Any one else not able to do work during the day?
Posted by st0nksBuyTheDip@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 92 comments
I can't code cause I will get distracted 1392847293847 times. I prefer to carve out 2-3 hours in the evening to get into flow state and get some things done. During the day I procrastinate, have existential crisis, and attend meetings.
Even though I block my calendar for 2 hours in the afternoon to get work done i just can't get myself to. Not sure why it is.
eliminate1337@reddit
Y'all are too quick to jump to ADHD. Being more productive in the evening doesn't mean you have a medical disorder. Constant interruptions harm anyone's productivity. If your job has flexible hours just lean into it. I'll often bring my work phone to the gym or errands and do those in the afternoon and carve out 9-11 PM for coding.
cleatusvandamme@reddit
As someone with ADHD, it sounded like OP had some similarities to myself. So that is why I asked.
redcc-0099@reddit
My SO is diagnosed with ADHD and I have done some reading on it myself; ADHD, Burnout, and Depression have overlapping symptoms from what I've read.
While looking into ADHD isn't a bad idea, I think OP should also look into Burnout, Depression, and anything else their PCP and any other applicable medical professionals can come up with based on what OP describes.
Fantastic-Card-3891@reddit
I know this thread is old, but writing so that if anyone comes across it at any point in the future. Not specifically an an answer for your comment specifically, but tangentially related.
So, I mostly agree with you, but some thoughts (overenthusiastic ADHD-meds-worn-off-for-the-evening ramblings incoming)
ADHD
It is a pretty well known fact that one of the effects/symptoms of ADHD is delayed sleep phase, which auto-adjusts the body clock so that the person with ADHD is more active and productive in the evenings/nights. I would hazard a guess that the lack of interruptions is only a part of the picture.
To the best of our knowledge, this was a genetically favourable trait for early humans (think nighttime security for the tribe), so it has persisted till this day.
However, since the majority of us do not have it, our world is set up for a neurotypical/neurotypical-adjacent brains.
Now, similar sorts of things can also accompany major depression or burnout (or occasionally some other disorders), that is entirely true.
ADHD however usually begins in early childhood (or allegedly already during fetal development), unlike, say… well, any mental disorder. That’s because it isn’t quite your regular mental disorder, but rather a developmental disorder of the prefrontal cortex (neurologists should correct me) which deals with executive functioning.
So if there are no other depressive symptoms nor any/enough other symptoms of (impending) burnout, and this has been a lifelong experience..?
It’s then, and only then, likely to be ADHD. Likely.
Besides - ADHD has its positives. The best engineers I know who come up with the most creative solutions… tend to have ADHD. Some diagnosed, others not yet, and some for whom it may be obvious, but the denial is stronger.
It’s also the only diagnosis with which I’ve never felt uncomfortable sharing it with colleagues (and everyone else). In this industry, of course. No clue about others.
* not a diagnosis, just based on personal, albeit intermittent research into the causes of my own ADHD for a decade or so, so it is definitely biased*
Burnout
But also - if it does turn out to be, well, burnout — everyone should remember one thing, if they feel impostor syndrome gets too much:
Burnout is never a skill issue. Burnout is a management issue.
None of these would be your fault, burnout is mostly a response to a badly managed (working or other) environment and therefore to some degree, it thankfully can be fixable. Just fixing it when you are still in a burnout induced brain fog is impossible.
Depression
If it turns out to be depression, well, depression and ADHD do works very similarly, even on a biochemical level. Just fixable without subjecting yourself to a lifelong stimulant use (though the silver lining being that stimulants’ effects are less noticeable for people with ADHD).
As a sidenote, ADHD + Depression + Burnout (especially when combined with mental or personality disorders) is a miserable experience, but that really is beside the point here.
In conclusion: all three are realistic possible scenarios including any combo, but best to actually get a professional’s opinion.
Good luck! 🩶
^(hope it wasn’t too rambly)
ivancea@reddit
I've been seeing a trend of everybody telling posters that they have ADHD after any kind of problem.
"I don't know how to use a mouse" -> "Yeah, that's probably ADHD"
"I'm bad at programming" -> "ADHD does that, just learn to live with it!"
