Hello Everyone, I have a question to ask (or two) about taking breaks and time away from development. However,I don't just want to ask questions, I also want to get a discussion going. So here goes:

1. How much time off do you give yourself during or after development on hobbyist projects/game jams or professional work? 
2. Does time away from development help you to think of new ideas more than working on development? 
3. What other things do you do besides game development during breaks/time off (to keep you from going mad of course :D).

I myself like to spend time on other tech related projects while taking a break, or sometimes I try to take a break away from tech altogether if possible (for a short period of time, I Iike technology too much :D). Sometimes I feel that time away from game development can help, but sometimes it makes me feel like I am losing focus and that I am procrastinating, hence why I find it hard to take a break (and why I did 3 game jams consecutively).

It would be really nice to know how others handle their time/plan their schedule as it can give an insight into handling time in the industry. Also because I think that it is a thoughtful topic that needs to be discussed. 

Thank you all for reading and thank you for your time!

-Caleb (LebbyFoxx)

1. As much time as I feel I need (hobby dev)

2. For sure I get many ideas especially when outside. But ideas are cheap though and you don't get to test them during a break.

3. Best activity while taking a break is going jogging (and then showering). It's like the exact opposite of sitting at a desk und helps me feel balanced, and be productive, concentrated and focused. I think breaks certainly need to be without any form of electronics or they aren't good breaks. Best is going outside. At least open a window and let fresh air in. Closing your eyes for 15-20 min ("power nap") is also excellent to combat fatigue.

1. We try and take a break of about a month after finishing a project before we get started on the next one.
2. We always find that we have loads of ideas for the next project while we're still working on the current one, so we often know what we'll be making next before we finish. Time away can then be used to think about and do other things!
3. A mixture of playing sports (to make up for all the late nights sat at a computer working) and playing games made by other people.  

If you're feeling great about going to from project to project or jam to jam then keep doing it, but as soon as you start to even think you might need a break take one straight away. There's nothing worse than sitting staring at a screen but not feeling motivated to make anything!