Coder’s Eye

What is your most productive dash/break schedule? I mean, when you are at your peak “flow” level, or more likely when you are trying to evoke your flow, what schedule do you use?

I’ve been thinking about this and experimenting a bit lately. It is a tough one to optimize since there are so many variables involved.

I’ve read people suggesting 35 minutes on/5 minutes off. That doesn’t work for me for anything other than getting small stuff done. If I have a stack of things to do, all moderately related, then that schedule is pretty effective. Just put your head down and plow through, lifting for a breath every half hour or so. But it is not effective for programming or creative work.

I need a longer period to get into it. It seems to take about a half hour to get the juices flowing. Less earlier in the morning or if I am very high-energy. More after a meal, especially a heavy one.

So, watching myself over the last few months, I think my most productive periods are in spurts of two or three hours, with a half hour break between them. The break is preferably something physical and non computer related.

After two or three such productivity sprints, I need a real break. That’s when I like to play ping-pong, do some gardening, or clean the house for a while (as a last resort).

I’d love to hear what other people think works best for them.

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