Thinking Up New Solutions
Anxiety Canada
The biggest mistake that we tend to make when finding solutions for our problems is to think about the same old solutions. However, if those old solutions worked, the problem would not still be around. In order to come up with new solutions, you can follow the rules of brainstorming:
Devise lots of solutions: You are more likely to come up with a good solution if you have a lot of solutions to choose from. Try to come up with at least 10 possible solutions to your problem.
Don’t judge your solutions: Remember that you aren’t choosing a solution yet, you are just trying to think of as many options as you can; so don’t judge them. Even silly, strange or extreme solutions are good ones at this stage. For the work problem, you might think about solutions like “quit my job” or “organize a strike”. Write them down! You will never come up with new solutions if you aren’t willing to even think about silly ones.
Have a variety of solutions: Make sure that your solutions are different from each other. For example, with the work problem, there is not much variety if your solutions are to “ask the boss to have lunch with me”, “ask the boss to have coffee with me”, or “ask the boss to come out to dinner”. Although these are 3 solutions, they are basically all the same solution: ask the boss to do something social with you.
REMEMBER: When it comes to difficult problems, the first idea that comes to your mind is not always the best. Take the time to come up with new possibilities.
Some other tips for thinking up lots of different solutions are:
Be specific: Make sure that your solutions involve specific behaviours, and not general strategies. For example, the solution, “give the boss a list of all the work I am doing now” is very specific, compared to the solution, “be more assertive with my boss”. If you picked the latter solution, you would have a new problem — figuring out how to be more assertive.
Ask for help: If you are having a hard time coming up with new and different solutions to your problem, ask friends, family or coworkers for advice. Other people might have ideas that you have not even thought of.
Deciding On A Solution
If you struggle with anxiety, actually picking a solution to your problem can often seem quite difficult. However, it is important to remember that not solving a problem can lead to more anxiety than trying to solve it, no matter how anxious you feel. The following are some guidelines that can help you find the best solution to your problem.
REMEMBER: The goal is to find the best solution to your problem, NOT the perfect solution. If there was a “perfect” solution, you would have already found it.
Will this solution fix my problem and help me reach my goals? This guideline might seem obvious, however, it is important to make sure that your solution will help you reach your goals. For example, “work harder” as a solution to the work problem will not help you reach your goal of having less work to do in a day.
How much time and effort does this solution involve? You can expect that any solution will require some time and effort but the amount involved needs to be related to your needs. “Quitting my job” as a solution to the work problem might involve a great deal of effort, since you would have to start looking for a new job.
How will I feel if I pick this solution? If you think that a solution will make you feel bad, guilty or too anxious, it might not be the best solution. For example, “lie to the boss about how much work I actually did” might make you feel bad.
What are the costs and benefits of this solution to myself and others, right now and in the long-term? The best solution will have the most benefits and the fewest costs possible. But when thinking about costs and benefits you want to think about how a solution will affect:You right now and in the futureOther people in your life right now and in the futureFor example, if you picked the solution, “blame my coworkers for work that isn’t done”, this might solve your problem right now, but it will probably seriously affect your relationship with your coworkers, and in the long-run your boss will probably find out. The costs of this solution seem to outweigh the benefits
REMEMBER: There is no perfect solution, so when you are judging each potential solution it is unlikely that it will meet all four criteria. That is, it probably won’t solve the problem with no time or effort, make you feel happy while doing it, and have no costs and only benefits. You are looking for a solution that BEST meets the criteria, not perfectly.
Enjoy the full article from Anxiety Canada: https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/how-to-solve-daily-life-problems/
Thinking Up New Solutions
Anxiety Canada
The biggest mistake that we tend to make when finding solutions for our problems is to think about the same old solutions. However, if those old solutions worked, the problem would not still be around. In order to come up with new solutions, you can follow the rules of brainstorming:
Devise lots of solutions: You are more likely to come up with a good solution if you have a lot of solutions to choose from. Try to come up with at least 10 possible solutions to your problem.
Don’t judge your solutions: Remember that you aren’t choosing a solution yet, you are just trying to think of as many options as you can; so don’t judge them. Even silly, strange or extreme solutions are good ones at this stage. For the work problem, you might think about solutions like “quit my job” or “organize a strike”. Write them down! You will never come up with new solutions if you aren’t willing to even think about silly ones.
Have a variety of solutions: Make sure that your solutions are different from each other. For example, with the work problem, there is not much variety if your solutions are to “ask the boss to have lunch with me”, “ask the boss to have coffee with me”, or “ask the boss to come out to dinner”. Although these are 3 solutions, they are basically all the same solution: ask the boss to do something social with you.
REMEMBER: When it comes to difficult problems, the first idea that comes to your mind is not always the best. Take the time to come up with new possibilities.
Some other tips for thinking up lots of different solutions are:
Be specific: Make sure that your solutions involve specific behaviours, and not general strategies. For example, the solution, “give the boss a list of all the work I am doing now” is very specific, compared to the solution, “be more assertive with my boss”. If you picked the latter solution, you would have a new problem — figuring out how to be more assertive.
Ask for help: If you are having a hard time coming up with new and different solutions to your problem, ask friends, family or coworkers for advice. Other people might have ideas that you have not even thought of.
Deciding On A Solution
If you struggle with anxiety, actually picking a solution to your problem can often seem quite difficult. However, it is important to remember that not solving a problem can lead to more anxiety than trying to solve it, no matter how anxious you feel. The following are some guidelines that can help you find the best solution to your problem.
REMEMBER: The goal is to find the best solution to your problem, NOT the perfect solution. If there was a “perfect” solution, you would have already found it.
Will this solution fix my problem and help me reach my goals? This guideline might seem obvious, however, it is important to make sure that your solution will help you reach your goals. For example, “work harder” as a solution to the work problem will not help you reach your goal of having less work to do in a day.
How much time and effort does this solution involve? You can expect that any solution will require some time and effort but the amount involved needs to be related to your needs. “Quitting my job” as a solution to the work problem might involve a great deal of effort, since you would have to start looking for a new job.
How will I feel if I pick this solution? If you think that a solution will make you feel bad, guilty or too anxious, it might not be the best solution. For example, “lie to the boss about how much work I actually did” might make you feel bad.
What are the costs and benefits of this solution to myself and others, right now and in the long-term? The best solution will have the most benefits and the fewest costs possible. But when thinking about costs and benefits you want to think about how a solution will affect:You right now and in the futureOther people in your life right now and in the futureFor example, if you picked the solution, “blame my coworkers for work that isn’t done”, this might solve your problem right now, but it will probably seriously affect your relationship with your coworkers, and in the long-run your boss will probably find out. The costs of this solution seem to outweigh the benefits
REMEMBER: There is no perfect solution, so when you are judging each potential solution it is unlikely that it will meet all four criteria. That is, it probably won’t solve the problem with no time or effort, make you feel happy while doing it, and have no costs and only benefits. You are looking for a solution that BEST meets the criteria, not perfectly.
Enjoy the full article from Anxiety Canada: https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/how-to-solve-daily-life-problems/