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How to Solve a Problem

Last Updated: April 3, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Rachel Clissold . Rachel Clissold is a Life Coach and Consultant in Sydney, Australia. With over six years of coaching experience and over 17 years of corporate training, Rachel specializes in helping business leaders move through internal roadblocks, gain more freedom and clarity, and optimize their company’s efficiency and productivity. Rachel uses a wide range of techniques including coaching, intuitive guidance, neuro-linguistic programming, and holistic biohacking to help clients overcome fear, break through limitations, and bring their epic visions to life. Rachel is an acclaimed Reiki Master Practitioner, Qualified practitioner in NLP, EFT, Hypnosis & Past Life Regression. She has created events with up to 500 people around Australia, United Kingdom, Bali, and Costa Rica. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,306,042 times.

How you deal with challenges will often determine your success and happiness. If you’re stuck on how to solve a problem, try defining it and breaking it into smaller pieces. Choose whether to approach the problem logically or whether you should think about how the outcome might make you feel. Find ways to creatively approach your problems by working with other people and approaching the problem from a different perspective.

Approaching the Problem

Step 1 Define the problem.

  • For example, if your room is constantly messy, the problem might not be that you’re a messy person. It might be that you lack containers or places to put your items in an organized way.
  • Try to be as clear and thorough as possible when defining the problem. If it is a personal issue, be honest with yourself as to the causes of the problem. If it is a logistics problem, determine exactly where and when the problem occurs.
  • Determine whether the problem is real or self-created. Do you need to solve this problem or is this about something you want? Putting things in perspective can help you navigate the problem-solving process.

Step 2 Make important decisions first.

  • For example, you might have several problems to solve and need to decide which ones to tackle first. Solving one problem may ease tension or take stress off of another problem.
  • Once you make a decision, don’t doubt yourself. Be willing to look forward from that point on without wondering what would have happened had you chosen something else.

Step 3 Simplify the problem.

  • For example, if you need to turn in many assignments to pass a class, focus on how many you have to do and approach them one by one.
  • Try to combine and solve problems together whenever possible. For example, if you're running out of time to study, try listening to a recorded lecture while walking to class or flip through note cards as you're waiting for dinner.

Rachel Clissold

  • For example, if you’re trying to pass a cumulative test, figure out what you already know and what you need to study for. Review everything you already know, then start learning more information from your notes, textbook, or other resources that may help you.

Step 5 Anticipate future outcomes.

  • Pay attention to know these scenarios make you feel.

Step 6 Allocate your resources.

  • For example, if you have a deadline, you may skip cooking dinner or going to the gym so that you can give that time to your project.
  • Cut down on unnecessary tasks whenever possible. For example, you might get your groceries delivered to you to save on shopping time. You can spend that time instead on other tasks.

Taking a Creative Approach

Step 1 Brainstorm different solutions.

  • If you’re making a complex decision, write down your alternatives. This way, you won’t forget any options and will be able to cross off any that aren’t plausible.
  • For example, you might be hungry and need something to eat. Think about whether you want to cook food, get fast food, order takeout, or sit down at a restaurant.

Step 2 Try different approaches to a problem.

  • Problems like accepting the job across the country that offers good pay but takes you away from your family may require different ways of approach. Consider the logical solution, but also consider your thoughts, feelings, and the way the decision affects others.

Step 3 Get advice from others.

  • For example, if you’re buying a home and not sure how to make your final decision, talk to other homeowners about their thoughts or regrets about buying a home.

Step 4 Monitor your progress.

  • For example, if you’re having financial difficulties, notice how your efforts are affecting the money coming in and the money you’re spending. If keeping a budget helps, keep with it. If using cash exclusively is a headache, try something else.
  • Keep a journal where you record your progress, successes, and challenges. You can look at this for motivation when you are feeling discouraged.

Managing Your Emotions While Confronting Difficulties

Step 1 Calm...

  • The first step is often the scariest. Try doing something small to start. For example, if you're trying to become more active, start going for daily walks.

Step 2 Address any underlying problems.

  • For example, if you’re overwhelmed by having a long to-do list, maybe the problems isn’t the list, but not saying “no” to things you can’t do.
  • If you're feeling stressed, angry, or overwhelmed, you may be burned out. Make a list of things that cause stress or frustration. Try to cut down on these in the future. If you start feeling overwhelmed again, it may be a sign that you need to cut back.

Step 3 Work with a therapist.

  • Find a therapist by calling your local mental health clinic or your insurance provider. You can also get a recommendation from a physician or friend.

Expert Q&A

Rachel Clissold

  • If you start feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, take a breather. Realize that every problem has a solution, but sometimes you're so wrapped up in it that you can't see anything but the problem. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Don't turn away from your problems. It will come back sooner or later and it will be more difficult to solve. Common sense can help to reduce the size of the problem. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

how to solve my problem

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  • ↑ https://hbr.org/2017/06/how-you-define-the-problem-determines-whether-you-solve-it
  • ↑ https://www.cuesta.edu/student/resources/ssc/study_guides/critical_thinking/106_think_decisions.html
  • ↑ https://au.reachout.com/articles/a-step-by-step-guide-to-problem-solving
  • ↑ Rachel Clissold. Certified Life Coach. Expert Interview. 26 August 2020.
  • ↑ https://serc.carleton.edu/geoethics/Decision-Making
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positive-psychology-in-the-classroom/201303/visualize-the-good-and-the-bad
  • ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/operations-research/Resource-allocation
  • ↑ https://www.niu.edu/citl/resources/guides/instructional-guide/brainstorming.shtml
  • ↑ https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/N_R/Problem-solving
  • ↑ https://www.collegetransfer.net/Home/ChangeSwitchTransfer/I-want-to/Earn-My-College-Degree/Overcoming-Obstacles
  • ↑ https://psychcentral.com/lib/5-ways-to-solve-all-your-problems/
  • ↑ https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/understanding

About This Article

Rachel Clissold

To solve a problem, start by brainstorming and writing down any solutions you can think of. Then, go through your list of solutions and cross off any that aren't plausible. Once you know what realistic options you have, choose one of them that makes the most sense for your situation. If the solution is long or complex, try breaking it up into smaller, more manageable steps so you don't get overwhelmed. Then, focus on one step at a time until you've solved your problem. To learn how to manage your emotions when you're solving a particularly difficult problem, scroll down. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Problem-Solving Strategies and Obstacles

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

how to solve my problem

Sean is a fact-checker and researcher with experience in sociology, field research, and data analytics.

how to solve my problem

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From deciding what to eat for dinner to considering whether it's the right time to buy a house, problem-solving is a large part of our daily lives. Learn some of the problem-solving strategies that exist and how to use them in real life, along with ways to overcome obstacles that are making it harder to resolve the issues you face.

