A developer’s job demands a lot of concentration and focus. It is a cognitively demanding task that can quickly drain the mind and necessitates a great deal of concentration. It can be really beneficial to learn how to concentrate on your work while also taking advantage of automation and dealing with distractions in order to maximize your productivity while on the job. These are our best productivity tips for developers and programmers, from finding the best tools to taking regular breaks and avoiding distractions while working.
Each Day, Prioritise Your Tasks and Begin with The Most Difficult
Developers are prone to procrastination, especially if they work alone as freelancers with their own set of obligations to meet. Because of this, you may find yourself working all day and coming to the realization that you have done very little. Instead of juggling multiple things at once, prioritize your day’s activities and begin each day with the most challenging one.
The idea of multitasking had been widely accepted as a good thing for a long time, but it turns out that it’s not for everyone. Few people can multitask well, and those who cannot suffer a 40% loss in productivity. For those that fall into the 2%, maintain multitasking; otherwise, prioritize your tasks and concentrate on only one task at a time.
Use Pomodoro Technique
It’s impossible for humans to stay focused on one thing for an indefinite period of time, and this is especially true when it comes to difficult mental tasks like programming. Study after study shows how long people can focus on a task without their mind going somewhere else. In one case, a 45-minute period of sustained attention was found to be viable, while a 52-minute period followed by a 17-minute rest was found to be possible.
We also have the Pomodoro Technique, which is a time management method based on the usage of a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Short 5-minute breaks and big 10-minute breaks are all that is required for it to work. The developer community has embraced the Pomodoro Technique to the point where there are now Pomodoro apps available for use while working.
You’ll need to try a few various things to see what works best for you because no two people are the same, and everyone has a different amount of time to work with. There is also no need to follow very strict rules. If you’re already in the zone, don’t stop your work just because it’s time for a break.
When you do get up from your desk, you need to take a genuine break. Whether you’re checking your email, Slack notifications, social media, blogs, or just looking at a screen, you’re not taking a break for your brain.
Choose The Best Code Editor for Your
A good source code editor is the first thing that can help a developer be more productive at work. Despite the fact that there are numerous excellent solutions available on the market, it is difficult to choose which is the most appropriate — it all relies on your objectives and requirements. The easiest way to find the greatest code editor for you is to play around with a few different ones. Before making a decision, consider the following:
- For the languages you need to work with, you’ll need a code editor that has syntax highlighting built-in (at least as a plugin). Not only for programming languages but also for popular technologies like React, several code editors have syntax highlighters.
- There may be an ecosystem of themes and plugins for your chosen code editor that offers the features you require.
- The built-in Git capabilities may be beneficial if you want to submit your work to a code-sharing platform such as GitHub or Bitbucket. Even without leaving the editor, you can commit your work to GitHub using Visual Studio Code’s built-in feature.
- Choosing a code editor that allows you to create or import your own code snippets and keyboard shortcuts is also a smart option if you plan on using your own code snippets and keyboard shortcuts.
Avoid Productivity Losses by Planning Your Work in Advance
It’s also a good idea to plan ahead and set out time for each work. You may either use to-do applications such as Wunderlist and Todoist to build task lists and check off finished tasks, or you can set up workflows with an app such as Trello to organize your work. Many excellent solutions exist these days for integrating multiple productivity apps, such as Zapier and IFTTT.
To help you with task scheduling, you’ll also need to do some tests and think about what tools you’ll need. While it is possible to utilize multiple apps for task management, there is a risk associated with utilizing too many tools at the same time. It’s possible to lose productivity due to too much complexity in some instances.
Time Management with Time Trackers
The usage of a time monitoring app may be extremely beneficial for people who have difficulty managing their time. Although not everyone enjoys recording their working hours, doing so can be really beneficial. Most of the time, time monitoring can boost your productivity since it allows you to see how you spent your time throughout the day, allowing you to screen out any distractions and maximize your efficiency. To bill your clients on an hourly basis, time trackers are an invaluable tool for freelancers and small business owners alike.
Repetitive Actions Can Be Automated
As a developer, you must now be proficient at automating routine operations. The recent boom in DevOps (the junction of Development and Operations) isn’t a coincidence, as automation is the key. The development phase will not necessitate the use of automation; nevertheless, the process of preparing your development code for production will necessitate the use of automation for many repetitive operations.
Task runners can handle tasks like minification, image optimization, and auto-prefixing on your code, saving you time as a frontend developer.
CLI Command Usage Is a Vital Programming Skill
The command line may be useful for more than just automating chores; it should become a regular part of your daily routine. Using a CLI (Command Line Interface) rather than a GUI can drastically speed up your productivity (Graphical User Interface). Knowing how to execute CLI commands safely is a valuable programming ability that you can use in many different aspects of your job.
Take Precautions Whenever You Come Across Distractions
Considering that distractions are the number one enemy of productivity, you must devise a strategy to minimize their impact. The problem is that they’re elusive, so it’s difficult to catch them. This is primarily due to the fact that they may not appear to be a source of distraction at first glance.
Even if you consider checking your email, YouTube, and Slack to be work-related activities, you may find that you haven’t done anything by the end of the day if you are spending too much time on them.
In order to avoid distractions, you need to be super cautious and take precautions wherever possible. In order to avoid being distracted by emails, Slack notifications, or other websites that you frequently visit while working, you might limit how many times a day you check your inbox.
Conclusion
There are many ways you may use your time more effectively and boost your development process at the same time by following our advice. Even while forming a new habit can be difficult at first, it soon becomes second nature to the person who does it.
Think about how important it is to try new things when it comes to being productive. Let go of everything that doesn’t fit your workflow and personality and go on to the next one until you find what works best for you and your needs.
