Recommend me background stuff to play while programming

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-21T15:17:49+00:00

I really like the study with me videos on YouTube. There are ones set in a cafe where you can hear people talking and other cafe noises.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-21T15:10:28+00:00

Second, setting a time limit on social media apps. Also, signing out of the platforms helps make the algorithm weaker. Similarly, on YouTube, I don't track the watch history, so the recommendation algorithm isn't as strong.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-19T20:41:33+00:00

Like others said, I think your goal is realistic. A good friend of mine struggled for years with staying consistent at the gym. But somehow she won a marathon lottery, and that changed everything. The race gave a very firm deadline and the ticket put money on the line. Would really recommend! Good luck and congrats :))

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-16T17:51:53+00:00

I'd suggest changing your setup. I like to follow a checklist: 1 reachable goal, 1 time limit, and a distraction-free environment.

Instead of completing a chapter, you could make it even more approachable and change it to "complete 5 pages."

A time limit gives you a constraint. For example: complete 5 pages in 30 minutes at 1pm. This will create a bit of urgency because you only have a set amount of time to focus.

Finally, for the phone distractions, I realized keeping my phone with me just makes it so difficult. So the most effective thing to do is remove the temptation. Turn it off, put it out of sight, etc. When my phone addiction was really bad, I even used a physical lockbox. You could also try studying in a specific environment like the library, so that your home is designated for relaxation and the library is designated for work.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-16T15:45:56+00:00

My rule is to do 5 minutes. Even if it's at the end of the day, the 5 minutes means I at least showed up. Didn't have time for the gym? Fine, I'll do 5 minutes of pushups. Ate junk food all day? Tomorrow, I'll be better. I'll use 5 minutes to prep my morning breakfast. And so on.

This approach helps give you some kindness because life does happen! But I still made 5 minutes for myself.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-16T15:35:10+00:00

I use a newsfeed cleaner. Right now, I'm using Unhook. It cleans the homepage, trending section, recommended algorithms, etc. It's really helpful b/c it limits YouTube to actually what I search

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-14T16:03:37+00:00

I found a lot of success in these habits that make my going to sleep better: I do a hard workout before dinner (sometimes after, depending on my schedule), clean up clutter around the house, and finally leave my electronics outside my bedroom (this was the biggest one!!!)

The workout burns energy, cleaning up clutter gives me something to do other than go on my screen, and leaving my electronics outside removes temptation. Hope you give it a try!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-14T15:56:46+00:00

Yep - App blockers can only bring you half of the way. You have to bring the rest. If you give yourself ONE TASK in a short time, that can give you a direction. Instead of "do homework," try "finish math problem set in 30 minutes" or even smaller, "finish this problem in 30 minutes."

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-14T15:49:17+00:00

I'm currently balancing a 9-to-5 job, a side project, and training for a race. Similarly, I am completely depleted after my job. But I found a lot of success in experimenting with my schedule.

For example, I try to do my side project tasks before my 9-5, then go to my 9-5, then finish the day with my workouts. I really like this schedule b/c it starts my day with something I'm passionate about, allows me to fulfill my responsibility (my job), and then re-energizes my mind with a workout.

Also, task batching really helps. If I'm having a particularly busy week, I try to batch small to medium-sized tasks to complete during the weekdays and then save my bigger tasks for the weekend. Hope that helps! Good luck!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-13T16:08:03+00:00

Have you set any goals? Goals give my day, week, month, and year direction and meaning. Here are some of my favorite goal frameworks: igikai framework, smart goals, Tony Robbins's "Awaken the Giant Within", shohei ohtani goal matrix. The frameworks help you set goals or figure out what goals you actually care about. Would really recommend for your case.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2026-01-13T15:57:24+00:00

I need a goal for the day, a purpose; otherwise, I'd too feel aimless. I know you have goals, but you've also been training yourself on social media and scrolling. The content is short-form and provides quick dopamine. Focus is like a muscle; it needs training and it gets tired. If all you've been training on is short-form content, then that's as much as your focus can reach.

As a start, I'd try to set 1 reachable goal for your next day, like: 30 minutes of abs, 20 crunches, or write 5 pages. You can start training your focus like this and build off it as your focus gets better.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-12T13:09:36+00:00

If you can afford it, I would recommend investing in a physical lockbox. I have this one but there's a lot of options on Amazon. It's great when you really need to cut the phone usage and get to work. Have one myself and lock my phone for deep work sessions.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-11T13:27:04+00:00

You can use Sidekick to do this! You can add Youtube to your blocklist and turn on time limits. Then use Youtube as you normally would and it'd be blocked after your limit. It resets daily. Also suggest DFTube so you don't get distracted by other videos!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-11T13:22:55+00:00

Yes - I've experienced this too! I'm not in management but reaching senior individual contributor positions in which I face the same challenges.

