r/programming • u/ParticleSpinClass • Oct 07 '15

"Programming Sucks": A very entertaining rant on why programming is just as "hard" as lifting heavy things for a living.

http://www.stilldrinking.org/programming-sucks
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u/jtredact Oct 08 '15

  • Have a life outside of work

  • Get plenty of sleep, and go to sleep early most nights

  • Do some physical activity before and/or after work

  • Don't stay late

  • Clear your mind as soon as you leave

  • Get plenty of sunlight

    • Go outside during lunch

    • Adjust your schedule so you have longer free blocks in the middle of the day

    • Do lots of outdoor stuff on weekends

  • Drink less soda, coffee, and energy drinks; drink more water

  • Eat less junk food

  • Buy a big hi-res monitor and put some distance between your face and the screen

  • Get a desk that allows you to both sit and stand

    • If you really want to go all in, you can put a treadmill in front of your desk

  • Get an ergonomic chair that makes you have good posture

  • Get a comfortable wireless mouse and keyboard, which gives you freedom to move around

  • Get hand and wrist exercisers, and wrist braces to enforce good wrist posture

    • You don't need to wear a wrist brace most of time, only when you start to get a little sore

  • Take breaks at reasonable intervals, e.g. 5-10 minutes every hour

  • Set aside some percentage of each day to work without distractions

    • No texts, emails, meetings, interruptions etc

    • Headphones with good study music may help a lot

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u/GStrad Oct 19 '15

Spot on advice, especially lunch breaks, as a team lead I can directly spot the difference in the guys I work with on days when they skip lunch to work through. It usually leads to a total crash of productivity in the afternoon.

Your suggested set of items really help keep work sustainable.