This blogpost was originally posted on my personal site at https://miko.ademagic.com/blog/dungeon-mode/
Hollywood loves to push the cliché. If you're any kind of developer, you've probably spent some time sharpening your coding blades in your Mum's basement illuminated only by RGBs, surrounded by screens dripping matrix-esque code, furiously typing away on a clicky keyboard pumping techno/drum&bass. Hell, you're probably hacking some sort of mainframe right now.
It's tired, and we all know it's incredibly wrong. But what if there's something to it?
What are you on about?
I was reading a post on dev.to about procrastination and productivity. It got me thinking about my own methods of trying to stay productive and focused, which also made me think about all the various tools and methodologies people adopt to do the same. I'm a big fan of simplicity, and reflected on my own simple toolkit - paper, pen, a stopwatch and a simple (and very flexible) methodology. There's only one thing I've ever done to abstract my process, and it's made it strangely more effective. And I did it by accident.
Dungeon Mode
Around Covid I resigned from my people-focused role at a mid/large team and joined a startup to become an IC. This required me to be "100% on the tools", which I welcomed. I strapped in for long days and nights of learning, coding, and intense focus. I took advantage of the lockdown, retreated to my study, and got to work.
I like to work with music on, and discovering ChilledCow's Lofi Girl radio was an excellent source of non-invasive "ambient music" that I could listen to for hours. I found the almost whitenoise-like record-player crackling of LoFi music was more pleasant than active noise cancelling on my headphones.
I also had some health issues, and would frequently experience migraines that brought on photosensitivity. It wasn't enough to use Dark Mode on my OS, or turn down my screen brightness. I had a warm grey wall in front of me which would reflect the lights overhead, straining my eyes. I found it best to dull the monitors, and then turn off all the lights to work. To make sure I didn't have to adjust too much, I had some warm white LEDs under my desk as ambient lighting.
Winter in a poorly insulated apartment also meant it was usually cold and I was quite rugged up, often wearing a hoodie. Wearing the hood over my head not only kept me warm, but felt like a set of comfortable blinders that further blocked any light in my periphery from annoying my eyes.
After a while I found myself employing all of the above as soon as I got to my study. I'm not sure whether this came first, or if it was overhearing my partner speaking on the phone to our family and friends and telling them that I was off in my "Dungeon", but my new habit soon got its name. Dungeon mode.
A Productivity Hack, Though?
I would start telling my partner I'm off to "Dungeon Mode". She knew that meant that I had headphones on and likely couldn't hear her talking to me, and that I was trying to focus and would try not to leave the room for a while. It worked really well. Less stimuli meant I wasn't checking my phone, losing my train of thought, or even looking around the room. I'd also find it easier to enter flow state, and I'd even need to be reminded to take breaks or about other tasks I have for the day.
It's definitely not maintainable for long periods of time. It's probably not great for your health, likely not ergonomic, doesn't look good on zoom calls – generally, it may not even be good for any other role. So does the trope have it right, then?
If your job is to look at screen all day and translate complex and convoluted logic into scripts only your computer has to understand, is this sort of sensory deprivation something that will magically help you stay focused for long periods of time? Or will it work for other jobs, too? Or am I just an outlier who became motivated, feeling like some hacker from a movie he enjoyed?
The Sequel
Today, my study is an open nook of my living room. It's sunny and lit, it has a lot of plants around, a window I can open to let the breeze in, and no way to close myself off from the world. When she's home, my 2yo will run over periodically and demand my attention with great urgency. It generally feels like a healthier work environment. But I look back on Dungeon Mode fondly, and sometimes wonder if needed, could I replicate it?
Do you work like this? Does it sound like it would help you be better? If any of this experience resonates with you, or even if you disagree, I'd love to know. I'm borderline embarrassed about it, but I can't be the only one who has connected to the stereotype like this. Tell me your story.
Top comments (9)
I think every one of us has our own Dungeon Mode". It could be in the dark, it could be with headphones on, or whatever. In the end, it is what you mean by *Dungeon. It's a way to be focused at all with no interruptions.
In my case, I used to have YouTube in the background with different kinds of music. Sometimes something more relaxing, sometimes more hard. It depends on the tasks I'm doing and my mental status.
We have to find what is our Dungeon Mode and use it. And, it probably will change during our lifetime as well.
Congrats on the article!!!
Thanks! You're right, everyone has their own version of an optimal environment that helps them enter that flow state, and different things work at different times. I do wonder if the nerd-in-the-dark stereotype "dungeon mode" we see on movies and tv just magically works for any/all developers. I didn't think it'd work for me, but somehow it organically grew into that, I was surprised that I ended up working like that.
If anyone tries I'd be curious to know the results! And thanks for your comment :)
My dark mode is at night. I don't if natural darkness combined with the silence make me be more focused. It's a different way of being in the dungeon 😉
interesting points! actually I do listen to some rock and reggae music to get in my "flow mode", like RHCP, Linkin Park, Lynyrd, Bob Marley, etc. it's pretty much the same, no cellphone, no talk, just screen and study lol
Thanks! I'm working on a post about "music to code to", I know everyone probably listens to different things at different times but I wonder if there's a correlation between which music works best and which doesn't. Keen on your perspective there as well :) will share when it's done
There's definitely a time & place for Dungeon Mode! I don't think I could make that my full-time job, but as a Developer Advocate there are often "heads-down" times when you're building things that are offset from the "social butterfly" times when you're presenting or chatting or whatever.
My home office is in my basement, and as much as I didn't want to at first, I do find that I like being in my little nook where everyone knows I'm not to be bothered.
there's definitely that element too. I'm sure by shutting myself off from passive distractions, I also give off a "Do Not Disturb" vibe around the house and people won't actively distract me either :) Overall, being able to be undisturbed is probably more important than "dungeon mode". Thanks for the comment :)
I try my hardest to ONLY work in “dungeon mode”. I find that it allows me to focus better on work when that’s what I’m supposed to be doing, and it also allows me to better focus on family time when that’s what I’m doing (which means not thinking about work). Basically I get higher quality, and more focused, time all around. This is compared to before where everything was a jumbled, stressful, and distracting mess that was not good for my productivity or quality of life.
Totally agreed! It sounds like what you're creating is the "disconnect" between working at home and living at home. I used to also go for a walk around my neighborhood as soon as I've finished work, just to break up the trip from one room to another. I've found that really useful too, and I can see the difference now that my home office is more integrated into the rest of the house. Thanks for your comment!