I've resorted to using the Pomodoro Technique to get into the flow of coding if I get stuck. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
To summarize, work for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break. That way you can get something done then post on/. During the 25 minutes though, there can be no distractions, so set yourself to busy on IM, close the browser, silence your cell, etc. If there is an external or internal interruption, make note of it and put it off till the 5 minute break comes up. This has really worked for me, in tracking interruptions, I've found that I'm interrupted every 5 minutes throughout the day on average. Putting off replying to IMs hasn't caused any work issues but it has let me concentrate on what I'm doing. The alternative is to use the distraction as an excuse to not work on something, which is how I used to fill my day.
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I've resorted to using the Pomodoro Technique to get into the flow of coding if I get stuck. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/ To summarize, work for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break. That way you can get something done then post on /. During the 25 minutes though, there can be no distractions, so set yourself to busy on IM, close the browser, silence your cell, etc. If there is an external or internal interruption, make note of it and put it off till the 5 minute break comes up. This has really worked for me, in tracking interruptions, I've found that I'm interrupted every 5 minutes throughout the day on average. Putting off replying to IMs hasn't caused any work issues but it has let me concentrate on what I'm doing. The alternative is to use the distraction as an excuse to not work on something, which is how I used to fill my day.