Solve One Small Problem
How taking action on small problems reduces stress and restores a sense of control
This series explores ten simple, science-backed habits that can dramatically improve your emotional life. None of them are complicated. Most take only a few minutes. But together they create the conditions that help your brain regulate emotions more effectively.
Here are the ten habits:
Take a 10-minute walk (read here)
Drink enough water (read here)
Protect your sleep (read here)
Move your body (read here)
Spend time in nature (read here)
Eat real food (read here)
Ask better questions (read here)
Diagram an emotional incident (read here)
Solve one small problem
Write about your core beliefs
Each week, I look closer at one of these, and so today we’ll talk about…
Number nine: Solve one small problem
One of the most useful things your emotions do is signal that something needs your attention. When you feel anger, anxiety, or sadness, there is often a problem driving that feeling. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times, it takes a moment to step back and identify what is actually going on.
The key idea here is simple: instead of getting stuck in the feeling, use it as a prompt to take action. Even small, everyday frustrations can be approached this way. Problem solving is the process of identifying a challenge, generating possible solutions, and taking action on one of them. While it is a cognitive process, it has a direct impact on your emotional life. When you take steps to address a problem, you reduce uncertainty, regain a sense of control, and often experience immediate emotional relief.
The ten-minute version
Pick one small problem that has been bothering you and take a step toward solving it. It doesn’t have to be big. In fact, it’s better if it’s not. Send the email you have been putting off. Make the call. Write down a short plan. The goal is to move from thinking about the problem to doing something about it.
Take it up a notch
If you want to go further, take a more structured approach. Identify the problem clearly, then separate what you can control from what you cannot. Generate a few possible solutions, choose one that feels realistic, and take action. You do not need the perfect answer. Progress matters more than precision.
If this is difficult
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed, start even smaller. Instead of solving the whole problem, focus on the first step. When problems feel too big, it is easy to avoid them, which often makes the emotional experience worse. Breaking things down into manageable pieces helps you get started and builds momentum.
Why this works
Solving even one small problem works because it shifts you from feeling stuck to taking action. Many negative emotions, especially anxiety and frustration, are tied to a sense of uncertainty or lack of control. When you take a step toward addressing a problem, you reduce that uncertainty and regain a sense of agency.
It also interrupts patterns of avoidance. When problems go unaddressed, they tend to linger in the background and amplify stress. Taking action, even in a small way, often reduces that emotional load immediately.
It is important to remember that problem solving does not guarantee a perfect outcome. But it does change your relationship to the situation. Instead of spiraling, you are moving forward. And that shift alone can bring meaningful emotional relief.
Dr. Ryan Martin is a psychologist, university dean, and author of three books - including the recent Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast. Known online as the Anger Professor, he helps people understand how emotions work and what to do with them. His TED Talk, Why We Get Mad, has been watched more than 3.5 million times.