I use timers constantly. I call my personal rule "There is no later". If I have a thought like "When X i will do Y" or "In ten minutes I will X", I just treat it as near impossible feat like juggling balls on a tightrope unicycle. I've seen people do it, but I don't have any idea how, and I'm certainly not going to make plans as if I knew how to do it.
I pretend that information cannot be transmitted across time except by machines, living things are mind-reset by Cthulhu at random intervals in a manner only studied at Miskatonic University.
I call my "timer" a "nagger" and use it via a shell nagme() function. Takes care of certain ADHD traits which were previously causing "refocusing" during unpleasant tasks, like emptying the washing machine (half or less clothes would go to the dryer and half would stay in the washing machine while I'd switch to other task). I learned to only turn off the nagger after completing a task and it works.
It's used not just for time-sensitive tasks but also not to over-engineer stuff during hyperfocus.
nagme () {
[ "$#" -ne 2 ] && printf "usage: $0 [in_minutes] [text]\n" && return 1
printf "sleeping $1 min before telling you to $2\n"
sleep $(echo $1\*60|bc)
espeak "$2" > /dev/null 2>&1
while :
do
sleep 30
echo -n '.'
espeak "I'm nagging you to $2" > /dev/null 2>&1
done
}
This reminds me of a feature I had enabled on my previous computer but hadn't enabled on my current one yet: having MacOS announce the time on the hour. Sometimes it would scare the crap out of me, but it was effective at breaking me out of the periodic trance state that's so easy to fall into. I think I'll enable that again...
I despise church bells. Hourly is bad enough but every 15 minutes? Imagine if any other entity decided they could just blast their theme song loud enough for the entire town to hear every 15 minutes. There’d be immediate uprising.
I grew up living next to a convent, and the nuns who lived there had a bell that would be rung every hour.
After moving away from that house I would sleep incredibly badly, and I always wondered if I was waking throughout the night "surprised" at the absence of the bell, which I'd otherwise heard every day of my life.
Which type do you recommend? The two combos I had bought generally didn't work: they could only dry a very very limited load (less than a half). A standalone dryer turned out much more effective.
> Our family just bought a new washing machine and dryer. We didn’t have a very good one so we spent a little time looking at them. It turns out that the Americans make washers and dryers all wrong. … We’d get around to that old washer-dryer discussion. And the talk was about design. We ended up opting for these Miele appliances, made in Germany. … They are really wonderfully made and one of the few products we’ve bought over the last few years that we’re all really happy about. These guys really thought the process through. They did such a great job designing these washers and dryers. I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years.”
As a professional laundry engineer, I second this notion. If I'd buy Miele for our 24/7 80ton/month laundry plant, - I'd expect it (with tech on site) to start breaking up on start of 3rd year. With every other brand they start by start of 2nd year. The problem with them isn't the price (5x the usual) but how they lock up every little replacement part and force you to pay for service for everything.
I have one, and it’s an excellent machine (15 years old, no sign of wearing out), but the dryer is fairly lacklustre. It can only dry about half a full washing load, but I suspect that’s just physics: however much a machine can dry, it can wash more.
We air-dry everything anyway, so it’s not a problem for us, but I wouldn’t want one somewhere that relied on machine-drying a lot.
we generally have more space in the US than Europe/Asia so we don't need it and having them split means you can do more loads of laundry at once if you're the type to do all your laundry in one day.
Also early ones were much more failure prone and harder to work on (though manufacturers have pretty much abandoned that metric for consumer machines these days anyways unless you're spending lots extra for it).
Quite similar to what I wrote a few days ago to remind me when my water should be boiling. Decided to use swaynag(1) since my sound could be on mute or speakers off:
Off topic, but just wanted to say I love the way this guy has repurposed a github repo to be a blog. One of the most effective integration of aesthetics and functionality of minimalism I've seen.
In a similar vein, the developer of BYTEPATH used to use Github issues as their blog. I also thought it was clever. You even get a commenting and reaction system for free!
Funny, I was thinking that the only disadvantage of the previous example is that you don't get any feedback from comments.
The ability to label your "posts" seems pretty powerful too. Then your blog can be navigated by your tagging system, which means it can also start to act as a personal wiki...
