Here I will outline the tools and workflow that I've found works best for me. I'm always interested in other people's setups, so I thought I would offer mine as well. I will update this page over time sharing any changes.
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I've used Arch Linux since the start of my use of Linux as a whole and have no intentions of using anything else as my primary OS for the foreseeable future. I benefit the most from workspaces that are as free of clutter as possible, and Arch Linux offers an excellent balance of minimalism and sanity.
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My window manager is i3wm, because it's what I was initially drawn to and has never let me down since. I pair it with py3status for the ability to use and write custom status bar scripts. To simplify window switching, I also use the i3-easyfocus script. There are lighter weight WMs out there worth checking out, but I don't have the desire to change currently.
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I use the URxvt terminal emulator with the Bash shell. I use the vi editing mode for Bash so that even my command line has familiar keybinds. I use tmux for terminal multiplexing, which is a vital task for my workflow. The fzf fuzzy finder is another tool I make considerable use of on the command line.
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For text editing I prefer Neovim with many plugins that each contribute to creating a fluid workflow that works for me. I really like my screen to be free of bullshit and interactions to be simple, logical keyboard mappings. I use nano when I want something more simple, but this is not very often at all.
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The ranger file browser is one of my most used programs, and I greatly appreciate it's contribution to my desire of fluidity and motion in program design. It uses familiar Vim-like keybinds, and has nice shell integration.
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I use mpd with the ncmpcpp front-end for my music. In the future I would like to set up a server that each of my devices can connect to and share the same back-end. I would be curious to try other mpd front-ends, but for now ncmpcpp doesn't give me much to complain about.
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For PDF viewing I use Zathura and it's made me question how I've ever used anything else (previously MuPDF).
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mpv is my video player, and sxiv is my photo viewer. Both "just work".
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I use the Weechat IRC client. Weechat supports a plugin system that can enable its simultaneous use for other protocols.
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Firefox and occasionally Lynx are what I use for web browsing, but every browser seems to annoy me nearly equally. For Firefox I use an add-on that provides Vim-like keybinds for page navigation, and various other, likely redundant, privacy add-ons. Read this for advice on how to secure your browser.
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rtorrent is my torrent client. It can be quite shit at times, but it's still my favorite option.
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I use dunst for notifications.
I might update this post another time going more in depth about my vim config.