Software development is a stressful position. You'll be tailoring for demanding clients, writing hundreds of lines of code, solving mysterious bugs, and working long hours to achieve your goals. If you're passionate about your work, you might be tempted to work as hard as possible, cycling through new projects almost constantly and pushing to meet every deadline. However, if you want to increase your productivity and avoid burnout, it's much better to take regular vacations.

          The benefits of vacations

  • Breaking the routine. In part due to the demands of a repetitive and stressful routine. You'll be working long hours most days of the week, looking at a screen in the same environment, with the same people. It can get old after a while. Vacations give you a chance to get away from this, so you can look at it with new eyes later.

  • Relax and enjoy. Obviously, vacations give you a chance to de-stress. While you're away for a few days, you won't have to worry about what's going on at work and can instead focus on enjoying yourself. 
  • Learn to think in new ways. Under the right circumstances, taking a vacation can help you think in new and creative ways. For example, you might visit another culture and get to know the mindset of the people there, or you might meet some new and interesting people who challenge some of your biggest assumptions.

How to take a vacation as a software developer

That said, not all vacations are the same. There are some important tips you'll want to follow to make the most of your vacation time:

  • Step away from the screen. Instead of playing video games, watching movies, or wasting time surfing the web, take some time away from digital devices. You spend enough time staring at a computer screen, so consider going camping, hiking, or participating in some other outdoor activity. packed with everything you need and try to avoid relying on technology when you're away.

  • Turn off notifications. If you're like most people, it'll be alerting you to new emails, new instant messages, new tasks, and work-related events. These are useful for keeping you informed during the work week, but while you're on vacation, they'll just stress you out. Turn off all notifications, including work-related and non-work-related, allowing only one communication channel for emergencies.

  • Take many consecutive days off. For the most part, it's psychologically better for you to take many days off at a time, or even a couple of weeks, rather than taking a day or two for a long weekend, or taking days off periodically. This gives you time to truly detach from work, allowing you to experience a kind of "reset." This may be more or less feasible depending on the nature of your job and your employer's policies. If you build up vacation days gradually, be sure to save them for a big vacation. 
  • Go to a new place. While it's tempting to go to a place you already know, out of nostalgia or because you've developed a connection to a certain place, it's much better for you to go somewhere new. Going somewhere you've never been before will completely break your normal routine and expose you to new places, new cultures, and new experiences.

  • Talk to new people. Similarly, you'll want to do your best to talk to new people. You'll learn something new, or at least get a chance to see life from someone else's perspective. If you're lucky, you might meet another software developer and learn something new about the field. You might even find a new job opportunity or a new client.

  • Balance structure and free time. Some people like to take vacations with a free spirit, without planning anything and letting their whims guide them. Other people prefer to rigidly structure their schedules, accounting for every minute. Actually, none of these methods is perfect; one is inherently stressful and limiting, and the other can cause you to miss out on important sights and experiences. Attempt

Even if that means putting off a project or making less money temporarily, it's important to take a vacation, especially if you're stressed about your job on a regular basis. Ultimately, it will help you be more productive, enjoy your work more, and improve your outlook on your future career.