What do you do while working?

[D3luxe]

Figured I'd start a thread to see what people do while getting work done.

Personally I have my hookah lit up next to me smoking that or have a beer to chill out, while a movie or some music is playing on my 2nd screen. I find the buzz from hookah/alcohol helps me focus a bit, and the movie or music keep outside interaction to a minimum. No roommates bothering me, no outside noises to distract me, nothing. Pure work.

What do you guys do? Or do you prefer silence.

[Jackolantern]

I put on headphones and play loud foreign-language music. I find that for me if I start listening to English-language music, I stop absorbing what I am reading or messing up what I am writing as the messages from the lyrics and the material start getting crossed. I don't know why, but I have always been like that lol.

[SpiritWebb]

I have music playing, usually rap (Eminem) because of the beat. Keeps my focus. If I don't I get distracted. I have it playing at work while I am programming our internal site and found I get a lot more done faster because I keep my focus on what I am doing!

[PaxBritannia]

For me, foreign-language music also works. It keeps me from trying to interpret the lyrics.

Music with heavy beats also works for me, but the BPM for most music is way too high. I prefer music at 70bpm since your heart tries to synchronise with it and it has a calming effect. 140bpm is also good, since it's a multiple of 70bpm.

Classical Baroque music at 70bpm is my most 'efficient' music in my arsenal. As strange as it may seem, I sometimes get a metronome out and just have it ticking away at 70bpm 4/4.

Ambient music never worked for me, the lack of a beat just makes it pointless. However, flat tones also make me work a bit better, they lack any beat, but the constant nature of the tone helps me concentrate.

So to sum up: Classical Baroque, a metronome, and flat tones. Most people just find all three excruciatingly annoying.

pax.

[kaos78414]

I have different modes. Some nights I feel that faster, evil-ish music like death metal or dark, grimy drum n' bass helps me get into the coding groove. Other nights its mellow music. Either way I usually like to be isolated, always have a movie running on the TV nearest me, have an energy drink and smoke like a chimney. I find also that being sleep deprived leads to great ideas.

For those of you that like a beat, next time your coding try this site: http://mashupbreakdown.com/

I think I might try the metronome thing you mentioned though, Pax. I think it's true that the beat helps our brains get into a rhythm.

When I used to do yoga, the breathing exercises really helped me loosen up and feel nice and relaxed before working. I need to pick that up again.

[Chris]

Nice, i wanna get a hookah. I have a drawer with a jar of Haze and a jar of Widow, then another full of cashew nuts. Then I have a mini-fridge full of, if I had money beer. But I just started lifting again so it's full of water, pots of quark, chicken, rice and pasta.

To keep me focused I take a hit but not enough to get high otherwise I start buzzing a bit which isn't good when you need to get things done, I listen to trance music which seems to work quite well for me. I make sure my room is tidy, otherwise I can't sit comfortably and make sure my door is locked.

Then I try to work and always end up playing games or watching stupid fail clips.

[Sakar]

I usually listen to purely instrumental music like that of Mogwai or C418. It provides a good ambient background sound without being too distracting.

[hallsofvallhalla]

when I am at home I usually have a shot of Jack or two and listen to a setlist of

Chevelle
Breaking Benjamin
My Chemeical Romance
Rise Against
Hurt

and a few others

or I grab the techno setlist
Oakenfold
Bad Boy Bill
and some Breaks!

[PaxBritannia]

Trance at 140bpm works for me.

When I have sometime, I'll check out Mogwai and C418.

pax.

[Jackolantern]

Chris:

When you say you have a jar of quark, do you mean you have a jar of broken down atoms, or a jar of soft European cheese?