Taking a break from work and just going for a walk/bike ride in a forest or visiting some interesting place while traveling and working remotely often gave me really great ideas that helped me to solve problems at hand much faster than sitting in an office, fighting with a problem. Like what would take me a week to solve was often done in a day when changing scenery.
Former colleagues told me about a guy who went fishing on a lake and got an idea how to solve some distributed system problem there, then came back, wrote a system using water level, bubbles and fish names and called it an aquarium or something. It worked well for the next decade.
"The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr, I found it an interesting read, "As he describes how human thought has been shaped through the centuries by “tools of the mind”—from the alphabet to maps, to the printing press, the clock, and the computer"
This reminds me of one of my personal rules... Whenever I turn on the dishwasher, I always set the delay for at least 1 hour (the smallest delay my dishwasher offers).
This is for a similar reason given in the github explanation -- even when I think I'm done, I almost always find one more cup or utensil that I missed.
I just turn it on, and if anything else comes up afterwards, I just open it mid-cycle and put it in. Missing out on the first five minutes of the washing cycle likely won’t make much of a difference.
I used to set my laundry to run so that when I got up in the morning it would be ready to hang or run through the dryer. When my old machine broke the landlord replaced it with this garbage Beko that locks the door during the delay period. Such a small, and yet profoundly stupid design decision that completely changes the way I use the machine in the negative.
Yes, also if you ever run into an issue that is stumping you for more than 30 minutes, take a breather. Guaranteed the solution will come to you while you calm down or you'll come back and it'll come to you. Don't let yourself spend hours on a problem frustrated, it just makes solving it harder.
In the context of the joke, the punchline is "Multiple timers!? Apple, hire this man!" This line implies that the speaker is impressed by the fact that Android devices have the ability to set multiple timers simultaneously, while Apple devices do not have this feature or may have limited timer functionality.
Timers are great, I've been using them for more and more things lately. I still want to make a proper server-backed app one day that syncs any timers between devices though. I often enable them in my phone but then put it away when working on something on my PC and the widget in the app would be a good idea. Maybe even a plugin for my editor!
I buy packs of old school stop watches from amazon. They are practically disposable.
There is something really nice about having the timer disconnected from all other usability as a separate device and at the same time not having to care if it is lost or damaged.
May I ask how it you use it? I skimmed their site and it looks like they provide time tracking software for when you are actually doing something, but what I'm looking for is more a page with many "kitchen timers" ticking down all the time and doing a programmable action when they reach zero.
That's definitely wrong. The "r" glyph has no top-right curve or serif, whereas Typewalk Mono 1915 has an exaggerated curve. The photos' s glyphs have open apertures, but Typewalk has closed apertures (curled-in stroke ends).
this is seriously true. if I’m trying to solve a problem, getting nowhere, then I go the toilet or get something to eat, very often when I sit back down a solution will just appear in my head. do not underestimate your subconscious
If I understand correctly, they are used for differently but rely on the same principle; using a time to delimitate a task (in this case, to delimitate reflexion time).
I was actually thinking on using org pomodoro for implementing this.
It's close enough. Half the benefit of pomodoro is training your brain to quantify the passage of time in reality, vs what it feels like in your head. Only then can you begin to reliaby estimate how long it'll take to do complete tasks.
I know a few people who seem to always be in negative moods... and when I learn about them, it appears, that basically every waking moment of their lives, there is _some_ form of... signal just being beamed directly into their brain. Whether it's all day long with headphones on playing music, or podcasts, or TV.
It's bonkers to me. I resolve so many of my own issues just... staring out the window, or staring at the ceiling.
I get that people are different, and we all have our different ways of going about things, but I just cannot imagine it is healthy to not let your brain "breathe" a bit sometimes.
I mostly sit with my noise cancelling headphones on, with no sound. And lately, I'm just moving towards not having them on at all when I'm not in meetings.
It's wonderful. There's a reason "silence is golden" after all. I actually still find classical music a bit distracting a lot of times even. A lot of the newer composers especially are particularly discordant.
This is the exact opposite of my experience. As a chronically depressed person, my inner voice is pretty much my enemy. I listen to podcasts to drown it out. I mostly listen to podcasts that soothe me, that I have no need to listen to every word that’s said. This works even when I listen to a podcast with hosts’ banter I enjoy on such a low volume I can’t follow what’s being said, at all. I do this quite often, in fact. I listen to podcasts, when I’m not working, probably 75% of the time. I estimate it’s improved my mood by a similar percentage.