What Is Problem-Solving?

In cognitive psychology , the term 'problem-solving' refers to the mental process that people go through to discover, analyze, and solve problems.

A problem exists when there is a goal that we want to achieve but the process by which we will achieve it is not obvious to us. Put another way, there is something that we want to occur in our life, yet we are not immediately certain how to make it happen.

Maybe you want a better relationship with your spouse or another family member but you're not sure how to improve it. Or you want to start a business but are unsure what steps to take. Problem-solving helps you figure out how to achieve these desires.

The problem-solving process involves:

  • Discovery of the problem
  • Deciding to tackle the issue
  • Seeking to understand the problem more fully
  • Researching available options or solutions
  • Taking action to resolve the issue

Before problem-solving can occur, it is important to first understand the exact nature of the problem itself. If your understanding of the issue is faulty, your attempts to resolve it will also be incorrect or flawed.

Problem-Solving Mental Processes

Several mental processes are at work during problem-solving. Among them are:

  • Perceptually recognizing the problem
  • Representing the problem in memory
  • Considering relevant information that applies to the problem
  • Identifying different aspects of the problem
  • Labeling and describing the problem

Problem-Solving Strategies

There are many ways to go about solving a problem. Some of these strategies might be used on their own, or you may decide to employ multiple approaches when working to figure out and fix a problem.

An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure that, by following certain "rules" produces a solution. Algorithms are commonly used in mathematics to solve division or multiplication problems. But they can be used in other fields as well.

In psychology, algorithms can be used to help identify individuals with a greater risk of mental health issues. For instance, research suggests that certain algorithms might help us recognize children with an elevated risk of suicide or self-harm.

One benefit of algorithms is that they guarantee an accurate answer. However, they aren't always the best approach to problem-solving, in part because detecting patterns can be incredibly time-consuming.

There are also concerns when machine learning is involved—also known as artificial intelligence (AI)—such as whether they can accurately predict human behaviors.

Heuristics are shortcut strategies that people can use to solve a problem at hand. These "rule of thumb" approaches allow you to simplify complex problems, reducing the total number of possible solutions to a more manageable set.

If you find yourself sitting in a traffic jam, for example, you may quickly consider other routes, taking one to get moving once again. When shopping for a new car, you might think back to a prior experience when negotiating got you a lower price, then employ the same tactics.

While heuristics may be helpful when facing smaller issues, major decisions shouldn't necessarily be made using a shortcut approach. Heuristics also don't guarantee an effective solution, such as when trying to drive around a traffic jam only to find yourself on an equally crowded route.

Trial and Error

A trial-and-error approach to problem-solving involves trying a number of potential solutions to a particular issue, then ruling out those that do not work. If you're not sure whether to buy a shirt in blue or green, for instance, you may try on each before deciding which one to purchase.

This can be a good strategy to use if you have a limited number of solutions available. But if there are many different choices available, narrowing down the possible options using another problem-solving technique can be helpful before attempting trial and error.

In some cases, the solution to a problem can appear as a sudden insight. You are facing an issue in a relationship or your career when, out of nowhere, the solution appears in your mind and you know exactly what to do.

Insight can occur when the problem in front of you is similar to an issue that you've dealt with in the past. Although, you may not recognize what is occurring since the underlying mental processes that lead to insight often happen outside of conscious awareness .

Research indicates that insight is most likely to occur during times when you are alone—such as when going on a walk by yourself, when you're in the shower, or when lying in bed after waking up.

How to Apply Problem-Solving Strategies in Real Life

If you're facing a problem, you can implement one or more of these strategies to find a potential solution. Here's how to use them in real life:

  • Create a flow chart . If you have time, you can take advantage of the algorithm approach to problem-solving by sitting down and making a flow chart of each potential solution, its consequences, and what happens next.
  • Recall your past experiences . When a problem needs to be solved fairly quickly, heuristics may be a better approach. Think back to when you faced a similar issue, then use your knowledge and experience to choose the best option possible.
  • Start trying potential solutions . If your options are limited, start trying them one by one to see which solution is best for achieving your desired goal. If a particular solution doesn't work, move on to the next.
  • Take some time alone . Since insight is often achieved when you're alone, carve out time to be by yourself for a while. The answer to your problem may come to you, seemingly out of the blue, if you spend some time away from others.

Obstacles to Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is not a flawless process as there are a number of obstacles that can interfere with our ability to solve a problem quickly and efficiently. These obstacles include:

  • Assumptions: When dealing with a problem, people can make assumptions about the constraints and obstacles that prevent certain solutions. Thus, they may not even try some potential options.
  • Functional fixedness : This term refers to the tendency to view problems only in their customary manner. Functional fixedness prevents people from fully seeing all of the different options that might be available to find a solution.
  • Irrelevant or misleading information: When trying to solve a problem, it's important to distinguish between information that is relevant to the issue and irrelevant data that can lead to faulty solutions. The more complex the problem, the easier it is to focus on misleading or irrelevant information.
  • Mental set: A mental set is a tendency to only use solutions that have worked in the past rather than looking for alternative ideas. A mental set can work as a heuristic, making it a useful problem-solving tool. However, mental sets can also lead to inflexibility, making it more difficult to find effective solutions.

