Every day is a bit different. You may have new priorities and problems to solve. Meetings and issues that require your attention. Developers need to focus on the code they are writing. When you stop working, it can be hard to get back into a development flow.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
What is flow? Flow is described as a cognitive state where you are completely absorbed in an activity. You are intensely focusing on your chosen activity.
Returning to your work
There are times when you need to stop working. You have to go to a meeting, eat lunch or leave work for the day. When you return, it takes time to get back into state of flow. What can you do to help get back into your development flow?
1) Leave yourself note
The simplest thing you can do is leave yourself a note. You can leave a comment in your code to remind yourself what to do next. Use email or have a tool like Slack remind you of what you were working on.
2) Rule of 3
Before you leave for the day, write down three things that you want to accomplish. When you start work the next day, work on those three things. J.D. Meier explains why the rule of three is a simple way to get results.
3) Make a shutdown process
A shutdown process is a set of tasks that you do to help you finish up for the day and prepare for the next work day. Workday shutdown rituals help you to separate your work day and personal time.