Emotional guidance and walking away from code
Working with a complex piece of code can lead to moments of difficulty. The brain may start sending signals to back off or quit. I equate this moment to one that happens when lifting weights, which is when your muscles can’t take anymore. They have been exhausted. With code the brain has been frustrated.
This is a great place to be because it means you have pushed yourself to the limit. When I reach this point while writing code I need to step away from the computer and think about the problem on a more abstract level. I start thinking of new ways to approach the problem. I might realize I need to research or read up on something or sketch something out. The answer usually arrives soon after that. It’s like lifting weights. The muscles build up over time.