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

In the end, if your goal is to become a better problem-solver, it's helpful to remember that this is a process. Thus, if you want to improve your problem-solving skills, following these steps can help lead you to your solution:

  • Recognize that a problem exists . If you are facing a problem, there are generally signs. For instance, if you have a mental illness , you may experience excessive fear or sadness, mood changes, and changes in sleeping or eating habits. Recognizing these signs can help you realize that an issue exists.
  • Decide to solve the problem . Make a conscious decision to solve the issue at hand. Commit to yourself that you will go through the steps necessary to find a solution.
  • Seek to fully understand the issue . Analyze the problem you face, looking at it from all sides. If your problem is relationship-related, for instance, ask yourself how the other person may be interpreting the issue. You might also consider how your actions might be contributing to the situation.
  • Research potential options . Using the problem-solving strategies mentioned, research potential solutions. Make a list of options, then consider each one individually. What are some pros and cons of taking the available routes? What would you need to do to make them happen?
  • Take action . Select the best solution possible and take action. Action is one of the steps required for change . So, go through the motions needed to resolve the issue.
  • Try another option, if needed . If the solution you chose didn't work, don't give up. Either go through the problem-solving process again or simply try another option.

You can find a way to solve your problems as long as you keep working toward this goal—even if the best solution is simply to let go because no other good solution exists.

Sarathy V. Real world problem-solving .  Front Hum Neurosci . 2018;12:261. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261

Dunbar K. Problem solving . A Companion to Cognitive Science . 2017. doi:10.1002/9781405164535.ch20

Stewart SL, Celebre A, Hirdes JP, Poss JW. Risk of suicide and self-harm in kids: The development of an algorithm to identify high-risk individuals within the children's mental health system . Child Psychiat Human Develop . 2020;51:913-924. doi:10.1007/s10578-020-00968-9

Rosenbusch H, Soldner F, Evans AM, Zeelenberg M. Supervised machine learning methods in psychology: A practical introduction with annotated R code . Soc Personal Psychol Compass . 2021;15(2):e12579. doi:10.1111/spc3.12579

Mishra S. Decision-making under risk: Integrating perspectives from biology, economics, and psychology . Personal Soc Psychol Rev . 2014;18(3):280-307. doi:10.1177/1088868314530517

Csikszentmihalyi M, Sawyer K. Creative insight: The social dimension of a solitary moment . In: The Systems Model of Creativity . 2015:73-98. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9085-7_7

Chrysikou EG, Motyka K, Nigro C, Yang SI, Thompson-Schill SL. Functional fixedness in creative thinking tasks depends on stimulus modality .  Psychol Aesthet Creat Arts . 2016;10(4):425‐435. doi:10.1037/aca0000050

Huang F, Tang S, Hu Z. Unconditional perseveration of the short-term mental set in chunk decomposition .  Front Psychol . 2018;9:2568. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02568

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Warning signs and symptoms .

Mayer RE. Thinking, problem solving, cognition, 2nd ed .

Schooler JW, Ohlsson S, Brooks K. Thoughts beyond words: When language overshadows insight. J Experiment Psychol: General . 1993;122:166-183. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.2.166

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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What Is Problem Solving?

By the Mind Tools Content Team

how to solve my problem

We all spend a lot of our time solving problems, both at work and in our personal lives.

Some problems are small, and we can quickly sort them out ourselves. But others are complex challenges that take collaboration, creativity, and a considerable amount of effort to solve.

At work, the types of problems we face depend largely on the organizations we're in and the jobs we do. A manager in a cleaning company, for example, might spend their day untangling staffing issues, resolving client complaints, and sorting out problems with equipment and supplies. An aircraft designer, on the other hand, might be grappling with a problem about aerodynamics, or trying to work out why a new safety feature isn't working. Meanwhile, a politician might be exploring solutions to racial injustice or climate change.

But whatever issues we face, there are some common ways to tackle them effectively. And we can all boost our confidence and ability to succeed by building a strong set of problem-solving skills.

Mind Tools offers a large collection of resources to help you do just that!

How Well Do You Solve Problems?

Start by taking an honest look at your existing skills. What's your current approach to solving problems, and how well is it working? Our quiz, How Good Is Your Problem Solving? lets you analyze your abilities, and signposts ways to address any areas of weakness.

Define Every Problem

The first step in solving a problem is understanding what that problem actually is. You need to be sure that you're dealing with the real problem – not its symptoms. For example, if performance in your department is substandard, you might think that the problem lies with the individuals submitting work. However, if you look a bit deeper, the real issue might be a general lack of training, or an unreasonable workload across the team.

Tools like 5 Whys , Appreciation and Root Cause Analysis get you asking the right questions, and help you to work through the layers of a problem to uncover what's really going on.

However, defining a problem doesn't mean deciding how to solve it straightaway. It's important to look at the issue from a variety of perspectives. If you commit yourself too early, you can end up with a short-sighted solution. The CATWOE checklist provides a powerful reminder to look at many elements that may contribute to the problem, keeping you open to a variety of possible solutions.

Understanding Complexity

As you define your problem, you'll often discover just how complicated it is. There are likely several interrelated issues involved. That's why it's important to have ways to visualize, simplify and make sense of this tangled mess!

Affinity Diagrams are great for organizing many different pieces of information into common themes, and for understanding the relationships between them.

Another popular tool is the Cause-and-Effect Diagram . To generate viable solutions, you need a solid understanding of what's causing the problem.

When your problem occurs within a business process, creating a Flow Chart , Swim Lane Diagram or a Systems Diagram will help you to see how various activities and inputs fit together. This may well highlight a missing element or bottleneck that's causing your problem.

Quite often, what seems to be a single problem turns out to be a whole series of problems. The Drill Down technique prompts you to split your problem into smaller, more manageable parts.

General Problem-Solving Tools

When you understand the problem in front of you, you’re ready to start solving it. With your definition to guide you, you can generate several possible solutions, choose the best one, then put it into action. That's the four-step approach at the heart of good problem solving.

There are various problem-solving styles to use. For example:

  • Constructive Controversy is a way of widening perspectives and energizing discussions.
  • Inductive Reasoning makes the most of people’s experiences and know-how, and can speed up solution finding.
  • Means-End Analysis can bring extra clarity to your thinking, and kick-start the process of implementing solutions.

