A cup of tea can work for me - same sort of idea.

Something else that works for me is to find something else to do around the work area, work that's useful while not requiring any real mental effort. Tidy up the work area, clean up any little messes I've made (and left for later) during the job, wipe down tools and put them back in the box, etc. In any case, it gives a break. Sometimes, it lets the brain come up with a better solution to a thorny problem - thinking better when you're not thinking so hard about what's bugging you.

If I'm just plain physically and mentally exhausted ("bankrupt" is the word I use), well, unless it's do or die, I'll walk away from it and come back fresh later.


-- eskimo