I expect what the right call is to be very different from person to person and, for some people, from situation to situation.
Definitely. And the balance changes as one ages as well. For me, there are some kinds of work where it’s very hard to get into the zone, and the cost of an interruption is very high. However, I just get less effective over long sessions, and this has gotten much worse in the last few decades. So the point of indifference between “I may not be able to recover this mind-state tomorrow” and “I may not be that useful tonight, and may not be good for ANYTHING tomorrow” has shifted.
I would recommend trying it at least a few times each year, in both directions. Don’t ever make one or the other the only option for yourself—it’s always a choice.
Definitely. And the balance changes as one ages as well. For me, there are some kinds of work where it’s very hard to get into the zone, and the cost of an interruption is very high. However, I just get less effective over long sessions, and this has gotten much worse in the last few decades. So the point of indifference between “I may not be able to recover this mind-state tomorrow” and “I may not be that useful tonight, and may not be good for ANYTHING tomorrow” has shifted.
I would recommend trying it at least a few times each year, in both directions. Don’t ever make one or the other the only option for yourself—it’s always a choice.