Re:Ask HN: How do you overcome the problems of task switching?
by jesscxc on Friday March 02, 2018 @11:11AM
(#16502691)
Really interesting and helpful advice, thanks. Saved it to a personal wiki for stuff like this.
I use a kitchen timer, too, which has minutes and seconds (e.g., digital).
Some tasks with too much inertia/resistence I ask: "Can I work on this for 5 minutes? 2 minutes? 15 seconds?"
That will build momentum and show that it's often not as hard as it seems when you're on the other side of history.
For longer, 2-3 day tasks, I completely log off and don't connect to the world until it's done. This means avoiding any network tool through the evenings and mornings until the stretch is over. Easier said than done. Some of my family and friends think I'm weird or get frustrated by my inaccessibility. But they get over it.
After a 2-3 day deep binge like the OP I also face challenges moving from one discipline (say programming) to another (a marketing video). One tool I use is yoga. For a while I had a daily meditation habit going but it's been replaced with 2-3x / week hot yoga. I find it has a way of cleansing my mind and energizing me for the next thing. I also go on fat bike rides to unlock the power nature's constant stimuli has on your mind as Cal talks about in the book.