[Terr_]

> I try to avoid leaving a game or Youtube video open when I am "working".

Slightly related: Almost all my "work music" is wordless, instrumental.

Programming tasks rely heavily on the language-portion of your brain, which are biologically hardwired to monitor your environment for speech, whether you like it or not. Anything sufficiently speech-like will generate an interrupt-signal in your head and steal some of your time and attention.

[alecigne]

> Slightly related: Almost all my "work music" is wordless, instrumental.

Slightly related to your already slightly related comment: SomaFM's Drone Zone radio channel has really helped me focus in our open space.