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"should have taken 15 minutes and has actually taken 2 hours" is a really good sign that it's time to give up and go get some sleep.

This is also a good sign that you should sign off sick if you've got a cold or flu or some other ailment, even if it's only 11am. It indicates that your productivity is about to go negative and you may actively damage your project if you keep flailing around.

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I find that if I step back from the project when I'm sick, not only do I recover faster, but I often think of novel ways to solve a problem (or realize the solution was under my nose) by nature of taking some time away from the screen.

You'll find that stepping back from a problem, even when not sick, generally can help your overall perspective. I personally like to take walks and focus on things other than the problem at hand; this almost always results in clarity for me.

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