I've been doing this ever since I can remember. But it only works if I exit the room so I always assumed it's related to the doorway effect (the brain forgets/discards stuff when you walk through a doorway).
Once I walk a little and get out of the room it's like turning a new page. I see things a lot clearer because I don't feel distracted about all the tiny things that creep into my mind after a while of sitting down and concentrating on the same problem. They're not "in the cache" anymore, probably because they were the easiest to discard when walking through the door.
It's not always useful, this "walking out and then back in the room" takes the edge off of any witty comeback I may find (and oh they're good sometimes). :D
I just had to walk out of the room to remember this ^^ corner case.
I routinely get up and leisurely pace about my house for 5 to 10 minutes as I work on something, thinking it through in my head and then coming back and putting it down in code in a burst (currently working from a home office, not as applicable for someone stuck in a cubicle). Also works extremely well when I'm stuck on something and it doesn't require a large amount of distracted time (ie I don't have to go take a hike in nature for an hour in the midst of work). And of course sitting and staring at the problem is the absolute least effective approach. Also has the benefit of at least somewhat countering the negative health effects of persistently sitting for long stretches.
I agree that staying in the same room seems to have a considerably lessened benefit (seems to reduce the benefit to almost zip). I have to leave the room, just getting up and standing about in a small space doesn't do it.
Once I walk a little and get out of the room it's like turning a new page. I see things a lot clearer because I don't feel distracted about all the tiny things that creep into my mind after a while of sitting down and concentrating on the same problem. They're not "in the cache" anymore, probably because they were the easiest to discard when walking through the door.
It's not always useful, this "walking out and then back in the room" takes the edge off of any witty comeback I may find (and oh they're good sometimes). :D
I just had to walk out of the room to remember this ^^ corner case.