mark A shareable tool · 03
A worksheet for the problem you keep circling
The stuck
problem

Some worries are feelings to sit with. Others are problems — and problems have a method. When everything feels like one big unsolvable knot, this pulls a single thread out of it and gives you a next move on that one thing.

Strong evidence · trialled in South Asia
Why this one is different

Almost every tool here was tested only in the West. This one wasn't. It's the backbone of the WHO's Problem Management Plus (PM+) programme, which was tested in randomised trials in Pakistan and works when delivered by non-specialists. That makes it the closest thing to a South-Asia-proven method in this whole set.

Tanuj Suthar · Counselling Psychologistone thread at a time
02

Seven steps · print or copy this page

Pull one thread

First, split your worries. Some can be changed by something you do (a problem — use this sheet). Some can't (an unsolvable worry — that needs acceptance and support, not a plan). Trying to problem-solve the unsolvable is a common way to stay stuck. Pick one solvable problem.

1
Name it, small and specific.
Not "my whole job." One concrete piece of it:
2
Brainstorm every option — no judging yet.
Silly ones welcome; the bad ones loosen the good ones:
3
Pick one you can start.
Not the best — the startable:
4
The very first step.
Small enough to do this week:
5
When & where.
Day, time, place:
6
Who could help.
Optional, but it doubles the odds:
7
Do it — then review, without a verdict on yourself.

Did it help, a little, none? If not, that's information, not failure — pick the next option and go again. The method works by looping, not by getting it right first time.

Adapted from

Problem-Solving Therapy — D'Zurilla & Nezu (Springer), described in our own words. Structure follows WHO Problem Management Plus (PM+), openly & freely licensed; South-Asian RCTs: Rahman et al. (2016), JAMA. Not endorsed by WHO or the original authors.

Evidence & the honest limit

STRONG, and unusually, trialled in South Asia. It suits solvable problems — it won't fix grief, injustice, or a situation you can't change. A self-help resource, not therapy or diagnosis.

If the problem is danger, debt you can't see past, or thoughts that life isn't worth continuing — Tele-MANAS 14416, free, 24×7. Talk to a professional.

Tanuj Suthar · growth is rarely a straight line02