Comment by qnleigh

- I try to get outside and go for a short walk. Even a cloudy sky is actually much much brighter than the lights inside a building, so it has a stronger affect on maintaining your circadian rhythm than indoor lights. It's also a good time to zoom out and reevaluate priorities. Or just enjoy looking at the sky.

- Read and revise my todo list. I find I actually spend a huge amount of time thinking about my to do list, and I think it pays off. One better decision of what to work on can save days, lead to new ideas, or even completely change the course of what I work on.

- Sometimes I guess I manage to squash a bug or complete some other minor task, but probably I'm more productive if I just use that time to think rather than context switch twice and rush some minor task.

- The big exception is if I can get something started that will run on its own for a long time. Then 10 spare minutes can save hours.