Hello fellow nixers,
Let's discuss an offtopic subject that is often brought up.
In this thread we're going to brainstorm about the topic of "Scientifically proven digital attention helpers" and our application of the understanding of the studies

We can share tools and tips as long as we have a study behind them.
Then we can share the anecdotal effects they had.

The big brainstorm happens on the public pad:
https://titanpad.com/digital-focus-scien...roven-wiki

And nodes: https://www.are.na/pat-l/digital-focus

Here's what I have so far that is proven by studies:

• Single Tasking aka shrinking your view lens.
  
• Limiting distraction in the environment surrounding your machine.
  
• Red relates to avoidance (versus approach) motivation and enhances performance on a detail-oriented task while blue enhances performance on a creative task. Green is relaxing.
  
• Blue keeps you awake (to avoid at night because sleep is essential to focus)
  
• Setting a schedule increases the Zeigarnik effect
  
• Avoid stress, be it mental or physical - Keep an ergonomic position.
  
• Music can increase the productivity of moderately skilled individuals, while is distracting to novice and provides no benefits to experts. The music chosen must be without vocals and not too liked or disliked. (see thread for inspirations)
  
• Minimalism as the reduction of mental clutter is good to suppress external stimuli
  

N.B.: Don't share anything about nootropics, vitamins, food, or drugs. Limit yourself to the machine and what's around it.

Here's what I'm going to test:

• Monotasking, force myself to one window per workspace
  
• Non distracting ambient music
  
• Using the `at` for time management of tasks
  
• Added a gap at the left and right of the window to allow to view the background color, which is a shade of blue (#5686AA)
  
• xflux to avoid the bad effect of the blue shade at night and sleep well
  
• Moving text to the top of the page as I read (we read in F shape focusing on the top)
  
• Doing my most strenuous tasks between 9am-1pm as it's when we have the most focus
  

Share your opinions and other scientifically proven helpers!