For God's sake, ADHD went from being undiagnosed, to being used as the escape hatch for everybody
baezizbae@reddit
I sometimes find myself simultaneously glad we’re having more conversations about mental health and neurodivergence out in the open…and a little frustrated with how that same “out in the open” property incidentally enables all sorts of out-of-context diagnoses and pathologizing behaviors that very well might be nothing more than a plain-jane personality habit.
Not trying to shut down the spirit of the conversation or anything, I’m aware this is very likely a “me problem”.
bluetrust@reddit
It's the tech world... if you don't have ADHD or autism, you're practically an outlier.
ObjectiveSlide1116@reddit
Been there, for me a change of scenery does the trick. Try going to the office if you are working from home or vice versa, alternatively you can also try working from a cafe or a public library if you don’t need to take meetings or want to do focused work.
baba-supernova@reddit
Also, consider taking some time off
catch_dot_dot_dot@reddit
I've never understood how people can work from their laptops. I have 2 screens connected and an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. I do wish I could have a change of scenery sometimes though haha. Meetings or reading outside are the best I can do.
tinyfrox@reddit
Once you get used to one monitor, working on your laptop is the same as you're desk, just a little less real estate if you keep your scaling the same.
I value my mobility so much that I keep a consistent workflow for peripherals as well: trackpad instead of mouse even when docked.
You just gotta embrace that cmd/alt+tab life
PsylentKnight@reddit
Except you're likely gonna end up with tech neck from looking down all day every day
Whoz_Yerdaddi@reddit
The neck beard doesn’t help tech neck either.
PiciCiciPreferator@reddit
This can be corrected, if anyone wants to work on it look up "forward head posture" on youtube.
nonasiandoctor@reddit
Trackpad all day would kill my wrist.
tinyfrox@reddit
To each their own. My tendinitis flare ups are rare ever since I converted to track pad only.
hooahest@reddit
Because no one else seemed to write it - whenever I work on my laptop, I make extensive use of the 'virtual desktop' feature. That way I can still have 2+ screens, just not at once.
I also bring my mouse if I'm expecting a long session.
Reverent@reddit
Teach yourself that building an IT palace isn't a gateway to productivity. That goes for both work space and desktop environment. It's a fun distraction at best.
Yeah I work better with a dual monitor setup, but I'm not cutting off my hands just by working from a laptop on a train. I can be flexible that way.
nonasiandoctor@reddit
If I can't have steam locomotive on my terminal I can't work
coloredgreyscale@reddit
There are portable monitors that are connected via USB.
But two big screens are still more comfortable.
aelma_z@reddit
This. I was taking a bike ride to a nearest lake, when its warm, and working outside with fresh air and scenery is so freaking fun
dryiceboy@reddit
I discovered this about myself accidentally. I had to drive a friend if mine around for some medical stuff for a week. I noticed my productivity improve while working in the hospital lobby, random cafes, and other odd places.
slayemin@reddit
The killer of productivity is meetings. “Oh, I got a meeting in an hour? no point in getting immersed in code until after the meeting.” “Oh, I have another meeting an hour after my first meeting? Guess nothing is getting done today…”
_sw00@reddit
Try blocking time in the early morning instead of the afternoon. If you can't code in the afternoon, try leave it open for pairing, meetings, admin.
I have the same problem by the way. After years of struggling adjust to working hours, it's just better to accept that daytime might not be flow time and move your schedule around.
But if you really need to get stuff done, try the Pomodoro technique. But do it seriously: step away in the breaks and use micro-goal setting. Your brain will adapt over time to being productive in spurts instead of long hyper focus sessions. You got this.
dom_optimus_maximus@reddit
+1 for pomodoros. I use some techniques from James Clear about planning my environment by removing distractions, (phone down, inbox closed, headphones with some kind of music that shuts out other sounds, etc. Then, pomodoros 25 on, 5 off. It is a ritual at this point and makes me so much faster when I need to be.
dom_optimus_maximus@reddit
For me its 5:15 am wake up, some light cardio, coffee, breakfast and 4 hours of pomodoros before the rest of my team wakes up. Afternoons are for meetings, dinner prep, code reviews, weightlifting, write a little documentation. Having a scheduled "golden hours" timeframe where the inbox is closed, phone is face down and you are locked in is definitely important. I could see that being the evening for you, its the morning for me. If I work in the evening, my brain starts racing and I am up until 3am.
