One weird trick I use is to listen to a particular kind of music. The genre isn't important. Neither is the content. What's important is that I've listened to that same music while experiencing a flow state in the past.
Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up. It's just my personal experience.
This resonates very much with me - I've been carrying around a playlist I discovered on 8tracks ("Homework at Hogwarts") for years now that I play when I need to focus and get something done.
I listen to SomaFM's Drone Zone channel on noise-cancelling headphones when I program. It broadcasts "drone" music – no lyrics, very little rhythm, melody or harmony – the music concentrates mainly on sound texture. And of course, no ads. Can't recommend it enough.
Ozric Tentacles for me. With the exception of two songs that I can think of in their 30-album catalog, there are no vocalizations. Just trippy psychedelic space rock. It may not work for everyone, but it puts me in the zone and I can code without lyrical distraction.
same! I'll usually listen to chillhop tracks and it helps, and usually I'll just shuffle the same songs. And they can't be really good songs or that'll distract me.
Sometimes I'll also listen to Russian songs, weirdly that does it for me (I don't speak Russian)
Just as music attached to a time and place can make us remember how we felt back then, music attached to memories of deep work can make us feel more focused. I don't have any sources to back this up. It's just my personal experience.