Interruptions are very challenging with any deep work that takes hours. This is true.
What I am facing however, is a related issue. Perhaps because I have not been doing much programming lately, I find it increasingly difficult to actually get and be in the zone. When I go in, I go all in, and enter a kind of fugue state where the hours slip away. While for some this may sound advantageous, in the past, it has been associated with some bad physical and psychological health outcomes. Now, I actually have anxiety about going into such a state, and try to piece meal my problems, and focus on the non-programming work and thinking.
Situations change, and I am about to be in one where I do really need to perform a lot of coding myself. I suppose I am answering my own question, but I need to split up my work and take notes to reduce the numbers of abstracted layers upon which I am working. Take more breaks with confidence I can return.
I suspect this technique can help ease the burdens of interruptions as well, but it does come at a cost in time. For me, the severe crunch time requirements and gained insane last minute skills should still be less necessary for some time. This is likely called being in a startup and getting older and, well, recognizing long-term limitations.
What I am facing however, is a related issue. Perhaps because I have not been doing much programming lately, I find it increasingly difficult to actually get and be in the zone. When I go in, I go all in, and enter a kind of fugue state where the hours slip away. While for some this may sound advantageous, in the past, it has been associated with some bad physical and psychological health outcomes. Now, I actually have anxiety about going into such a state, and try to piece meal my problems, and focus on the non-programming work and thinking.
Situations change, and I am about to be in one where I do really need to perform a lot of coding myself. I suppose I am answering my own question, but I need to split up my work and take notes to reduce the numbers of abstracted layers upon which I am working. Take more breaks with confidence I can return.
I suspect this technique can help ease the burdens of interruptions as well, but it does come at a cost in time. For me, the severe crunch time requirements and gained insane last minute skills should still be less necessary for some time. This is likely called being in a startup and getting older and, well, recognizing long-term limitations.