Name the barrier!
When faced with a problem, it's common feel overwhelmed by the potential obstacles.
Stuck in The Mud
What's an example of "This is How I Always Do It!!"?
There's lots of examples! (In the past, you have always been able to call someone for help if your ride was late. Today, your phone is dead and you don’t have any way to charge it. Instead of coming up with different solutions, you start to get upset that your normal way of solving this problem isn’t available.)
Jack tells his therapist about a problem he recently had. "I wanted to go to a movie over the weekend but one of my staff was sick so no one else could take me. Usually when this happens I'll call my mom and she takes me but she couldn't." His therapist asked what he did to solve this problem. "Nothing! No one could take me so I just sat at home all night."
This is How I Always Do It!!
True or False:
It is always a bad thing to try solutions that have worked in the past to solve a new problem.
False! It's not necessarily a bad thing to try problem-solving methods that have worked in the past. Just remember it's alright to try something new!
Trying to solve a problem using similar methods that may have worked in the past.
This is How I Always Do it!!
What's an example of "Stuck in the Mud"?
There are a lot of examples!! (Wanting to buy a new phone but getting stuck on the fact that you don't have enough money yet. Your ride is late and you get stuck on why they are late and how long it might take for them to come. Etc.)
Mia was drawing quietly in her room, something she often does to relax, and she was having a hard time getting the picture right. She tried over and over to get the picture right and eventually her paper was so filled with eraser marks that it was hard to see what she was drawing. She felt so stuck in trying to fix the paper she was working on that she started to feel stressed.
Stuck in a Box
True or False:
Being stuck in a box makes it hard to think of different kinds of solutions.
True! When you get stuck thinking of the problem in one way, it can be really difficult to problem-solve.
When trying to solve a problem, people often get distracted by details that aren't related to the problem.
Distractions
What's an example of "Stuck in a Box"?
There are lots of examples! (You ran out of your favorite milk for your cereal. Normally when this happens, you go with a staff to the store and buy your milk, but today that store is closed. You have a hard time problem-solving because the solution you normally use isn't an option this time.)
Tom is trying to problem-solve with his friend, Ryan. Ryan is trying to decide between buying two movies. Ryan says "I really want to buy Inside Out 2 but I also really want to buy Moana 2. My little sister keeps telling me to buy Inside Out 2 and my old brother keeps telling me to buy Moana 2. I feel like I can't choose because they both want different things." To help his friend, Tom says "Ryan, remember you are buying these movies for you to watch, not them. Don't get distracted by the extra details!".
Distractions
True or False:
The more complex a problem is, the least likely you are to get distracted by details that aren't related to the problem.
False! When a problem is really complex or complicated, it's easy to get distracted by details that aren't related to the problem.
This is the opposite of thinking outside of the box.
Stuck in a Box
What's an example of "Distractions"?
There are lots of examples! (It's a snow day and your whole house has to stay home. You were supposed to meet a friend after program but you don’t think that’s a good idea anymore. In trying to solve this problem, you get distracted by a housemate telling you that you’re never going to be able to see that friend.)
Lilly had an argument with staff during the last group. She really wants to make up with them but doesn't know where to start because all she can think about is how the staff might never forgive her.
Stuck in the Mud
True or False:
A common barrier to problem-solving is feeling overwhelmed by potential obstacles.
True! It's hard for some people to get past the potential obstacles of a problem which makes it hard to problem-solve.