It's In The Details
All developers know programming is a detail oriented task. Syntax errors, typos, incorrect logic, can plague developers at any experience level. I was told to test early and often to help mitigate this as you code. I still strongly believe this is true. Each one of these issues be mentally taxing on their own, exhausting all together. You can prepare yourself by studying proper syntax, approach code with a TDD mindset, and by learning and adhering to, best practices. These are arguably essential to moving forward as a developer and again I was prepared with sound advice for this. However one thing I was not told regularly was how important it was to take breaks.
I don't mean a lunch break either. I mean regular intervals of 10-15 minutes of doing something else not related to a screen. I have found that when you are coding for long stretches of time, say 8-12 hours (any longer is unproductive IMHO), your brain will need to reset. I try to do this everyday, and I will admit that I am not the best at following a regimented schedule but I do try. Every hour that I work I try to take a 10-15 minute break. Some methods are different like the Pomodoro Technique but whether you choose your own methods or a tested time boxing technique, it is about increasing your productivity.
This may seem counter intuitive, but it has been proven time and time again that you work better with rest. I find these breaks especially helpful when I have been stuck on a particularly tough issue, or when intensively studying something new. These breaks can be anything you like that allows your brain to take a moment, but I enjoy the following:
- Taking my dog for a walk
- Light stretching and deep breathing
- Listening to relaxing music
- Going for a quick bike ride
- Read a book(non-technical)
You could also do something productive, like dishes or laundry, which some of the time I do. Ideally, you want this to be relaxing so just make sure whatever your method make sure you are calming yourself and resting your brain.
That's it for now, if you don't do this yet, give it a try and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading, and happy coding.
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