i have a very finite set of things i do which help me get into the flow state. i often forget to do these when i’m having trouble focusing so here’s me writing them out so i can just read this the next time i’m scrolling X too much.
it’s also an exhaustive list of things i am going to try before i take a break or call it a day.
-
bring your keyboard closer and sit upright.
-
get some distance between you and the monitor.
-
put headphones on, play brown noise or 70s low-key rock music.
-
go splash water on your face, it helps tremendously.
- if time from last shower > 6 hours, go jump in a cold shower.
-
open window, let some fresh air in
-
close all tabs on browser and applications that you don’t need rn. it’s clutter that’s cluttering the brain.
-
close all social tabs and apps on pc.
-
throw phone out of sight.
-
text someone, anyone what you need to do and how you’re struggling with it. don’t have to send a message, just duck debug the problem. - alternatively, talk to claude about the problem you’re trying to solve - here’s an example text i wrote recently.
tbh, haven’t been able to start my engines on this :/ brain hasn’t been working all day 🔪 but here’s a brain dump of what i need to do (in hopes it kick starts my engines): …
-
get out of the house, walk to the nearby cafe. nice place to get some coding done.
- if it’s been a while since last coffee, get a coffee too.
-
start a pomodoro clock, work only until the timer runs out. re-evaluate after the timer runs out.
-
take a body check, do you need sleep? do you need food?