[eellpp]

> I think I did some of my best work when assigned a desk essentially in a corridor ... > .. but the worst of all for me is emotional noise e.g. people bickering. Trapped in a small office with unpleasant people ..

There lies the problem. If its some unrelated people discussing stuff that doesn't interest us then its just background noise and get filtered out. But in office space it is exactly the opposite. You sit around with people who are doing similar work and most often what they discuss is directly or indirectly related to you/your-work. This is a problem.

Another thing i notice is that concentration is multi stage process. Sometimes when you are between something then its easy to get into the zone. But at times when doing some meta thinking, analysing where your thought process is correct or when trying to get grasp over a difficult problem, where again you have do analyse your thinking, it requires conscious effort to stay focused. If the environment is conducive then it becomes that much easier.

[vonmoltke]

> There lies the problem. If its some unrelated people discussing stuff that doesn't interest us then its just background noise and get filtered out. But in office space it is exactly the opposite. You sit around with people who are doing similar work and most often what they discuss is directly or indirectly related to you/your-work. This is a problem.

I can't not pay attention to background noise. It doesn't matter how irrelevant it is, or even if it is speech or not. I also always have to be on guard all the time in case some actually does try to speak specifically with me. Thus, I live in constant fear of interruption.

[anexprogrammer]

> its just background noise and get filtered out

I'm not convinced many do that effectively. Definitely not with ADHD, which seems highly overrepresented in dev and IT generally, as there's no filter.

ALL distraction and noise is distracting to me though meds mitigate, as is happening to glance at my coffee mug, or noticing some movement as someone goes to the kitchen. If it's a small group, 2-4 is my preferred, conversation seems to settle on discussion of ideas, design and relevant topics, and settles into a rhythm. I prefer having someone to bounce ideas off. Much of the time the group is head down working - sometimes a little too much such that you start to feel it's getting unnaturally quiet round here.

If it's a large open plan space with all functions, or a small group of disparate workers, now everything is a distraction and pulls me out of focus all the time. There's no natural rhythm, or quiet spells, tied to the work. My focus is pulled to the support call, or the different product, or the discussion of golf (A game I have no interest in) way over there.

I know non-ADHD people have a filter, but they usually seem similarly affected, just not quite as much. Before meds I would be distracted by them being distracted. Fun times. :)

[elcritch]

Open offices are a fun time, right? lol, that meta-distraction from other's distraction is entertaining in a metaphysical sense. ;) I find that semi-quiet large workplaces are the most difficult for my ADHD brain. If there are people working near me on similar problems I have to share with them otherwise it's extremely distracting for me as I can't as naturally filter out what they're doing, like getting coffee or being distracted themselves. It actually feels rude.

For me it's like I don't have as much of a "middle ground" like most people. Either I'm social engaged with people around me and tossing ideas around, or I'm super-focused and completely absorbed in work to the point of completely ignoring coworkers (which again doesn't go over well). Medication helps bring that filtering function from a step-function to more of a smooth "sigmoid" function. It's more for other people though than myself.

Making usage of those distracted times by communicating necessary details or help arrange effective sharing across projects helps a lot too. That "distractibility" can be a boon at times if honed. Still I like to put focused project work at night when others aren't around, but that's hard to maintain.

[anexprogrammer]

Yeah, great. Seems like I'm always processing distraction and there's no cycles left for anything else. Try and avoid those types of places.

I don't have much middle ground either, and knowing I depend on external factors for motivation is why I like small groups. The peer pressure of 3 others having a quiet productive hour is assistive. The natural rhythm of breaks gives plenty of chances to ask the nagging question about the API you're writing etc. Meds mean I can be productive in that, not pick up every distraction, and I'm not depending on locking myself away behind headphones and tunnel focus on screen. I could be wrong, but it feels most productive for everyone.

I've found the distractability, and lack of patience with interests a huge help over the years, so long as I don't get carried away. Ended up collecting a bit of knowledge of a ridiculous range of fields and IT sub-niches. Lost count of the times it's helped me see the big picture, or the question no one else knew to ask. The downside is I've probably had more hobbies and interests - for a month or two - than everyone else in the office put together. :) Yep, for when you need to just produce, when the world and phones are quiet, nights are excellent.

[gbin]

Exactly! I can work all day long in coffee shop, but an open space is pure torture to me.

[joezydeco]

The distinction, and this is why offices are important to me, is that in a coffee shop you can 99% expect that nobody is going to come up to you and bother you.

In an open plan, that expectation is nearly 0%. Even if you're wearing headphones and wrap yourself in custom made police tape labelled GO AWAY, someone will still come up to your field of vision and poke you in the shoulder.

[chrisbennet]

A friend of mine has a sign on the back of his chair that say something like "Please do not disturb me when I'm wearing headphones." and people still disturb him because it is easier than emailing him.

His manager told him that he's "unapproachable". LOL!

[joezydeco]

My favorite interruption: "Just wanted to check if you got my latest email"

[l0b0]

3 minutes after they sent it.