If I am doing something that requires a lot of thought (like designing a solution or trying to figure out an algorithm for something tricky) or absorbing someth

If I am doing something that requires a lot of thought (like designing a solution or trying to figure out an algorithm for something tricky) or absorbing something new (like learning a new codebase or a finding my way around a new api) then I prefer to work in complete silence as any music/podcast or anything will be distracting for me. If I am working on something mechanical where I know exactly what I need to do and it's only a matter of getting from point a to point b (like writing code in a familiar domain that I know like the back of my hand or writing tests) then I can listen to music or podcasts (although only podcasts that I am ok with missing large chunks off as I tend to zone out of podcasts if I am listening to them while working).