Specific Problem-Solving Systems

Some particularly complicated or important problems call for a more comprehensive process. Again, Mind Tools has a range of approaches to try, including:

  • Simplex , which involves an eight-stage process: problem finding, fact finding, defining the problem, idea finding, selecting and evaluating, planning, selling the idea, and acting. These steps build upon the basic, four-step process described above, and they create a cycle of problem finding and solving that will continually improve your organization.
  • Appreciative Inquiry , which is a uniquely positive way of solving problems by examining what's working well in the areas surrounding them.
  • Soft Systems Methodology , which takes you through four stages to uncover more details about what's creating your problem, and then define actions that will improve the situation.

Further Problem-Solving Strategies

Good problem solving requires a number of other skills – all of which are covered by Mind Tools.

For example, we have a large section of resources to improve your Creativity , so that you come up with a range of possible solutions.

By strengthening your Decision Making , you'll be better at evaluating the options, selecting the best ones, then choosing how to implement them.

And our Project Management collection has valuable advice for strengthening the whole problem-solving process. The resources there will help you to make effective changes – and then keep them working long term.

Problems are an inescapable part of life, both in and out of work. So we can all benefit from having strong problem-solving skills.

It's important to understand your current approach to problem solving, and to know where and how to improve.

Define every problem you encounter – and understand its complexity, rather than trying to solve it too soon.

There's a range of general problem-solving approaches, helping you to generate possible answers, choose the best ones, and then implement your solution.

Some complicated or serious problems require more specific problem-solving systems, especially when they relate to business processes.

By boosting your creativity, decision-making and project-management skills, you’ll become even better at solving all the problems you face.

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Problem solving

Worrying is a natural response to life's problems. But when it takes over and we can start to feel overwhelmed, it can really help to take a step back and break things down.

Learning new ways to work through your problems can make them feel more manageable, and improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

Video: Problem solving

The tips in this video can help you to find strategies and solutions for tackling the problems that can be solved, and learning how to manage and cope with those that cannot.

Steps and strategies to help you solve problems

1. focus on your values.

Feeling like you have lots of problems to solve in different areas of your life can make it difficult to know how and where to start.

A great way to focus is to write down a few areas of your life that are most important to you right now – for example, a relationship, finances or a long-term goal like studying or developing your career.

This can make it easier to prioritise which problems to tackle.

2. Tackle problems with possible solutions first

It's important to work out if your problem can be solved or is a "hypothetical worry" – things that are out of your control even though you might think about them often.

They might be based on something that happened in the past that cannot be changed or a worry about the future that starts with "what if…".

Ask yourself whether a problem can be dealt with by doing something practical. If the answer is no, it's a hypothetical worry.

Make a list of your problems, and work out which are solvable and which are hypothetical.

3. Set aside time to work through solvable problems

Set aside 5 or 10 minutes to think about possible solutions for one of your solvable problems.

Try to be as open-minded as you can, even if some ideas feel silly. Thinking broadly and creatively is often when the best solutions come to mind.

It may feel difficult at first but, over time, this approach can start to feel easier.

Once you have some ideas, think through or write down:

  • the pros and cons of each solution
  • whether it's likely to work
  • if you have everything you need to try it

4. Make a plan

The next step is to choose a solution you want to try and make a plan for putting it into action. Try to be specific:

  • What are you going to do?
  • Do you need the support of anybody else?
  • How much time do you need?
  • When will you do it?

5. Try 'worry time'

Not all of our problems can be solved right away, but it can be difficult to switch off and stop ourselves from dwelling on them.

Using the "worry time" technique to stick to a short set time – say 10 to 15 minutes in the evening – for worrying can make this much easier to manage.

You can learn more about the worry time technique on tackling your worries .

6. Find time to relax

Worrying about our problems can make it harder to relax, but there are lots of things you can try to help you clear your mind and feel calmer.

The most important thing is to find what works for you. It might be getting active, spending time on an existing hobby or trying a new one, or techniques like mindfulness, meditation or our progressive muscle relaxation exercise.

Video: Progressive muscle relaxation

This video will guide you through an exercise to help you recognise when you're starting to get tense, and relax your body and mind.

7. Review and reflect

Once you start trying new approaches to solving and managing problems, consider setting aside time to review what went well with your solutions or anything else you noticed.

Make notes of the problems you face and any strategies you use to overcome them. This can come in handy later on and also be a good reminder of what works best for you.

Ticking off on a checklist any problems you manage to solve is a great way to recognise your achievements and boost your confidence.

8. Give journaling a go

Sometimes getting our thoughts out of our head – and down onto paper, our phones or anything else – is a great way to stop our worries and "what ifs" from spiralling out of control.

Expressing ourselves in this way can also make it easier to spot when our thoughts are unhelpful and we may benefit from a more balanced outlook. Give it a go to see if this works for you.

More self-help CBT techniques you can try

Bouncing back from life's challenges.

Taking steps to stay on top of your mental wellbeing and build resilience can really help you deal with problems when times are tougher. Learn more, and see tips and techniques you can use.

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Tackling your worries

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Facing your fears

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Staying on top of things

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Google pixel fold: common problems and how to solve them.

Here's how to resolve some of the biggest problems with Google's first foldable

The Google Pixel Fold does many things well, but it also has problems, so it struggles to compete with other popular foldable Android phones. However, you can solve many of these problems and turn the problematic phone into a great one.

We walk you through the biggest problems with the Pixel Fold and how to solve or mitigate them. We recommend exploring all the best features of the Pixel Fold , as its unique elements help it stand out in the ever-narrowing crowd of Android phones.

Apps don't scale properly in horizontal mode

One of the biggest and most noticeable problems with the Pixel Fold is the inconsistent scaling applied to apps. While most of Google's apps are designed to fit the Pixel Fold's outer and inner screens in horizontal or landscape mode, some popular apps, including Instagram and Yelp, don't.

The only "fix" for this is to keep your Pixel Fold in portrait mode. Portrait mode doesn't create as many errors, thanks to the phone's unique aspect ratio. We recommend keeping landscape mode for apps like Calendar or Drive or for watching media.

instragram on pixel fold in horizontal mode

Battery charges slow and doesn't last long

Many users have noted the Pixel Fold's poor charging speeds and battery life. The Pixel Fold has a max charging speed of 21W, so you can't solve this by buying a new charging brick. However, there are a few ways you can improve its battery life.

