Music To Code To
(Disclaimer: Your mileage may -- and probably will -- vary.) In 1975, psychiatrist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi coined the term Flow , which Wikipedia describes as "a flow state , also known colloquially as being in the zone , the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time." We've probably all experienced being "in the zone" at one time or another in our lives, and most of us would probably agree that we do our best work when we're "in the zone". As a software developer, music can be a help or a hinderance. It can be a distraction, or, with the right music, it can become a background soundtrack which helps us attain flow. In my personal experience, I've found that even if I love a par