Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by sparklingmango 1520 days ago
For big tasks, I break them down into really small tasks. Crossing things off of a list really motivates me to continue.

I use the Pomodoro technique. I work for 25 minutes and then take a 5 minute break. My 25 minute stretch of work is actual work - no looking at my phone, the NY Times, or Twitter. Then my break is an actual break. I'll leave my office, sit on TikTok or walk around my yard.

I use noise canceling headphones and listen to electronic music or make a nice blend of white noise on Noisli.com

I block off my calendar for 4 hours at a time so I'm not disrupted by meetings. I close my Slack/Teams/Email apps. I put my phone in a different room.

These all work for me, but I found them through trial and error. Keep trying stuff until you find something that works for you. Good luck! And remember to not be so hard on yourself.