You can increase the phone's battery life by activating adaptive battery, turning off smooth display, and adjusting your Pixel Fold's screen brightness. We have a detailed guide on all the settings you can tweak to improve the Pixel Fold's battery life.

The inner screen turns on when the Pixel Fold is closed

When closed, pressing the Pixel Fold's power button might turn on the inner screen alongside the outer screen. This is not an issue with the Pixel Fold, but with some cases that use magnets in their design. These magnets interfere with the inner screen, causing it to turn on unexpectedly alongside other problems.

The only way to resolve this is to buy a case without magnets. There are plenty of great Pixel Fold cases that don't use magnets. Double-check before you buy, as they often don't clearly state whether they use magnets.

Permanent damage to the inner screen

Complaints about the durability of the Pixel Fold were widespread even before it launched, with some reviewers noting the phone's inner screen broke after a few days of use. If your Pixel Fold arrived broken or has other hardware issues, contact Google Support for a replacement or fix. We recommend taking preventative steps to avoid it breaking in the first place.

Many of the inner screen issues stem from a small gap in the hinge, which traps particles between the Pixel Fold's bezel and screen protector. This is an issue across foldables. Buy a case that doesn't leave a gap around the hinge (like the spine of a hardback book) that can minimize the amount of dust entering the phone.

Hinge doesn't lie flat

The Pixel Fold stops a few degrees short of lying flat when opened. If you apply force, you can make it lie completely flat for a while, but we don't recommend doing this. After some time with the Fold, we found that the phone became more resistant to lying flat the longer we used it. Applying more force can cause issues with the hinge.

Don't apply additional pressure when opening the Pixel Fold. One of the best things about the phone is that the hinge holds it tight at any angle apart from flat. Open it to its limit and leave it there.

Unresponsive outer screen

The inner and outer screens of the Pixel Fold aren't identical. While the outer screen is higher quality than the inner, users have noted that it can become unresponsive. Opening and closing the phone is a temporary fix. You can also tweak some settings for a permanent solution.

  • Open your Pixel Fold's Settings app.
  • Scroll down and tap Display .

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If this doesn't solve the problem, follow Google's official guide to fix a Pixel screen that isn't working correctly.

Apps disappear when opening the Pixel Fold

If two apps are open simultaneously on the Pixel Fold's inner screen, closing the phone causes one app to disappear when you reopen it. This is intended behavior. The Pixel Fold only keeps the active app open on the inner screen when the phone is closed.

There is no way to resolve this problem. You can minimize the frustration by tapping the more important app once before closing the phone. This ensures it stays open when reopening the phone.

Internal temperature becomes uncomfortably hot

The Pixel Fold is more prone to overheating than any other Pixel phone. This is a design flaw. There isn't a way to permanently stop it from growing uncomfortably warm. However, you can do a few things to keep the internal temperature low. If you're charging your Pixel Fold or are in a warm environment, don't perform these actions:

  • Take high-resolution photographs or videos.
  • Watch a video over a mobile connection.
  • Multitask with intensive apps.

Don't let the Pixel Fold ruin your view of foldables

The Pixel Fold suffers from many problems that aren't common to all foldables. If your experience with the Pixel Fold is too frustrating, we recommend exploring the other great Android foldables .

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Five questions to help leaders discover the right analytics tool for the job.

AI moves quickly, but organizations change much more slowly. What works in a lab may be wrong for your company right now. If you know the right questions to ask, you can make better decisions, regardless of how fast technology changes. You can work with your technical experts to use the right tool for the right job. Then each solution today becomes a foundation to build further innovations tomorrow. But without the right questions, you’ll be starting your journey in the wrong place.

Leaders everywhere are rightly asking about how Generative AI can benefit their businesses. However, as impressive as generative AI is, it’s only one of many advanced data science and analytics techniques. While the world is focusing on generative AI, a better approach is to understand how to use the range of available analytics tools to address your company’s needs. Which analytics tool fits the problem you’re trying to solve? And how do you avoid choosing the wrong one? You don’t need to know deep details about each analytics tool at your disposal, but you do need to know enough to envision what’s possible and to ask technical experts the right questions.

  • George Westerman is a Senior Lecturer in MIT Sloan School of Management and founder of the Global Opportunity Forum  in MIT’s Office of Open Learning.
  • SR Sam Ransbotham is a Professor of Business Analytics at the Boston College Carroll School of Management. He co-hosts the “Me, Myself, and AI” podcast.
  • Chiara Farronato is the Glenn and Mary Jane Creamer Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and co-principal investigator at the Platform Lab at Harvard’s Digital Design Institute (D^3). She is also a fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR).

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data canter

Can you solve it? The magical maths that keeps your data safe

How to protect machines against random failures

UPDATE: The solutions can be read here

I’ve temporarily moved to Berkeley, California, where I am the “science communicator in residence” at the Simons Institute , the world’s leading institute for collaborative research in theoretical computer science.

One nano-collaboration is today’s puzzle – told to me by a computer scientist at Microsoft I befriended over tea. It’s about data centres – those warehouses containing endless rows of computers that store all our data.

One problem faced by data centres is the unreliability of physical machines. Hard drives fail all the time, and when they do, all their data may be lost. How do companies like Microsoft make sure that they can recover the data from failed hard drives? The solution to the puzzle below is, in essence, the answer to this question.

An obvious strategy that a data centre could use to protect its machines from random failures is for every machine to have a duplicate. In this case, if a hard drive fails, you recover the data from the duplicate. This strategy, however, is not used because it is very inefficient. If you have 100 machines, you would need another 100 duplicates. There are better ways, as you will hopefully deduce!

The disappearing boxes

You have 100 boxes. Each box contains a single number in it, and no two boxes have the same number.

1. You are told that one of the boxes at random will be removed. But before it is removed you are given an extra box , and allowed to put a single number in it. What number do you put in the extra box that guarantees you will be able to recover the number of whichever box is removed?

2. You are told that two of the boxes at random will be removed. But before it is removed you are given two extra boxes, and allowed to put one number in each of them. What (different) numbers do you put in these two boxes that guarantees you will be able to recover the numbers of both removed boxes?

