Stay at Home Moms: How to Detangle a Problem, One Strand at a Time

Combing out a tangle is no fun for anyone. It hurts, and it takes time. But, if you don’t comb it out, the tangle gets bigger and harder to deal with.

The best way to untangle a knot in your hair is to start combing at the bottom of the tangle, and gently pull the hair strands free as you move up the tangle. It gets easier as you go, because there are less tangled strands to deal with.

The same goes for detangling a problem.

Unsolved problems have the bad habit of snow-balling into additional problems.

You kick yourself because you neglected to deal with the original problem when it first happened.

Life gets extra stressed because the tangle keeps you from combing through your hair everyday.

It’s a good thing we don’t walk around with life’s tangles hanging out all over our head. But, if they did, we might be more motivated to take a comb to them right away, rather than letting them get out of control and harder to manage.

Embarrassment might work to our benefit in this case!

To solve a problem, you first need to know what the problem is.

Acknowledging, or admitting, there is a tangle is the first step toward solving the problem.

The next step is believing there is a solution for the problem.

Believing there is a solution is the magic key that makes detangling the problem possible.

Then it’s time to grab the comb and start untangling the knot, one strand at a time.

Asking a few important questions helps to figure out how you’re going to comb out the tangle.

• What needs to be done immediately to stop the problem from getting worse?

• Who do I need to communicate with to help stop, or solve, the problem?

• What should I do differently next time, to avoid this tangle in the future?

Finally, it’s time to celebrate that you’ve smoothed through the tangle!

This method of problem solving is helpful when you are feeling down on yourself for having the tangle in the first place.

It’s also good to use when you’re just plain avoiding the mess.

Just be sure to treat yourself well, and take care of the tangles in your life, so you can enjoy more tangle-free days!

Do you have a tangle story to share? I’d love to hear it! 🙂