Some call it eliminating distractions. Some call it flow. Tuning out of your immediate surroundings has been shown to increase focus on internal thinking processes. In this post I’ll dive into both the neurological components as well as folk-advice surrounding this phenomenon.
Working memory is a well studied component of brain physiology and normally associated with the prefrontal cortex. If you, for example, try to memorize a list of random words and repeat them from memory, then you will likely try to put them into working memory. However, this probably won’t allow you to remember more than a few words at a time. Working memory has a very limited capacity.
Memory athletes get around this limitation by using a technique usually called memory palaces. This allows them to offload the majority of memory requirement to spatial memory, which is very closely associated with working memory. These athletes “walk around their internal concept of a palace and “place certain words or objects into a location where they will remember it at the right time. When used correctly this technique can add huge multipliers to the ability to remember what would otherwise be random information.
Programmers use a similar technique to remember and navigate code. However there are limitations, namely that working memory is not completely removed from the picture. Working memory is full of all the things that you are consciously aware of at any given time. That dog sniffing around, the music your deskmate is listening to, the meeting on your schedule, and everything else that you may be worrying about. These things fill your working memory, and are a huge drag on any attempt to work with the code in your head. Too many simultaneous distractions will effectively block any attempt to reach the glorious flow state of mind.
Studies have also shown that once an individual is knocked out of a flow state of mind, it can take up to 20 minutes to get back. Losing concentration can have significant impacts on worker productivity. This is where headphones come in: for programmers wanting to tune out of distraction and stay in the flow, music is a great release and safety measure. On another note, this problem is sometimes less significant in senior programmers, because their understanding of a project or environment has since moved from spatial short-term into spatial long-term memory; the effect being that it is much easier to recall these memories without going into a trance.
So to reiterate: programmers are easily distracted, headphones eliminate some distractions, thus headphones make programmers happy. Personally I have music on almost all the time, with or without code. I just love music.
This post was originally published on medium.com
Oldest comments (53)
Definitely. A good pair of headphones is an important tool for the craft!
Great post!
I wish my pod-mate would understand that and not tap me on the shoulder to tell me stories about his daughter's swim meet. Perhaps I'll send him this post...
Can you elaborate on "pod-mate"? What exactly is a "pod" referring to? I'm curious.
Where I work its a group of 4 people in a large hexagon shape "cubical"
For sure! Similar to what Jordan said, my current workplace reserves these small cubicles (they call pods) for student co-ops and contractors. There is really only room for 1 person, but I guess since they call it a 'pod' they can squeeze 2 in ;)
Like a work mate of mine that every time he comes up to this office floor he just HAS to interrupt EVERYONE just to say hi and shake hands. It doesn't matter if you´re in half a remote meeting or completely concentrated in your code.
Oh wow! I find with people like this it can be hard to get in the flow if you feel like they are coming in soon. Almost being "on alert" - it's nice to have friendly co-workers but that's a bit much!
I use headphones, but without music. Music is too engaging, but having headphones prevents some unnecessary conversations and dampens the environment sounds a bit.
Have you tried Betawave music (low key music engineered to increase beta waves in the brain) or Classical music (nonvocal music can still be a great "white noise")?
Another option is to listen to soundtracks from video games. The music for them is engineered to keep the player engaged and not distract from the game.
Game music is a good idea. I'll try that today.
If I really need to concentrate I use one of the sound engines from mynoise.net/
I like the "cafe restaurant" one, which perfectly drowns out colleagues talking, even without noise canceling headphones.
Wow, that site is awesome! Thank you for posting this.
Very true! I actually do this everyday, listening to soundtracks from video games. It keeps me focused. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a completely different world, my own world where I'm the star of the show! :D
Absolutely! Lately I have been listening to these "homework edit" versions of popular soundtracks, especially Skyrim. This rocks youtube.com/watch?v=xWtfo9kuRTU
What soundtracks do you recommend?
If I gravitate to game sound tracks I go to Mario tracks; I don't know why I'm sure there are better ones, that's just my taste.
You can go to youtube and search for game sound tracks and find some that work for you.
thanks for the tip, I'll try it next week :)
I have to agree. Being a programmer with a degree in theory and composition, any music is going to engage far too much to be considered white noise.
But I do have noise blocking headphones that I can wear in shared environments.
I find tuneful music distracting, I start listening to it. But Industrial or similar helps me to concentrate. It's usually music other people find unlistenable.
