Problem-Solving │Mental Health│Anxiety│Life Management Skills
When You Need a Break From the Damn Problem
We attempt to sit with our problems until we figure them out, but sometimes we need a break.
Yes, we should face our problems and challenges. Complacency and ignoring your problems are not the answer. We should face our problems head-on, but…
Not always. Sometimes we need a damn break before our problems, worries, frustrations, and challenges break us. Nah, this ain’t your average self-help, self-improvement article.
Warning, This is:
In their story, Need a Break? 52 Ways to Do It — When You Need It Most, written by Lolly Daskal, CEO and President of Lead From Within, Inc.com recommends, that we take a break from our problems:
Take a quiet moment to be aware of your thoughts. Focus with full concentration on being still, at least for a few minutes, to go from restless to relaxed.
Taking a break from the problem allows you to have a moment to clear your mind and come back to the problem or challenge with a renewed awareness, a different perspective, or just a calmer mind.
Have you ever forgotten where you put something? You search all over your home, try to track your steps, sit down on your couch, take a breath, and there it is, right in front of you.
Why does this happen?
Have you ever racked your brain trying to remember the name of a song, and when you forget about it, the name pops into your mind?
Well, it’s anxiety.
In other words, when your anxiety levels are high, your brain is working with incredible inefficiency.
General anxiety not only impacts your ability to devise solutions to problems that arise in your life as a student or a professional, but it can also impact problem-solving abilities within your social life as well. — Texas Health Education Services
So, figuring out the best way to handle a problem or a challenge is even more complicated when experiencing anxiety, whether the problem is professional, academic, or social.
It’s Okay to Step Away
Most of the time, when we are anxious and feel like a problem or challenge is overwhelming us, it is because we feel stuck. We don’t feel any movement towards a solution. Taking a step back from the problem or challenge can make it easier to clear your thoughts and assess where you are.
We can use this time wisely when we step away. And here are seven effective ways we can invest our time for better results:
1 We can invest our time in Reflection. Reflection is not a waste of time. When we take a break to reflect, we can see what we’ve done so far to address a problem or answer a challenge. Reflection helps us review our actions to see if we are getting the desired results.
2 We can invest our time towards introspection. Introspection isn’t a review of the problem as much as investing time to determine what we want to achieve. We can get so lost in solving a problem we lose sight of what we were attempting to accomplish before the problem happened.
3 We invest our time in re-evaluating the plan. Often, a great plan comes tumbling down because it needs to. We may think we have all the elements to solve a problem, but the plan might suck.
4 We can invest time in rebuilding our confidence. Many football players will tell you. You can take a good whipping in the first half of a game, and during halftime, you can get that necessary pep-talk in the locker room and come back with brand new confidence in your game plan.
5 We can invest time in contemplating a pivot for a different trajectory. A problem may not need a significant change to solve it. We may only need a slight pivot in the right direction. When we step back and contemplate our actions, we may see where we may be making drastic changes where changes aren’t necessary.
6 We can invest time in finding help from other people or resources. We may need a break to find someone to help us. When we are in the middle of problems, we may be too stubborn to ask for help. But if we take a break, our ego can subside, and we can see we may need to seek help or advice from someone else.
7 We can invest time in stillness and do absolutely nothing. When our anxiety is high, and we are doing our damnedest to solve a problem or face a challenge, our best answer at the time may be to do nothing. Nothing but sit calmly and let the stress and anxiety release.
We don’t have to feel guilty if we need to step back. At times, taking a step back is just what you need to spring ahead.
Give yourself a break. Stop. Breathe. It’s okay—no need to charge full steam ahead at every problem.
Fam, I’m curious. Do you sometimes need a break from your problems? How do you use your time away from your problems?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