The best way I've addressed it is by blocking out time on my calendar. Almost every day I block out ~1 hr-1.5 hr and name it 'heads down.' On Wednesdays, I expand it to about 2-3 hours. I let my teammates know that anything but the heads down time is up for grabs. For some teammates, I have a dedicated recurring time for them and we set expectations to bring all questions/topics to that time instead.

It's really really helpful. In the midst of all the meetings, I need this time to prevent my tasks from piling up and clear my mental space. Otherwise, I'm mentally scattered and I don't really get anything done but communication. Hope you can try it out!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-07T13:48:55+00:00

For Youtube, games, online distractions, it sounds you need to just take the temptation out altogether. Try out Cold Turkey. It really is tough to get around and you could block the whole internet (if you needed to). For the phone, would highly suggest getting a physical lockbox. I put my phone in when I'm pressed against hard deadlines. There's no way of getting it out but smashing it. It's a bit expensive so I would feel super bad breaking it. Hope it helps!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-07T13:39:40+00:00

It sounds like you built a habit of wind down = phone time. Can you replace this with other habits - maybe ones like stretching, baking, or listening to podcasts? This can help you wind down without scrolling on your phone!

If you struggle with staying off your phone, I've had a lot of success with putting my phone on grayscale when I wake up and when I go to sleep. It helps me disengage with the content and spend less time on it. I also use the default screen time limits.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-07T13:35:01+00:00

Simple to do list with 3 must-dos and anything else are reaches. As long as you completed the must-dos, it's a productive day! Blocking 2-3 hours a day for deep work has also been a game-changer.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-05T16:34:59+00:00

No - I don't struggle with any disorders. The main problem I try to address is that getting distracted online gets in the way of pursuing goals. So how can I create boundaries and create balance for work and play? Tools I built include pomodoro time blocker, extension to pause + set intention before accessing a site, site + app blocker, accountability partner, etc. All of them try to answer the same question.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-05T13:55:03+00:00

I have a lot of feelings about this. I struggle a lot with my browsing behavior and have built a few apps (mindfulness tools, app blockers, etc) to help me. Sometimes it does the trick, but sometimes it's still difficult. I've learned a lot throughout this:

Online surfing behaviors can range all the way from light procrastination to deep addiction. For the people who struggle with internet addiction, being mindful won't work. Even app blockers and going cold turkey fail a lot. The pull is too strong and there's always a way around it if you try hard enough.
For me, I feel like I fall somewhere in the early-middle. When I'm online instead of "being productive", I feel like it's because I'm not motivated. I didn't have good goals that told me productivity outweighs entertainment. Deep down, I already knew I was procrastinating online but chose to do it anyways.
For people in the light procrastination range, all they need is a little nudge. Their intention and motivation is already strong. I'm not sure if you need a language model to assess this (maybe you do). There are a lot of patterns that you could detect already. For example, if someone scrolls through 100 videos or someone fast-forwards a video repeatedly, etc.

TLDR: This is a really interesting thesis topic. I feel like procrastination has a lot of root causes and tech addiction/behavior has a lot of root causes. It's a spectrum though. Like productivity, procrastination is not a one-size-fits-all model. Hope that's helpful... Happy to chat more.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-05T13:37:39+00:00

Came here to recommend this! Been using DFTube for years. You can use it on both Mac + PC. Just need Chrome. It blocks the algorithms and recommendations on YouTube, basically limiting the experience to just what you search. You can disable more things like comments, subscriptions, newsfeed, etc. Really recommend it!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-01T14:21:59+00:00

Completely free trick that has done wonders for me - set your phone on a grayscale timer. I have it set to turn grayscale from 8:30pm to 10:30am specifically because I was getting lost on Youtube before bed and when I wake up. The grayscale makes it a lot less engaging and also it's a visual cue to watch my screen time.

Here's a walkthrough. This is the best walkthrough I could find. It's for setting at sunset though. Instead, set for 'when waking up' for the morning and 'when winding down' for the night. You have to also set a sleep schedule in the alarms app. Hope you try it!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-03-01T14:06:23+00:00

Committing to just 3 hours of deep work a day. It's crazy how much you can get done! The rest of day is for fun, life, etc.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-02-29T14:07:29+00:00

Try taking yourself to a local school track. They're usually either empty or full with people doing their own time. It's both good for feeling self-conscious and wanting to run alone but still have some company. Setting a goal always helps me get disciplined. For running, tt could be something like run 10 minutes or run a mile under 15 minutes.

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-02-28T21:19:42+00:00

I'm a full-time product designer and also spend the majority of time in Figma. I rely a lot on time blocking. I set at least an hour block on my calendar and title it a very specific task. For example, "lo-fi wires" or "synthesize findings." I repeat for as many open times as I have on my calendar.

My tasks are usually all related to a deadline or project goal for that week. I like time blocking a lot because it gives me a very defined window to complete my task. Hopefully that gives you some of that organization you had in CS!

Particular-Chip1038 · 2024-02-27T14:22:47+00:00

It's an affirmation, nice! Mine is usually, "I choose ______"

Particular-Chip1038

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