Getting “unstuck”- what to do when you don’t know where to go next | by Helen Portman

I’m sure it’s happened to most people. You’re faced with new project, a blank sheet of paper and you either have no idea where to start, or no clue where to go next. I know it happens to me . You can sit and stare at the screen desperately hoping you’ll be struck by inspiration but the only thing that has ever given me is eyestrain and a headache! In this blog I’ll share some of the ways I try to get myself out of the hole when I’m stuck and can’t seem to find a way out. I’ve focused on strategies I use before reaching out for help from a colleague. Obviously that’s always an option but sometimes there’s either no-one who can help or you really want to have a good go at solving it yourself first.  Hopefully there’ll be something useful in this blog and if you have your own ways to find a route out of the swamp of despair please share!

1) Take a break (KitKat optional)  
This is probably the strategy I use the most. It’s easy to stay sitting at your desk staring at the problem but this rarely helps. Instead, I like to stop, look away from the screen and either switch to a different task or, even better, get up from the desk and go and do something else! A fresh cup of tea and five minutes staring out of the window at the squirrels often gives me the energy to go back in and try again. 

2) Get your walking boots on
Leading on from strategy one- get your shoes on and get outside! I have all my best ideas running or walking outside. There’s nothing better than some fresh air to blow the mental cobwebs away. It doesn’t have to be a long break, just ten minutes can be enough to jump start the creative process. And if the weather is bad, well, I’ve never melted yet, and a bit of rain or snow does add an extra incentive to sort through a problem and get back to solve it!

3) Talk it out
Now this could mean talking to a colleague and asking for help, but equally I find talking through the problem out loud to anyone can help. My cat, Steve, is an excellent listener as long as you’re stroking him and sometimes just working through a problem verbally can help spark new directions to try. Of course if you don’t have a pet a plant might do. A word of warning though, best to leave this tip for when you’re alone as I may have scared off the window cleaner chatting away out loud on at least one occasion 😊

4) Google it
Ok, so you’ve probably already tried googling the answer, but I like to have a good google search around related topics. Google scholar is excellent for finding any academic articles or you can try and find if someone else has worked on a similar problem and what they’ve done. Whilst it may not be true in business, I’ve found that colleagues in other councils are usually really keen to share what they’ve done and this combines networking with problem solving helping you build up a bank of contacts to access in the future. 

5) AI it 
There might be restrictions on AI depending on what you’re doing and where you work but it can be a useful tool to help prompt you. Whilst I wouldn’t rely on AI to come up with a solution, I’ve found it can help you look at a problem from a different perspective or suggest lines of investigation I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Conclusion
I find the best way to move on with a problem I’m stuck on is to change something – whether that’s my environment or the way I’m approaching the problem. The biggest problem is often spotting when it’s time to take a break or try something new however frustration and panic are the enemy of creativity so rather than digging deeper and deeper into the hole it’s always worth just stopping for a minute of two and seeing if you can try and get some new perspective.  

Hopefully some of these tips might help you next time you’re stuck with a problem. Just remember as the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy says, “Don’t panic.” 

Helen Portman is a Data Fellowship apprentice at Multiverse based in the Northwest of England and is writing for the Apprentice Lens. Here’s more about her:

'Hello! Or as we like to say in this part of Lancashire “ey up love”. Based in a beautiful but rather chilly part of Lancashire right on the Yorkshire border, I work in local government as a housing policy officer. At work, I’m passionate about coffee, decent gluten-free  biscuits and the impact of housing on individuals, families, and communities. Outside of work, you’ll generally find me running in the local hills, hanging from an aerial hoop, playing DnD with a group of friends, or attempting DIY on a house that has not a single straight edge or right angle! I hope to inspire fellow data and number sceptics to develop a love of data and to share my passion for housing with as many fellow students as possible.'