Wanky_Danky_Pae@reddit
Usually when I find I'm distracted it has to do with organization. Everyday now I literally say screw everybody else - sit down and actually organize every single task, investing one to two hours up front not doing any work whatsoever, just organizing it. Take a little break come back and just crush it and then sit there and ponder the meaning of life for the rest of the day.
SuperSuperKyle@reddit
Yeah, but that's because I work from home and have a toddler so it's interruption after interruption. I work way better around 8-9 PM but that means I'm up until 1 AM and have to get up at 6:30 AM because the kids are getting ready for school.
neuralSalmonNet@reddit
jup, daily struggle, especially with long poorly defined tasks.
Have fun researching ADHD for the next week or two :)
Constant-Listen834@reddit
As someone who’s been diagnosed with bad ADHD since I was a little kid, 90% of my symptoms can be solved by good sleep, diet, low screen time, and exercise.
So maybe OP should start researching how to improve at those first
Goducks91@reddit
The most frustrating thing is those things are all SO hard to do with ADHD lol.
Constant-Listen834@reddit
It took me until my mid to late twenties to finally get it under control
verzac05@reddit
Would I be succumbing to my ADHD if I research about my ADHD instead of doing my actual work? Asking for a friend
malln1nja@reddit
It's part of the journey.
Sunstorm84@reddit
Can confirm.
secretaliasname@reddit
During normal working hours I manage projects and attend to the useless ideas from higher ups. During evenings and sometimes weekends I make technical progress. Things take 7x longer than they should but higher up’s are happy because their ego gets stroked, their ideas get tried and they have updates and meetings happen. It’s toxic and I hate it.
hotplan88@reddit
I have been in the same boat for nearly a year now. So much so that I often think about quitting.
xixtoo@reddit
I feel seen
r0b074p0c4lyp53@reddit
This is why I freelance. I work when the juices are flowing, and do something else when they're not. And this is how productivity works btw, you're not broken. Study after study has proven that the 9-5 thing was great when we all worked in factories, but sucks for deep work.
I find a few hours of deep work early a.m., a 2-3 hour "lunch" break, catching up on convos, meetings and busy work in the afternoon, then deep work again right before bed is my absolute most productive schedule.
Jaded-Reputation4965@reddit
https://www.noidea.dog/glue
You're not alone.
rcls0053@reddit
I'll soon be 37 yo with three kids under 10. Most days of the week I just escape to the office to get some peace and quiet to work, because my kids start coming from school around mid day and the noise level just starts increasing, and distractions are never ending. I timed it one day and didn't get 5 minutes worth of focus time, because someone wanted to fight their brother 1m away from me, or my wife was getting frustrated by something and it just never ends.
To escape the typical notification distraction from work channels, I just end up putting my phone in focus mode that kills all notifications, and quit Slack. People have my phone number in cases of emergencies.
But in the evenings I can't even see straight I try to open my IDE at around 8-9PM and I can't even focus my vision on the code, because my brain is so fried from the day.
kaystar101@reddit
No way you ALL have ADHD. Jesus Christ just because you’re a bit of a night owl and have a 1000 distractions during the day doesn’t mean you have ADHD
theharsay@reddit
Are those people bots in this comment section?
Those could also be symptoms of working in a bad environment.
gfivksiausuwjtjtnv@reddit
People saying ADHD meds but IMO they don’t tackle task avoidance.
On meds I just wind up hyperfocusing on some other bullshit. Unless I do various things to try and start the task I don’t want to do.
I have ADHD but also burnt out severely / maybe depression / stopped exercising regularly and it has badly fucked with my ability to do things.
ZuzuTheCunning@reddit
My productivity tanks about 1PM as well. It only resumes after 4PM. That's when I try to schedule most of my meetings.
