the process or imagine the code on they mind, with closed eyes. And some tim...