I need to be very tired to just stare out the window. Get fidgety and somehow anxious.
But a motorcycle ride or a nice drive? Even doing the dishes? Now we’re talking! The mind and body are occupied in a mostly autonomus task so the rest of your brain can process and digest. It’s great.
Dare I say I almost enjoy doing chores now.
Another great option for me is boxing. For those 3 minutes in the ring, you are _not_ thinking about anything else. Whether you like it or not, your mind clears and focuses and only the sparring partner exists. It’s great.
You can get that level of focus on a motorcycle, but that gets a little dangerous for my taste. Maybe I should try going to a track.
Sorry to be that guy, but IME the fidgety & anxious feeling is almost always some need in one’s life that is being unmet. If you sit with that feeling it often becomes clear exactly what the source is.
YMMV especially if you’ve experienced some serious trauma.
If you’re interested in doing this, but find it hard to sit it the feelings, consider trying Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which involves investigating the root of your feelings within your mind.
It’s best to do DBT with a professional, but there’s a large community of DIY DBT practitioners out there. [1]
If your unable to investigate the source of some feelings (e.g. because your brain shuts down when you interrogate them) there is a new-ish practice for detangling your thoughts without all the interpersonal unpleasantness of Talk Therapy (that doesn’t mean it won’t be unpleasant in it’s own way).
It’s called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Again, working with a professional is best, but it’s possible to be successful with a DIY approach. [2]
Disclaimer: I’m not a professional in any form of health, mental or otherwise. I’m just a happy self-administered DBT & EMDR patient :)
Nice glad that works for you. My language was vague because the unease can come from a lot of different things. Needing exercise or food, being mad about something that happened, processing loss (of family or a job), wanting to connect or reconnect with someone, having ideas for a project I’d like to get going on are a few examples of things that have cone up for me.
In my experience, sitting with the feelings pretty reliably leads to panic spiraling. I just don't think my brain is as capable of pulling back a level as yours seems to be. And I'm not sure how to change that.
You have to keep going. You must endure and let your brain process, and learn to relax and exist in a non-stimulated state. Facebook and Tik-tok have fried our brains so much that sitting in silence for 30 minutes is painful because we are used to constant dopamine.
Try going on walks, doing guided meditations, leaving your phone in another room and reading a book for 30 minutes. You'll find your brain slowly relax, think more creatively and in a more coherent fashion. It's painful at first, but it's the most important thing you can do.
Not an endorsement, but you could look into Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Similar to CBT but a lot of it centers around learning to notice and accept negative feelings without spiraling. Rather than trying to avoid the thoughts, it’s about accepting them and still taking positive _action_ regardless.
FWIW I am diagnosed ADHD (from childhood) and the whole thing that got me to start sitting with the fidgety feeling is the calmness that came out of the first time I sat for 10 minutes felt identical to the effect of stimulant medications for treating my symptoms.
I completely agree with some form of exercise or activity that is not supplemented by audio or anything else. Go for a walk and leave your phone at home. Turn off your car audio. I love to drive with the heater blasting and all the windows down in the winter time. Focus combined with spacial awareness makes me feel very alive.
I gave up the moto when my wife and I started trying for a kid, and this is by far the thing I miss most about it. Instant mental clarity on demand. I bike a lot now but the lower stakes mean it's not quite the same.
> I mostly sit with my noise cancelling headphones on, with no sound. And lately, I'm just moving towards not having them on at all when I'm not in meetings.
I find it very difficult to sit in complete silence. It's as if the silence exerts some pressure on me. But I've recently discovered brown noise and it works wonderfully well for me.
I find that if I need to be "attentive" then having something going on helps. For me it is podcasts while driving. Having nothing noise my mind tends to wander which isn't always ideal because my focus should still be on the road despite engaging my brain with passive knowledge.
But for the rest of your comments? I agree wholeheartedly. I used to have the headphones in walking dogs, listening to podcasts, but I've stopped doing that and find the time outside far more relaxing, because that is time I should let my mind wander and venture. At work? Music to fill the voids, but I mute it if I'm trying to roll over some sort of problem in my head. Other strategies such as leaving the desk or using physical mediums (writing / sketching problems in notebooks) help too, but that's not really where we're at in this discussion.