The 9-5 schedule is not a one size fits all, but standardization treats it like it is. Chill, if you can afford it, indulge in a siesta or something. That's totally normal.
supercargo@reddit
Yup, been there, it’s time for a changeup. For me it was working early mornings, I’d log in at 5:30 AM, do some actual technical work, take the kids to school and then everything would start to go to shit starting with 9am standup. The nice thing was that as 3pm rolled around I’d be hitting my 8 hour day so just sign-off and chill.
random2048assign@reddit
Same here, I suspect I have some level of adhd and my lack of focus is causing work to spill over into my “family time” affecting personal life
PhilosopherNo2640@reddit
I work some on the weekend because of this. I don't usually have deadlines that require weekend work, but it's helpful if I can spend a couple hours looking thru some complicated challenges without interruption.
valkon_gr@reddit
Yes but since I find working for other extremely boring (this is how my brain is wired I can't fight it) I will work at night because the looming failure gives me adrenaline.
Jumpy_Weakness_3912@reddit
I have the same, try to get up quite early in the morning e.g. 7 and see how the body reacts. you can also try to trick your mind and do not move the blinds in the window. such night mode during the day helped me a lot. block yourself all sites like twitter tiktok shorts, etc. but not for the time of work but forever
Comprehensive-Pea812@reddit
music helps.
maybe adhd, maybe you need a specific trigger to get into the zone
Dreadmaker@reddit
Is it constant? Or does it come and go?
For me, that sort of thing absolutely comes and goes, and it’s a signal to me that I’m not engaged in the work I’m doing in some way. Maybe I’m not invested in it, maybe I think it’s smaller than it is, maybe I don’t fully understand it. But usually, the end result is that I just don’t want to be doing what I’m currently doing, and that manifests in a whole lot of procrastination.
There’s a big contrast there for what happens when I like what I’m working on and have my head fully around it. Typically that’s a place where I’m on the ball and can easily multitask, meetings don’t actually interrupt that much in the end, and it’s typically going to be efficient and fast to do.
Think about the work that you’re doing. Do you actually like it? Do you actually understand what you’re supposed to be doing? Are the requirements clear? Maybe the lack of focus and ease of distraction are just warning signs for those other things, and clearing up ambiguity might help. Or, seeing if you can find a way to inject something you enjoy into the thing you don’t.
random-user-57@reddit
This is currently me 🙁
ad_irato@reddit
Check if you have adult adhd. I did.
Local-Explanation-29@reddit
What helps me is to work when I'm actually productive. I have a quite flexible remote job. I've found long ago that I'm most productive between 8 and 11am, and then from 4 to 8pm so I usually take 3h lunch breaks (I still get some 'unproductive' hours but during those I try to have meetings or do some mentally stimulating tasks if I can find some). During lunch breaks usually I go to the gym, take my time there (also to relax mentally, it's like meditation to me) and then have my lunch back home while listening to audio books. I also use an app called 'Freedom' to block distracting apps like youtube,instagram during the day (until 8pm), otherwise I could spend hours watching reels/shorts and then feel miserable.
lildrummrr@reddit
Some days are worse than others! Today was good for me - had a good flow going and got a lot done during work. A lot of it depends on my mood I think. When I don’t sleep enough, for example, my brain feels very scattered.
Time_Trade_8774@reddit
Block your calendar. It’s linked with my Slack as well so people know not to message me.
Works well. I typically do 2-3x a week for 3-4 hours . Works like a charm.
sepych1981@reddit
For me what has helped, is to write down three todos I need to accomplish during a day. When I cross out all daily todos I feel the progress. Moving jira ticket to "resolved" is not the same.
cleatusvandamme@reddit
By any chance, have you checked to see if you have ADHD? This sounds like me and I got assessed a while back.
Yamitz@reddit
I also struggle with this and also have been diagnosed with ADHD. I got off the meds because I (and my PCP) didn’t like what they were doing to my heart rate and if I took breaks from the meds I’d end up sleeping for a whole day.
