Do Something Else Besides Programming!

There occasionally comes a time when you can’t sit in front of the computer any more and need to focus your energy on something else.

When you are stuck trying to debug some logic – the cure to working through your problems is to do something unrelated to programming.

Sports

I like to play a round of golf every now and then, even though I am not particularly good at it. Participating in sports not only takes my mind off programming, but forces me not to think about anything at all.

When playing golf, I tend to do a lot better when I am not focusing on hitting the ball or worrying about players behind me. By not thinking, I am ignoring self-doubt and what-ifs (what if I hit the ball too hard or what if I miss the ball entirely).

Sports can be relaxing if they played non-competitively.

Clubs & Organizations

I’ve written previously about being a member of Toastmasters. By belonging to an organization that promotes professional growth, you can work on skills to make you a more confident person and encourage you to become a leader.

The organization that you choose to belong to can really be anything: martial arts, a social club, etc. Just make sure it is something that piques your interest and makes you want to participate.

Relax

Sometimes doing nothing is the best way to take your mind off things. What’s doing nothing? Anything that doesn’t require you to think critically.

The purpose of doing nothing is to get lost in a book (fiction preferably) or watching a movie or TV show.

I like to look at movies and books as a way to take a break from my life and immerse myself in someone else’s story.

Break Out of the Bubble

Most professional programmers will program for fun in their free time. While I support this behavior 100%, I believe that programmers need to sometimes break out of the programming bubble and focus their attention on something unrelated.

Besides programming what do you do?