If you can't break down the work you are doing in 1h-2h chunks, you probably haven't thought out an overall plan and shouldn't be coding away like crazy anyway.
Being "in the zone" for more than 1h, at most 2h, means you are just lost without an actual plan on where you are going and how to get there.
I would say that it depends. There are tasks that are straightforward but simply need more code than you can type in 1-2 h. Recent example for me was porting existing code to a new backend architecture. I had automated tests with 100% coverage so it was easy to see any problems and I was constantly aware of the failing parts of the code.
Exactly! Staying in the zone with a break every hour seems contradictory for me. Once you are in it, it’s so easy to keep going.
What helps me is to do stay physically health is to do some non-coding activities after work, like go for a run or long-walk.
If you can't break down the work you are doing in 1h-2h chunks, you probably haven't thought out an overall plan and shouldn't be coding away like crazy anyway.
Being "in the zone" for more than 1h, at most 2h, means you are just lost without an actual plan on where you are going and how to get there.
I would say that it depends. There are tasks that are straightforward but simply need more code than you can type in 1-2 h. Recent example for me was porting existing code to a new backend architecture. I had automated tests with 100% coverage so it was easy to see any problems and I was constantly aware of the failing parts of the code.
I wouldn't use "straightforward" then. And if it is not, it probably could be broken down in smaller chunks.