Sock-Familiar@reddit
I stopped taking my Adderall because I hated the way it made me feel. I couldn’t eat, had trouble sleeping, and just overall felt like an emotionless zombie every day. Id rather be less productive than deal with the side effects everyday.
Yamitz@reddit
I liked not ever wanting to eat, but it also made me impulse shop a lot more.
The big thing for me was I felt like I was taking all of my free time on Sunday and redistributing it through the week as extra focus, and the trade wasn’t worth it.
Froot-Loop-Dingus@reddit
I don’t need meds to not eat. Today I pushed myself too much and literally sat at my desk from 9:30-3:55 plugged in. Where I took only a 5 min break to heat something up and eat for the first time that day and be at a meeting by 4.
I often hyperfocus and find myself realizing it is 2 or 3pm and I haven’t eaten anything yet.
Other days I will struggle to get anything started.
I’m not diagnosed but my wife is and she often tells me I should get tested
Yamitz@reddit
You can get tested without making any changes to your lifestyle. I think the healthy part is just understanding how your body works and being able to work with it instead of against it.
Honestly if I could reliably get into hyper focus mode I’d be so happy. As I get older it’s getting harder.
Froot-Loop-Dingus@reddit
So that’s what’s been piquing my interest lately. I’m almost 39 and I think I’m finally burning out. I relied on the crutch of my intelligence for a long time (it feels so smarmy to call yourself intelligent but it is what it is for this conversation).
I skated through HS with a 3.9 GPA. Continued skating through my first year of college. Then all of a sudden things got a bit harder. I realized I didn’t have the skills to study. My new found weed and World of Warcraft addiction didn’t help as I started failing classes due to basically not even showing up.
Eventually I got my shit together and graduated and got a programming job at a credit union. I quickly got to speed and was producing way more than the dinosaurs that worked there.
I moved on to a big bank, and then to Silicon Valley at a FinTech company. First couple years there were a breeze because I was engaged and interested.
These days? I honestly have a hard time getting out of bed before 10. I’m constantly doom scrolling on my phone. I basically rely on a sprint coming down to 2-3 days where I can tap into this hyper focus. But I don’t get to choose when those days occur and if I get pulled into other things on my hyperfocus days I become really irritable.
I guess what I’m saying is tapping into that hyper focus is becoming more and more elusive as I get older and I am exploring why that is.
blingmaster009@reddit
Your PCP is not qualified for adhd meds. If you used a certain medicine which elevated your heart rate , then you ask your psychiatrist to use a different medication. Without a medication that works for you, focusing will be impossible.
Yamitz@reddit
My PCP is definitely qualified to know when an elevated heart rate could pose long term risks. And it was her, my psychiatrist, and me who decided to stop stimulants and focus on strategies.
GaryAir@reddit
I’ve also been diagnosed and recently stopped the meds. Any advice or strategies you’d like to share besides the obvious diet; sleep, & exercise?
Yamitz@reddit
I think the big ones for me are all around getting through the first 5-10 minutes of something until I get hooked.
Organization is another huge one but so personal it’s hard to recommend how to do it.
blingmaster009@reddit
I said your pcp is not qualified for adhd meds not heart rate. Get a better psychiatrist as its normal to try different types of medications before settling on one that the patient can tolerate and finds helpful.
Your attitude may also be a problem.
Yamitz@reddit
I was originally going to just say that I didn’t like what they did to my heart rate but knew someone was going to jump on me for it.
I’m extremely lucky that I make enough money to be able to pay for a concierge PCP and a separate psychiatrist so that I can have a healthcare team. It was genuinely a joint decision between the three of us and we’re all happy with the outcome.
There are definitely cases of people getting inadequate mental health help from their PCP, but this isn’t it.
ClydePossumfoot@reddit
That’s not how it works at all for a lot of ADHD people taking stimulants from their PCP.
PCPs don’t often diagnose ADHD, but they are perfectly capable of prescribing stimulants, titrating doses, and trying different medications.
A lot of us can’t actually get in at a psychiatrist in any reasonable amount of time.
