I have found that a similar technique helps with coding as well. If you are debugging some issue and it getting bogged down in the details, take a break by working on a side project that is less technically intense, maybe in a different language. Or do some devops work and write shell scripts or develop a Dockerfile. Or write an automated testing tool, or add unit testing for Bash scripts or refactor an overly complex SQL query by improving the joins and using &#x27;with&#x27; to reduce the use of select sub queries.<p>The point is that you are still doing useful work, and therefore are &quot;productive&quot; but your conscious mind is now focused on a completely different task. While you do that, the subconscious is still working on the thorny debugging problem and when you get back to it, you will find it easier to choose the next steps that break through the chaos and lead to the root cause of the problem.<p>This is important even if you are in crunch mode because of a deadline. Usually what happens is that insane focus on fixing an important problem leads you into a long chain of insane fixes that mask the real problem. Eventually the scotch tape and rubber band fixes collapse anyway. Better to manage your mind so that you have a chance to reach full understanding of the problem so that you can make the RIGHT fix that is stable and longterm.