I’ll be back with the answers at 5pm UK. Meanwhile, NO SPOILERS, please discuss your favourite hard drives.

UPDATE: The solutions can be read here.

The analogy here is that each box is a hard drive, the number in the box is the data, and the removal of a box is the failure of the hard drive. With one extra hard drive, we are secure against the random failure of a single hard drive, and with two, we are secure against the failure of two. It seems magical that we can protect such a lot of information against random failures with minimal back-up.

The field of “error-correcting codes” is a large body of beautiful theories that provide answers to questions such as how to minimise the number of machines needed to protect against random failures of hard drives. And the theories work! Data centres never lose your data because of mechanical failure.

My tea companion was Sivakanth Gopi, a Principal Researcher at Microsoft. He said: “The magic of error correcting codes allows us to build reliable systems using noisy and faulty components. Thanks to them, we can communicate with someone as far away as the ends of our solar system and store billions of terabytes of data safely in the cloud. We can forget about the noise and complexity of this world and instead enjoy its beauty.”

I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me .

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Read our research on: Immigration & Migration | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

How americans view the situation at the u.s.-mexico border, its causes and consequences, 80% say the u.s. government is doing a bad job handling the migrant influx.

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Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand the public’s views about the large number of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. at the border with Mexico. For this analysis, we surveyed 5,140 adults from Jan. 16-21, 2024. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used for the report and its methodology .

The growing number of migrants seeking entry into the United States at its border with Mexico has strained government resources, divided Congress and emerged as a contentious issue in the 2024 presidential campaign .

Chart shows Why do Americans think there is an influx of migrants to the United States?

Americans overwhelmingly fault the government for how it has handled the migrant situation. Beyond that, however, there are deep differences – over why the migrants are coming to the U.S., proposals for addressing the situation, and even whether it should be described as a “crisis.”

Factors behind the migrant influx

Economic factors – either poor conditions in migrants’ home countries or better economic opportunities in the United States – are widely viewed as major reasons for the migrant influx.

About seven-in-ten Americans (71%), including majorities in both parties, cite better economic opportunities in the U.S. as a major reason.

There are wider partisan differences over other factors.

About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say violence in migrants’ home countries is a major reason for why a large number of immigrants have come to the border.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are 30 percentage points more likely than Republicans and Republican leaners to cite this as a major reason (79% vs. 49%).

By contrast, 76% of Republicans say the belief that U.S. immigration policies will make it easy to stay in the country once they arrive is a major factor. About half as many Democrats (39%) say the same.

For more on Americans’ views of these and other reasons, visit Chapter 2.

How serious is the situation at the border?

A sizable majority of Americans (78%) say the large number of migrants seeking to enter this country at the U.S.-Mexico border is eithera crisis (45%) or a major problem (32%), according to the Pew Research Center survey, conducted Jan. 16-21, 2024, among 5,140 adults.

Related: Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border hit a record high at the end of 2023 .

Chart shows Border situation viewed as a ‘crisis’ by most Republicans; Democrats are more likely to call it a ‘problem’

  • Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to describe the situation as a “crisis”: 70% of Republicans say this, compared with just 22% of Democrats.
  • Democrats mostly view the situation as a major problem (44%) or minor problem (26%) for the U.S. Very few Democrats (7%) say it is not a problem.

In an open-ended question , respondents voice their concerns about the migrant influx. They point to numerous issues, including worries about how the migrants are cared for and general problems with the immigration system.

Yet two concerns come up most frequently:

  • 22% point to the economic burdens associated with the migrant influx, including the strains migrants place on social services and other government resources.
  • 22% also cite security concerns. Many of these responses focus on crime (10%), terrorism (10%) and drugs (3%).

When asked specifically about the impact of the migrant influx on crime in the United States, a majority of Americans (57%) say the large number of migrants seeking to enter the country leads to more crime. Fewer (39%) say this does not have much of an impact on crime in this country.

Republicans (85%) overwhelmingly say the migrant surge leads to increased crime in the U.S. A far smaller share of Democrats (31%) say the same; 63% of Democrats instead say it does not have much of an impact.

Government widely criticized for its handling of migrant influx

For the past several years, the federal government has gotten low ratings for its handling of the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Note: The wording of this question has been modified modestly to reflect circumstances at the time).

Chart shows Only about a quarter of Democrats and even fewer Republicans say the government has done a good job dealing with large number of migrants at the border

However, the current ratings are extraordinarily low.

Just 18% say the U.S. government is doing a good job dealing with the large number of migrants at the border, while 80% say it is doing a bad job, including 45% who say it is doing a very bad job.

  • Republicans’ views are overwhelmingly negative (89% say it’s doing a bad job), as they have been since Joe Biden became president.
  • 73% of Democrats also give the government negative ratings, the highest share recorded during Biden’s presidency.

For more on Americans’ evaluations of the situation, visit Chapter 1 .

Which policies could improve the border situation?

There is no single policy proposal, among the nine included on the survey, that majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say would improve the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border. There are areas of relative agreement, however.

A 60% majority of Americans say that increasing the number of immigration judges and staff in order to make decisions on asylum more quickly would make the situation better. Only 11% say it would make things worse, while 14% think it would not make much difference.

Nearly as many (56%) say creating more opportunities for people to legally immigrate to the U.S. would make the situation better.

Chart shows Most Democrats and nearly half of Republicans say boosting resources for quicker decisions on asylum cases would improve situation at Mexico border

Majorities of Democrats say each of these proposals would make the border situation better.

Republicans are less positive than are Democrats; still, about 40% or more of Republicans say each would improve the situation, while far fewer say they would make things worse.

Opinions on other proposals are more polarized. For example, a 56% majority of Democrats say that adding resources to provide safe and sanitary conditions for migrants arriving in the U.S. would be a positive step forward.

Republicans not only are far less likely than Democrats to view this proposal positively, but far more say it would make the situation worse (43%) than better (17%).

Chart shows Wide partisan gaps in views of expanding border wall, providing ‘safe and sanitary conditions’ for migrants

Building or expanding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border was among the most divisive policies of Donald Trump’s presidency. In 2019, 82% of Republicans favored expanding the border wall , compared with just 6% of Democrats.