I agree. I also do it often. Play 1 track then nothing for some time
When I have to focus I usually listen to Desert/Stoner rock (strictly instrumental). One of my friends who is more into electronic music prefers minimal techno for the same reasons. Active noise filtering works best if there is some sound in your headphones.
If music absolutely bothers you, there are whitenoises on YT. My favorite is "10 Hours Of Relaxing Planet Earth II Island Sounds - Earth Unplugged", but if that is still too concrete there is my other favorite "CELESTIAL WHITE NOISE | Sleep Better, Reduce Stress, Calm Your Mind, Improve Focus | 10 Hour Ambient".
A quick Google search shows a lot of references to idea that it takes "20 minutes to get into flow state", but I haven't come across any original sources. If you know of any sources on this idea, I'd be interested in seeing it. I believe it from experience, but would love to see more literature on this topic.
Great post, Andrew.
That depends how far you want to go back :)
Wikipedia references Buddhist and Taoist texts that are literally NNNN BC. I would say though that what we call "flow" in a refined scientific sense was a product of "positive psychology" studies in the 1980s. Positive psychology is the opposite of diagnosing people with disorders, rather helping them find ways to avoid bad states and generally improve patient well-being.
Here are some relevant studies.
The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress
A Diary Study of Task Switching and Interruptions
Great post! I have a hard time listening to regular music while programming, because I find I start focusing too much on it instead of my work. However, I discovered musicforprogramming.net/ within the last few months and it's been super helpful.
Fantastic article Andrew. I can't function without headphones and music whilst coding. Although sometimes I'm unsure if it's just the routine of putting them in which is a subliminal message to my brain just saying "hey, time to crack on now" or if it's genuinely an aid to focusing and blocking out external noise whilst coding...
I listen to video game music. Either longplays or OSTs. Deus Ex, Secret of Mana, Drakkhen, Arcana, Morrowind in my YouTube recent videos.
I showed this to my former psych professor. He said (among other things) that you really should cite Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi on this one - that's basically the guy that coined "flow" to begin with. Also, while the distractions are competing for your working memory, they are not all in working memory at the same time.
All in all, though, I agree about the importance of having "auditory control" over your environment. I tend to listen to RED or Switchfoot when I'm working.
Are you kidding me? I love RED and switchfoot is my favorite band!
I'm going to meet them in about 2hours before the concert!
Nice article Andrew. I have sensory processing problems that I only understood more recently because my young son suffers from the same issue. Like father, like son :-). I' affected by most senses but noise while coding is rough. While coding my concentration level rises and, as it does, all sound around me becomes mega-amplified. Rain falling on my attic bedroom when I was younger would tap, taP, tAP, TAP louder as time passed.
Over the years headphones have helped and, believe it or not, I play more or less the same tracks that I've been playing for over two decades. Those, plus a Neil Young station on Pandora. So, it is like white noise but I find the difference is that when things are going well I can code to the songs. Radiohead's "The Bends" for those times, for example, when I plough through some code refactoring.
Keep up the great writing!
Andrew
I listen to music to drown out the distractions in my own head. All those momemts while waiting for the computer to do something, or working through a long problem, gives my brain an opportunity to reflect on something other than programming. The music is a constant fallback -- I immediately focus on the music rather than the bills I need to pay. The transition to/from music and programming is easy enough that I can stay in the flow.
I like this cartoon when explaining this to people:
That's my every day
Yup. I pinned this cartoon right outside the entrance of my cubicle. Of course, now people interrupt me to ask what it means.
Lol - damnit! 😂
I was expecting that. Haha!
Headphones are on because of open-space. I want the music playing. As long as no-one touches me or calls my name, I can usually maintain focus.
I have a weak hypothesis that great programmers have clinical ADD. Hyperfocus is legit. That's me.
After 20 years of coding with a headset, I have ended up with a very annoying tinnitus. And I never really played loud music.
All I can say, don't use a headset. Today, you may think that you are invincible. But eventually you may pay for it.
Great writeup though :-)
Well now I'm paranoid.
No. What would make us happy is if someone once listened to us and removed the actual problem. Headphones are a bandaid and I'm sad that someone actually has the nerve to say thy make people happy.
Why would you be happy? Why wouldn't you demand a problem free work environment? Sure your boss probably whines but so what? That's what should be done. That's what would help and make people happy.
Headphones. Sheesh.