As a kid, I used to get stuck on math problems from time to time. I’d get so frustrated with it that I’d forget there were other math problems for me to solve, and I wouldn’t move to another one. My mom had to remind me (more than once) that it can actually be helpful for the problem I’m stuck on if I solve another problem or two first, then come back. Guess what? It worked. Did I still have a little difficulty with the same stuck problem sometimes? Yes, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it was before, and most of the time I solved it without much difficulty at all. All I needed was some new perspective and/or a quick break to breathe a moment.
Sometimes life can be like that. We get so focused on a single problem we’re facing that we forget we don’t have to solve every problem immediately or in the order we receive them. Sometimes solving another problem will actually give us something we need to solve the one that’s really frustrating us. Sometimes all you really need is to back up and get some new perspective. Sometimes all you really need is to focus on something else for a moment and give your stressed brain muscle a moment to try something else, and that freshens up the brain to go back and try again. Taking a real and/or metaphorical breath to re-center yourself is extremely helpful!
But what if I still get stuck on the same problem? No one said you couldn’t ask for help. But what if no one’s around to ask right then? Solve a few other problems first. No use letting the others go unsolved while you wait around for someone to help you with the frustrating one. That just makes you spend extra time on the whole set of problems when you don’t need to take that long. It also holds you in the suspense of stress longer, making it even harder to find the solution to the current problem.
If you’ve got a problem, ask for help and work on another problem or two first. Things can suddenly and surprisingly get a lot easier!