Today, 72% of Republicans say substantially expanding the wall along the U.S. border with Mexico would make the situation better. Just 15% of Democrats concur, with most saying either it would not make much of a difference (47%) or it would make things worse (24%).

For more on Americans’ reactions to policy proposals, visit Chapter 3 .

Facts are more important than ever

In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support our research with a financial contribution.

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Table of contents, fast facts on how greeks see migrants as greece-turkey border crisis deepens, americans’ immigration policy priorities: divisions between – and within – the two parties, from the archives: in ’60s, americans gave thumbs-up to immigration law that changed the nation, around the world, more say immigrants are a strength than a burden, latinos have become less likely to say there are too many immigrants in u.s., most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Joanne Davila Ph.D.

Stop Trying to Fix Things, Just Listen!

Do you give practical or emotional support it's the classic couples' dilemma..

Posted June 17, 2016 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

The short video “ It’s Not About the Nail ” by Jason Headly pokes fun at a dilemma that many couples can relate to: One person is upset about something and is looking for emotional support from the partner, but the partner only wants to try to solve the problem. The support-seeking person is frustrated because he or she doesn’t feel listened to. The support-providing person is frustrated because he or she doesn’t understand why the partner won’t simply take their advice to fix things. Oftentimes, this occurs in a gendered way. Stereotypically, it’s the woman who wants emotional support and the man who wants to problem solve, and that’s what’s depicted in the video.

Although the video is a very funny play on this dilemma, it’s not entirely clear what the message is for viewers because, for some, the video clearly suggests that the man is correct, whereas for others they see the woman as correct. The video is called “It’s Not About The Nail” because the woman has a big nail sticking out of her head. Her complaints are all related to the nail (e.g., “there’s pressure in my head, I can’t sleep, all my sweaters are snagged”), and every time he suggests that removing the nail would fix things, she says, “It’s not about the nail!” and gets angry at him for not listening to her.

People live with a “nail in their head” all the time, often to avoid the consequences or uncertainty surrounding taking it out. This can translate to hating your job, but staying in it because you don’t want to deal with not having a paycheck or trying to find a better job. You might be in an unhealthy relationship, but stay because you don’t want to face the loneliness or family disruption that a breakup or divorce would bring. Or you might not feel well, but decide not to take medication or get treatment because of possible side effects. These are common occurrences.

We all know how frustrating it can be to see a clear and obvious solution to a problem, to want to help someone fix it, and to have them not take our advice. We also all know how upsetting it can be to have someone not listen to our feelings, not validate our suffering, not just stop for a minute and take our perspective and let us know they understand.

Regardless of whether you’re a woman or a man, everyone needs both emotional support and practical help. Neither one is right or wrong, better or worse. The trick is knowing what is needed at any given moment and finding the right balance of listening and helping. Those are the hard things. But it’s possible for couples to find that balance using the skills of insight , mutuality , and emotion regulation .

Insight means being aware of and understanding yourself and your partner, recognizing the consequences of your actions, and learning from your mistakes. Mutuality means recognizing that both people have needs, both are legitimate, and both deserve to be met. Emotion regulation means managing your feelings in response to what is happening, expressing them in a calm way, and not acting in a hostile, critical, or impulsive manner. These skills apply to the “nail” dilemma in a lot of ways.

1. Recognize that you both have different ways in which you prefer to seek and provide support and work to understand each other’s perspective.

Just because someone has a nail sticking out of their head doesn't mean they don’t deserve the chance to express their feelings and have them validated. Perhaps they don’t yet understand that the nail is the problem. Perhaps they do, and they just need some emotional support before they will be able to do anything about it. Perhaps they believe the solution to the problem is going to cause worse pain or that it can’t actually be implemented. Take their perspective (they’re in pain and need you to soothe them), calm your own frustration, and give them what they want.

And just because someone is trying to problem solve with you, doesn’t mean they’re not listening and they don’t care about your feelings. In fact, it likely means they care deeply about your well-being and want you to be okay. They’re desperately trying to ease your pain. Use that insight to help you see their attempts as the benign caring help they’re trying to provide, and consider whether it’s a solution that might actually work, rather than dismissing it out of hand.

2. Don’t keep repeating things that don’t work.

Couples do this all the time. They keep trying to get their needs met, or meet their partners’ needs in the same way, over and over again, when their strategies clearly are not working. It’s like, “If I just keep doing this, eventually it’s going to work,” but that’s just not true. What’s worse is that they then blame their partner for it not working (“Why can't you just take my advice? Why can't you just listen to me and understand my feelings?”).

how to solve my problem

You need to understand the consequences of your behavior and learn from them. So, stop blaming and criticizing your partner for strategies that don’t work, and stop repeating those strategies. If you know your partner prefers emotional support, then don’t just keep providing only practical support. Your partner is never going to feel like his/her needs are being met. And if you know your partner is better at providing help rather than just listening, don’t keep trying to get your partner to never offer solutions. Get comfortable with the fact that he or she is a problem-solver.

3. Talk with each other about the ways you like to get and give support, and come up with a mutually acceptable way that you’ll support each other.

Once you develop and use insight into yourself, your partner, and the dilemma, then you need to commit to finding a solution that takes both people’s needs into account. You need to join together in an “us against the problem” stance rather than a “me against you” stance.

All the data show that supporting one another is critical to a healthy relationship, and most people truly want to support their partner. If you do, then it’s incumbent upon you to support him or her in the way that he or she wants. And most people truly want support from their partner. If you do, then it’s incumbent on you to be open to what your partner has to offer. If you both come from a place of mutuality – meaning you truly care about what the other person needs and you want to try to meet those needs – then you can be open to figuring out how you’ll negotiate – together – potentially difficult “nail” dilemmas.

And as you’re doing so, it’s important to stay connected to the caring feelings you have for your partner. Keep your angry feelings to yourself and soothe them with your insight about the situation. In support situations, one person is hurting, scared, upset, and the other person is hating to see their partner in pain. Stay with and communicate those feelings so that you two can stay focused on providing and receiving support, rather than turning a support moment into a fight.

To illustrate all of this in action, here’s the transcript of the video, followed by a transcript of how it might go if the characters were using the skills of insight, mutuality, and emotion regulation.

