How to stay focused during micro-breaks?

Question

I work with code and data and I'm having hard times staying focused due to tens or hundreds of micro-breaks that chop my day. When I publish a new code, or run a query, I need to wait - sometimes a couple of seconds, sometimes a couple of minutes. My mind instantly drifts away and I lose my flow. I quickly check HN or email and the break gets even longer.How do you deal with this?

g-b-r · Accepted Answer

It's probably much better to detach for a while (at most drinking, thinking, taking a walk/bathroom) rather than checking things (and to instead check mail etc. at pre-determined times).
Either moving for a while or resting (depending on how you feel), even taking a quick ("alarmed") nap if you're lucky enough to be allowed to do it, is actually a very good idea, in all likelihood; you might think that that would mean losing your focus but you'll get back to it much quicker (often instantaneously), and probably even a little refreshed, if you don't start another activity.
It's only tangentially related, but if you're worried about focus you should probably give a try to the Pomodoro technique, if you never heard of it before.
And if you can postpone some "intermitting" activity, and maybe group a batch of them half-an-hour from now and now instead carry on your coding or whatever you're focused on for a little longer, it's probably beneficial

PaulHoule · Answer

Have a second task which you always switch to. Set up your web browser to block hn.

user_agent · Answer

Pomodoro technique.