Ultimately I think people need to just be aware that how they troubleshoot and relax won't be the same as another's. But it takes discomfort and experimentation to find what works for you too. Try podcasts where you would use music. Try the opposite. Try nothing where you would try something. Find what helps, and always be willing to re-test with new/old atmospheres.
I was in the same boat. I subconsciously reached for ways to distract my mind whenever it didn't have something to occupy itself with.
- When I was doing the dishes, I would immediately put a podcast on
- When I was waiting for my kid's music lesson, I would immediately grab a book to read
- When I was eating, I would always turn the TV on
- When I was sitting on the couch, to supposedly rest, I would put a music record on and I would also reach for my mobile phone to "catch up" or text a friend
- When I lie to bed, I immediately would grab my phone to browse HN
I realized that these were harmful habits that I subconsciously formed as a way to distract my mind from other thoughts that were causing stress and anxiety.
These days I'm more mindful about this and I try to just sit there by myself and just be. Kinda like meditation.
After a couple of months I felt my brain is completely fried from that information overflow.
Now I don't even put my earbuds, unless I'm in a very noisy area and I need to focus on a work task.
I'd say what you describe is an active form of meditation. I do that now when swimming, walking, or simply having a coffee in the morning and looking at the ocean.
I've been switching back to classical music more and more for this reason. For me it fades into background like white noise. Slightly related, but one of my favorite ways to exercise for many years has been Jiu-Jitsu. It forces presence in the exact moment, which for me triggers a mind flush. When I get done training I often immediately see solutions to problems I had been exploring.
Finally, there is a fairly new book that suggests to stop listening to things at all waking hours, "STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World".
classical music is great! I started with piano sonatas and now able to enjoy piano and violin concerts. Highly recommend Roon/Qobuz combo for streaming classical
People don’t know what they are like at equilibrium, so when something affects them they do not know the source. By constantly filling your self, you cannot be sure of the source. When filling yourself of podcasts, of food, of low-entropy words, of wine, of cheap books, of easy sights, of leisure, of wine, of coffee, etc. — when filling yourself of all these different things, it’s hard to know your literal self, because it’s being fluctuated nearly every second of the day.
That’s funny. Still, I think it’s more that the “obvious” optimal (fill up your day with productive tasks) is actually non-optimal, which is an important and useful fact to consider and share.
I don't know if it's a purely modern thing but quietness is I think straight up perceived as uncomfortable by a lot of people now. Had a conversation recently with someone saying that they can't have a meal without having something on in the background, and in conversations too people are very hung up about avoiding silence.
it's really underdiscussed how averse people seem to just contemplation.
>it's really underdiscussed how averse people seem to just contemplation.
Another observation I've made is that the more time people spend consuming information, the more they feel compelled to talk. It's as if humans are programmed to share the information they've gathered. I'm certain that in the past, people eagerly listened if you had new information, but these days, everyone is constantly collecting new information. It seems like everyone wants to share/talk, yet no one wants to listen.
Agreed, and if you combine silence with physical movement (aka go for a walk or hike) the benefits of both are amplified.
So many brilliant men in history are known for having walking routines. I'm not going so far as to say walking made them brilliant, but I do think it's likely it contributed to them being able to maintain the physical and mental health needed to be able to think deeply and communicate their thoughts to others.
100% agree. I used to have podcasts or an audiobook on to listen to while I was doing 'boring' tasks but I found it was just causing my brain to work overtime and drained me of mental energy so quickly.
Now I just enjoy the sound of silence. Sometimes I may put on some music quietly to drown out another background noise but always something I know well so that my brain knows it and doesn't spend time or energy processing it for the 1000th time. I've found it can be any music providing I know it well enough.
I actually listen to fewer podcasts now because of it but I am much happier about that as I seriously began to worry about how my brain needed constant stimulation.
I was unable to just be still in silence.
I worry a lot of us are just overloading our brains with constant stimulation leading to faster burnout and mental health issues but that is a conversation for another day!
Exactly, i agree. But i also fight with the idea that there might be some extra wisdom if i just keep scrolling a little bit longer. Maybe if i close now I'll miss out on the most important part
I went through a "productivity" phase where I tried to listen to podcasts every day at 1.5x speed or more to be more efficient... it did not last long.
I pretend that information cannot be transmitted across time except by machines, living things are mind-reset by Cthulhu at random intervals in a manner only studied at Miskatonic University.