The best way to connect is to disconnect

As software developers or any knowledge worker for that matter, we have to take breaks. Our minds need to be in a relaxed state in order to be able to solve complex problems efficiently.

Being under too much stress makes it more difficult to concentrate. In this brief post I would like to suggest that before you embark in a technological task and before you fully commit to it, take a break and do something you enjoy other than using technology and playing video games. The following are some examples that have worked for me:

• Go out of town with your significant other and stay at a nice hotel
• Chill by the pool and sun bathe
• Go site seeing and do some shopping while you are at it

As you can see, all I’m suggesting is to relax and step away from the computer, preferably for the entire weekend, so that you come back fully energized and ready to take on any challenge.

I understand that this might seem counter productive, but we are not meant to work all the time. We are like batteries and batteries need to recharge to avoid burn out.

This reminds me of the scene from the The Matrix when Morpheus tells Neo that humans are batteries in a computer generated dream world; we know this is not real, but you need to take breaks away from the computer screen so that your output can stay at it’s fullest capacity.

Write your thoughts or questions in the comment section below. Happy Coding!