6 Simple Habits To Become A Productive Coder

Being a good coder is not just about writing efficient and error-free code, but also involves staying organized, managing time and attention effectively, and having a balanced lifestyle. In this article, I want to share 6 simple habits that can help you improve your productivity as a coder.

1. Physical Exercises

Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is essential for staying productive whether you’re a coder or not. But regular exercises are important, especially for coders since we spend most of our time sitting in front of a computer. Exercise not only improves our physical health but also boosts our mental clarity and focus.

Many people think exercising is boring, difficult, and time-consuming. So they often choose to work longer than do exercises when they have extra time. To make exercising part of your daily routine, starting small is important.

You can start by doing any physical activity that increases your heart rate for 10 minutes a day. Since there’s not much mental resistance to working out just for 10 minutes, you’ll more likely to stick to the habit. Once you feel the benefits of exercise on your brain, you’ll want to continue making increments to your workout routine.

2. Getting Enough Sleep

Although the connection between exercise and productivity is complex, the connection between productivity and sleep is simple. The more sleep we get, the more focus and energy we’ll have the next day. Not getting enough sleep decreases our ability to solve problems, learn, and remember. So, getting enough sleep is important for programmers as coding tasks require concentration and problem-solving skills.

Most of us can’t choose what time we’ll get up since we have specific wake-up times due to school or work. So, a good habit is to pick a specific time to sleep (7 to 9 hours before wake-up time) and start a wind-down routine 15 minutes before your chosen bedtime.

We like to work beyond our sleep schedule because it saves time and gets more work done. But with any amount of sleep we lose, we also lose double the amount of productivity for the next day. When you get enough sleep, you’ll be able to improve your productivity, focus, and overall well-being, which will help you to become a more efficient coder.

3. Notes & To-do Lists

Keeping notes and to-do lists is a simple and effective habit for coders to increase productivity. We should use our brain for solving problems and forming new ideas, not for storing information. By writing down notes, tasks, and plans, you’re able to free up your brain and make room for focus and creativity.

Before starting a new project, make a clear list of what needs to be done. Since there’re many distractions while working on a computer, it’s easy to lose focus. But if you have a clear idea of what you’re working on, you’ll be able to concentrate better on the tasks.

4. Single Tasking

As programmers, we often like to multitask like working on multiple projects or trying to debug and write new code at the same time. Multitasking seems like an efficient way to get more done in less time. But it can actually decrease our productivity as it spreads out our attention and makes us prone to more errors. We need to effectively manage not just our time but also our attention as the ability to focus is essential for programmers.

A habit for single-tasking is to set a specific time frame to complete a task and focus on that task until the timer goes off. After completing the task, take a break to relax and reward yourself. Doing one task at a time will result in better quality work and a sense of accomplishment that can boost our motivation.

5. Taking breaks

Our brain has two modes: focus mode (when we’re coding or watching videos) and wandering mode (when we let our mind go during walking or showering). Giving our mind the time to wander creates room for thoughts and ideas to come up.

Taking regular breaks is important because it not only refuels our energy but also switches our mind into wandering mode. Mind-wandering mode can sometimes be beneficial when our work is complex and requires creativity.

Try taking a 20-min break every 90 min to let your mind wander by doing exercises, going for a walk, or listening to music. When you take a break, your brain will continue working in the background. And if you’re stuck with a problem, sometimes it may even find a solution for you.

6. Having Fun In Coding

We sometimes have to do boring tasks whether it’s a client project or a school assignment. Finding joy in these tasks can improve our productivity because when we enjoy the tasks we're working on, we’re more likely to stay motivated and focused. You can do this by turning a boring assignment into a fun little game or challenge for yourself. For example, you can try to make the task more interesting by adding your ideas or experimenting with new technologies.

Remember that coding is a fun and creative activity, not just a task or work. When you enjoy working on a task, you’ll no longer feel like you’re working. By making coding fun and enjoyable, we can stay focused and motivated which can lead to better quality work.

Conclusion

Adding these simple habits into our daily routine as coders can help us boost our productivity, reduce stress, and improve the quality of our work and in the long run, these habits will also lead to greater success in our careers. I hope the ideas shared in this article will be useful in your coding journey.