I work 9-5 and code well in my pre-lunch hours. Most afternoons feel like a waste, I get stuck in procrastination or go down lower priority rabbit holes. My mind often feels more easily distracted and less capable of handling challenging coding issues. This leads to less deliverables and a subsequent feeling of guilt and shame.
Any ideas or methods that work for you?
2) A cause or a contributor to the distraction and procrastination could be due to forcing yourself to do difficult work in the PM when your mind just isn't up to the task. Plan around it with the difficult work scheduled for AM and easier tasks scheduled PM.
3) Cut back or quit drinking coffee. A well known symptom of coffee addiction is the afternoon crash, leading to more coffee and disrupted sleep, an endless cycle.
4) Make sure you are getting 7-8hrs of sleep and that your sleep schedule is stable, i.e. no wildly fluctuating sleep/wake times even on the weekends.
5) Change your diet, look into paleo or other low-carb diets. A carb-heavy lunch will wipe you out in the afternoon. On low-carb my energy levels are more stable throughout the day.
6) Get regular exercise. I like to lift free weights and do a little cardio. Cardio is overrated and lifting is underrated. Don't run yourself ragged on the treadmill or stationary bike. Put on some muscle mass and it will help with your mental and physical stamina and your posture when sitting in a chair for 7hrs a day.
7) Don't drink alcohol, even a little. Apart from all the deleterious effects, one that I have noted is that even if I have a glass of wine or beer in the evening it lowers my tolerance for frustration (which aggravates getting distracted) for days. Part of taking on a challenging task is getting frustrated (i.e. part of learning) so it is at odds with getting things done. The real danger is that the solution for the lowered frustration tolerance due to alcohol is....more alcohol! That is not a merry-go-round you want to ride.