Re: Music and Productivity

Thanks, @baz for the inspiration on today’s post. The paramedic post I had in mind has to wait for another day. :)

I think I have written about it before, I am working as a Senior Fullstack Developer. I moved my working position several at the company now, as we expanded over the years and the Web Development department is currently small enough to be moved easily (currently five people).

We have gotten a pretty big space, with an almost two-meter desk for everyone. Three screens fit on it easily.

But there is one thing.

Noise.

Not only the tapping on keyboards but also clicking of the mouse and sometimes telephones ringing.

On top of that “base noise” we have some light conversations. Also, people from other departments come around, ask questions or help to implement stuff.

Sometimes it gets noisy because people try to “overtalk” each other.

I’ve got my headphones and iPad always with me.

I can listen to probably every music out there, but since I’m always listening to the same albums over and over again, I don’t have a problem with deciding what I want to hear.

I don’t listen to music the whole day, sometimes the coworker left to me needs assistance and sometimes I need to match with my department manager (right of me) to discuss the upcoming Sprint.

But if I need to push out some lines of code, I find myself putting on the headphones. It helps me to concentrate.

The interesting fact is, that when I’m at home, code for myself and want to get something great out, I need silence. Not constantly, but for deep thinking, silence still is the best.

I think the area you’re working in has something to do with what you can/should listen to, or listen to nothing at all.