“It’s Not About the Nail” by Jason Headly

A couple is sitting together talking. There is a large nail sticking out of the front of the woman’s head.

Woman : It’s just, there’s all this pressure, you know. And sometimes it feels like it’s right up on me and I can just feel it, like literally feel it in my head and its relentless and I don’t know if it’s gonna stop, I mean, that’s the thing that scares me the most, it’s that I don’t know if it’s ever gonna stop.

Man : Ya. Wha—you do a have a nail in your head.

Woman : It is not about the nail.

Man : Are you sure, because, I mean, I bet if we got that out of there …

Woman : Stop trying to fix it.

Man : No, I’m not trying to fix it, I’m just pointing out that maybe the nail is causing —

Woman : You always do this — you always try to fix things when all I really need is for you to just listen.

Man : No, see, I don’t think that is what you need, I think what you need is to get the nail out —

Woman : SEE YOU’RE NOT EVEN LISTENING NOW!

Man : Ok, fine. I will listen, fine.

Woman : It’s just — sometimes it’s like — there’s this achy. I don’t know what it is. And I’m not sleeping very well at all. And all my sweaters are snagged. I mean — all of them.

Man ( compassionately ): That sounds really hard.

Woman : It is. Thank you. Awww ( warmly )!

Man ( frustrated ): Oh come on — if you would just —

Woman ( angrily ): Don’t!”

Now, here's the skills-based version. (Old material is crossed out and new material is bolded; partners’ experiences are annotated):

Woman: ( really needing emotional support ): It’s just, there’s all this pressure, you know. And sometimes it feels like it’s right up on me and I can just feel it, like literally feel it in my head and its relentless and I don’t know if it’s gonna stop, I mean, that’s the thing that scares me the most, it’s that I don’t know if it’s ever gonna stop.

Man: ( shocked because he sees the nail, but using insight, he’s thinking about how to both support her and deal with the obvious problem ): Ya. That sounds terrible, really awful . I wonder if it’s because you have a nail in your head.

Woman: ( feeling like she’s not being listened to ): It is not about the nail.

Man: ( really wanting to help her ): Are you sure, because, I mean, I bet if we got that out of there…

Woman: ( feeling not listened to but using the skills to assert her needs clearly and calmly ): Stop trying to fix it. What I really need right now is you to just listen to me.

Man: ( using the skills to respond empathically ): No, I’m not trying to fix it, I’m just pointing out that maybe the nail is causing — I’m sorry. I know. I really do understand that you’re feeling awful and scared. I don’t want you to feel that way, and I really want to help you. I hate to see you in pain.

Woman: ( responding empathically and calmly in turn ): You always do this – you always try to fix things when all I really need is for you to just listen. I know you do. I’ll feel better if you just listen and not rush to try to solve it. I want to solve it too, but first I just need to talk about how I’m feeling.

Man: ( using the skills to try to meet her need ): No, see, I don’t think that is what you need, I think what you need is to get the nail out – OK. Tell me more about what you’re feeling.

Woman: SEE YOU’RE NOT EVEN LISTENING NOW!

Man: Ok, fine. I will listen, fine.

Woman: ( feeling cared about ): It’s just – sometimes it’s like – there’s this achy. I don’t know what it is. And I’m not sleeping very well at all. And all my sweaters are snagged. I mean – all of them.

Man: ( using the skills to respond empathically ): That sounds really hard.

Woman: ( feeling cared about ): It is. Thank you. Awww ( warmly )!

Man : ( thinking “Oh come on – If you would just take the nail out!” but regulating his feelings and focusing on her needs ) I do have some ideas for when you’re ready, and I hope we can talk about them. I think together we can deal with this.

Woman: ( starting to feel frustrated, but using the skills to recognize that he has good intentions and to continue to communicate her needs calmly ): Don’t! Okay. Just don’t tell me to take the nail out. It’s not that simple.

Man: ( using the skills to be responsive to her and to be creative about helping her ): Okay, what about thinking about how you might sleep better, like trying a different position? Or maybe putting your sweaters on differently. Do you think any of that might be helpful?

Woman: ( trying to be open to his suggestions ): I don’t know. I guess I could try…

Man: ( not wanting to push her and turn things into a conflict ): Well, just think about it. I’m here to help you with this. I really do hear how difficult this is for you.

Instances where a partner needs support happen all the time and often continue over time, as the “nail” one likely will. If you can commit to using the skills, you’ll be better able to truly support one another in ways that both solve problems and create intimacy and strengthen the foundation of a healthy relationship.

Joanne Davila Ph.D.

Joanne Davila, Ph.D. , is a Professor of Psychology and the Director of Clinical Training at Stony Brook University. She is an expert in the study of romantic relationships.

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Pennsylvania senators can solve the border problem | PennLive letters

  • Updated: Feb. 20, 2024, 11:00 a.m. |
  • Published: Feb. 20, 2024, 10:53 a.m.
  • PennLive Letters to the Editor

Interesting that Pennsylvania Republicans stand in support of Texas on the migrant border situation, while their colleagues in the U.S. senate passed one of the strictest immigration bill in our history.

Pennsylvania senators could go a long way to solving the problem by leaning on their brethren in the U.S. senate.

Scott T. Pettis, Lower Allen, Pa.

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    The more employees who can make decisions on their own in a timely manner, the more efficient and competitive your company can be. 5. Problem-solving and critical thinking. Being a good problem solver usually means knowing how to identify a problem and going through a series of steps to develop a solution. From entry-level employees up to your ...

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    Democrats mostly view the situation as a major problem (44%) or minor problem (26%) for the U.S. Very few Democrats (7%) say it is not a problem. In an open-ended question, respondents voice their concerns about the migrant influx. They point to numerous issues, including worries about how the migrants are cared for and general problems with ...

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    2. Don't keep repeating things that don't work. Couples do this all the time. They keep trying to get their needs met, or meet their partners' needs in the same way, over and over again ...

  30. Pennsylvania senators can solve the border problem

    Pennsylvania senators could go a long way to solving the problem by leaning on their brethren in the U.S. senate. Scott T. Pettis, Lower Allen, Pa.