December 3, 2010 at 8:41 am
...to add on to my earlier post. If I'm not in the zone and rolling on a great thought I think it's natural for the mind to wander if not captivated in deep thought. So instead of being distracted by a conversation over the wall, or the voices in my head, or the random thought, I think it's better to have music going so I don't get sucked into those other things that can become a greater distraction.
December 3, 2010 at 8:45 am
In the office, my headphones and tunes help me keep my sanity. When I work at home, I don't need music. It's quiet and peaceful with very few interruptions from my family. I actually get a lot more accomplished in 8 hours at home than I do in two to three times that # of hours in the office.
I have found that trying out new artists while coding does not work. If the music has lyrics, then I need to have those lyrics memorized. Otherwise, my brain is spinning trying to figure out the new beat, learn the new lyrics, analyze the song, decide whether or not I like it, etc. You get the picture.
Familiar tunes help me drown out the distractions of the slamming of the conference room door, the co-workers who insist on using speaker phone, the co-worker who should be a character on "The Office", etc.
December 3, 2010 at 9:08 am
I'm a rather noisy office environment due to sitting near the help desk with the accompanying phone conversations and ringing phones. Therefore, I find solace in listening to classical music or instrumental movie soundtracks. Radios with commercials, speech, audiobooks, TV, or songs with lyrics are rather distracting to me.
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December 3, 2010 at 9:10 am
Red Stapler (12/3/2010)
I have found that trying out new artists while coding does not work. If the music has lyrics, then I need to have those lyrics memorized. Otherwise, my brain is spinning trying to figure out the new beat, learn the new lyrics, analyze the song, decide whether or not I like it, etc. You get the picture.Familiar tunes help me drown out the distractions of the slamming of the conference room door, the co-workers who insist on using speaker phone, the co-worker who should be a character on "The Office", etc.
Agreed. Listening to new music with lyrics distracts me too. If I'm just doing some support tasks (i.e. button pushing) then its fine. But if I really need to focus then old faves or instrumentals work better for me. In my current job about half the developers here have big noise cancelling headphones to drown out those "Office" characters that you mentioned. The headphones are multi-purpose, first they block noise from other's conversations, second they give you enjoyable music and third they tell others "leave me alone, I'm REALLY busy!". Sadly, I've actually worn mine with no music on just to keep others from bothering me.
December 3, 2010 at 9:11 am
Aaron N. Cutshall (12/3/2010)
Radios with commercials, speech, audiobooks, TV, or songs with lyrics are rather distracting to me.
I made the mistake of listening to an audiobook once while working. I think I got about 3 hrs of work done that day! :laugh:
December 3, 2010 at 9:16 am
At work I definitely need the headphones because of the cubicle farm that I am planted in (everybody is so close and LOUD). I listen primarily to air1.com and Pandora. Just enough volume to drown them all out. 😀
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December 3, 2010 at 9:18 am
Kenneth Wymore (12/3/2010)Sadly, I've actually worn mine with no music on just to keep others from bothering me.
Don't feel that you're alone in that practice!!:-P
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December 3, 2010 at 9:19 am
My office is in a warehouse building, and there's very little soundproofing between the warehouse and the front office. There is machinery constantly running just the other side of the wall, and a pretty steady stream of forklifts driving around (horns at each intersection, reverse beeping, etc.). My next door neighbor in cube-land has no clue what a library voice is, carries on conversations over the cube walls no matter how many times she's been told not to, makes calls on speakerphone, and is in a position where she can't wear headphones so has her radio on just loud enough that I can hear it without making out exactly what I'm hearing.
I tend to hit sensory overload very quickly, and sound that I'm not controlling does it a thousand times faster than anything else. When I'm being bombarded by all of this noise, I usually need to work with my headphones on or I can't focus on what I'm supposed to be doing.
The type of music is dictated by my mood, but it generally has to be something I've listened to enough that I can ignore the lyrics. There are times when even that is too much and I have to leave the office just to get my brain to spin down from the overload, but most of the time, I've got the iPod going with anything from TV shows or audiobooks that I've seen/listened to a billion times to classical-instrumental to techno to folk to...
Jennifer Levy (@iffermonster)
December 3, 2010 at 9:21 am
Red Stapler (12/3/2010)
I have found that trying out new artists while coding does not work. If the music has lyrics, then I need to have those lyrics memorized. Otherwise, my brain is spinning trying to figure out the new beat, learn the new lyrics, analyze the song, decide whether or not I like it, etc. You get the picture.
That's a good point. I think the reason I can listen to something with words is that I already know what's being said and it doesn't attract my attention. At the same time, there are a couple of Oscar Peterson songs I can't listen to because his solos are so incredible I can't ignore them. If you skip to the 3:20 mark of this video, you'll hear what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAUFK5ahiAc.
December 3, 2010 at 9:21 am
I absolutely can not have music playing, especially verbal which causes me to go off into lah lah land, when I am working on something requiring me to concentrate and stay focused at work.
But I also can not handle silence. So I choose to run a fan at my desk for white noise, which is soothing to me and blocks out other distractions.
December 3, 2010 at 9:23 am
Jennifer Levy (12/3/2010)
My office is in a warehouse building, and there's very little soundproofing between the warehouse and the front office. There is machinery constantly running just the other side of the wall, and a pretty steady stream of forklifts driving around (horns at each intersection, reverse beeping, etc.).
Sounds like a good case for working from home! I thought working in a call center was bad enough with the noise.
December 3, 2010 at 9:23 am
Aaron N. Cutshall (12/3/2010)
Kenneth Wymore (12/3/2010)Sadly, I've actually worn mine with no music on just to keep others from bothering me.
Don't feel that you're alone in that practice!!:-P
Even more sadly, when I have my headphones on, it doesn't keep people from bugging me. Maybe I need something a bit more obvious, like the ones in the picture for this editorial.
Jennifer Levy (@iffermonster)
December 3, 2010 at 9:25 am
Yep, done the same
December 3, 2010 at 9:26 am
Jennifer Levy (12/3/2010)
My next door neighbor in cube-land has no clue what a library voice is, carries on conversations over the cube walls no matter how many times she's been told not to, makes calls on speakerphone, and is in a position where she can't wear headphones so has her radio on just loud enough that I can hear it without making out exactly what I'm hearing.
Yes, don't you just love folks like that? I really don't want to be involved in their conversations (usually over speakerphone) or hear "funny stories" told to various other colleagues for the umpteenth time.:crazy:
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December 3, 2010 at 9:26 am
Anyone who says that coding while listening to political talk radio makes them more productive has to be lying or is just fooling themselves.
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