As a developer, I always make sure I’m focused during productive work sessions as this helps me get things done faster. After doing a lot of research this past week, these are the methods that worked best for me. Keep in mind that these tips might not work for everyone, so keep exploring and find what works best for you.
Eliminate Distractions
The first productivity tip that worked best for me is eliminating distractions. While this tip is simple, applying it increased my productivity level significantly and helped me remain focused during work.
Here are a few tips to eliminate distractions:
- Work in a location free from distractions
- Keep your phone away and set it to do not disturb
- Make sure no one will bother you
Another important tip is keeping your workspace clean and organized. I’ve noticed that when my workspace is clean, I can focus better on what I’m doing since nothing is bothering me.
Deep focus
Deep focus work means spending time on a task uninterrupted with laser focus. When you’re in a deep focus state, you can achieve a lot in a short period. What helped me enter a deep focus state was setting a trigger for my brain. Before I start working, I like to wear earphones and listen to lofi music. This signals to my brain that it’s time to work and I need to focus on my task.
Listening to Music
I listen to many music genres, but when I’m doing tasks that don’t require too much brainpower, I listen to chill R&B music. However, if my tasks require deep focus, like writing an article, I listen to lofi music because it relaxes my mind. Listening to music also blocks out outside noise, which is especially helpful if you’re working in a noisy environment. Sometimes I don’t listen to music at all - it depends on the task and my mood.
At the time of writing this article, I’m currently listening to a lofi playlist which you can check out on this link.
Pomodoro technique
You’ve probably heard of this technique before. It’s a time management method where you time-block your work. The recommended approach is working for 25 minutes with laser focus and taking a 5-minute break for 4 sets. However, after trying the recommended method, I found it didn’t work for me because 25 minutes isn’t enough time. Sometimes it disrupts my focus, especially when I’m already in a deep focus state. What I did was change the time blocks to work for 1 hour and give myself a 10-minute break. Try to experiment and see what works for you.
Here’s a summary of the productivity tips I outlined in this article:
- Eliminate distractions
- Deep Focus
- Listening to music
- Pomodoro Technique
Feel free to DM me on Twitter to talk about productivity.