Yesterday was a really hard day at work. Lots of meetings, tough topics, lots of stress, lots of frustration. So when I went home, I didn’t take my usual route, but decided to exit the highway a bit earlier than usual and drive through the forest.

Relax And Clear Your Mind

Driving through nature, whether it is a forest, a moor or meadows, has a calming effect on me. It allows me to clear my mind and just enjoy the moment. It also takes you away from the daily routines you have, take a distance from what you see every day and have some variation.

This Also Works For Programming

And while the above is a real thing, it can work just as well as an analogy for being stuck in a programming problem. Sometimes, you just need to step back and take the scenic route. Try a different solution than the one you’re stuck on, find another way. Modern version control lets us easily stash one solution to work on a different solution. You could even stash your second solution and work on a third. Eventually, you will find the right one. It could even be your first solution, but you might not realize it until you’ve tried the other solution(s).

Get Off Your Route

So when you’re stuck, try the scenic route. This means not trying to solve the problem using the same approach you’ve used before, but try a different approach. Completely break with your current path of choice and think of other ways you could solve this problem.

Also: Get Off Your Route

Programming doesn’t stop the minute you step into your car, onto your bike, into your bus or train. So analogies aside, take a different route home every once in a while. This might just force your brain to also take a different route, see a different approach, consider a different way of handling the same issue. And if that doesn’t work, at least you’ve enjoyed the scenic route home.