Plc4MyHead@reddit
PCPs are in fact qualified to diagnose and treat ADHD. Psychiatrists are preferred, but the healthcare system is overloaded and demand for stimulants have only increased so PCPs have started to pick up the slack.
zninjamonkey@reddit
Not necrolepsy?
Yamitz@reddit
Adderall crash is a pretty common thing, and I’d get mine on Sundays if I took a break from the meds over the weekend.
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/adderall-crash/
too_much_think@reddit
Adhd.
huskerdev@reddit
Nope. I sure as hell don’t work in the evenings. lol
imscaredtousemyname@reddit
Look into pair programming. If changing jobs is an option, look into companies that rely on this technique: https://github.com/FionaVoss/we-pair
Your attention issues, lack of productivity, and low self-esteem will be replaced with collaboration, productivity, camaraderie and joy…not exaggerating
ZhuangZhe@reddit
This is exactly my current working model. I talk to people during the day, I talk to computers at night.
EvilCodeQueen@reddit
I've been fighting with this for years. I'm never productive before noon, and my most productive time is always evening, which doesn't mesh with having any kind of family life.
posthubris@reddit
Yup. Solution for me was to do urgent work from 8-10A such as responding to emails, PRs, code review etc then spend the next 3 hours exercising and having lunch. By 1P I’m physically drained but mentally in the zone and can code like a maniac until around 6p.
NeedSleep10hrs@reddit
Nap in morning and at work.
CallousBastard@reddit
Nope. I can focus like a laser and easily block out all distractions, starting from 6 AM in the morning. But by 4 PM I'm brain-dead.
CallousBastard@reddit
Nope. I can focus like a laser and easily block out all distractions, starting from 6 AM in the morning. But by 4 PM I'm brain-dead.
dungeonHack@reddit
I, too, discovered I had ADHD after succeeding in software engineering.
dMyst@reddit
I will say don’t overwork as it is not worth it. You are there for a paycheck and you are fully replaceable. Unless you are grinding for a promotion or something. I’ve noticed a lot of junior engineers burning the midnight oil which is sad unless you are genuinely happy to do it — quick way to burn out.
Also, make sure you are sleeping enough as you might be just too exhausted to be productive during the day, which is a vicious never-ending cycle if you don’t address it.
shifty303@reddit
You're about to get fired from my team. Hopefully you aren't that person lol.
The primary reason is cobstantly leaving team members hanging waiting for your features. Leaving high priority PBIs until the end of the sprint and carrying them over to the next. Overinflating the effort on small tasks that take a few hours and everyone knows it.
skidmark_zuckerberg@reddit
I have ADHD and procrastinate sometimes during the day. Some days it’s worse than others. And occasionally I get hyper focused and do days worth of work from 9:30-4:30. I usually use the subtle anxiety as a motivator. Deadlines and promises to others to get X or Y done. I just go with the flow though. I deliver, performance reviews are good and no one has complained.
I hate working past 5pm, so I force myself to work during the day when I don’t feel like it. Some days it’s more than others as I’ve said - but I’d rather work during the day and have my free time.
arsenal11385@reddit
you forgot to add that you obviously doomscroll reddit (confirmed in this post)
dnult@reddit
It happens and some days / weeks are worse than others.
When I get in that mode, I put on headphones and listen to music. It helps me tune out the world and get into the zone.
I also schedule appointments with 2hr blocks of time for myself to help discourage impromptu meetings and drive-bys. I do this at least twice per week (if possible).
I also use the Do Not Disturb feature of our chat app (Teams) to discourage folks hunting and pouncing.
Besides all this, sometimes I need a nature walk before I can work with a clear head.
gemengelage@reddit
How's your sleep? What's your caffeine consumption? How often do you exercise?
I have the same issue, sometimes to a ridiculous extent. Might be ADHD related. What helps me is to reduce caffeine, do lots of cardio and try to sleep better. Doesn't fix the problem, but it gives me a fighting chance.
The thing is that I'm usually under a lot of stress and pressure and whenever I'm in a slump, I know that I need to slow down and focus on these things to get going again.
kenflingnor@reddit
I’m on the east coast and most of my company is on the west coast or in mountain time, so 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM is when I can get some serious flow going.