How do you overcome frustration in mechanics problem-solving?

I loved the mechanics part of physics because if you understand the fundamentals and possess logical thinking skills, it becomes as manageable as mathematics. However, if you struggle with comprehending the question or can't recall the appropriate formula, it can be quite frustrating. In such situations, it is essential to take a deep breath, step back a bit in the theory, and grasp the formula and underlying mathematics. Solve some simpler problems using the formula to regain your confidence. Discussing it with friends also helped me tremendously, although this might be more of an Indian thing because, in general, we Indians tend to excel in PCM (Physics, Chemistry, and Math) subjects.

Every tradesperson views, each problem differently. The right person for the job is a must. When tackling a problem, always start with the kiss method. Keep it simple stupid. Trust yourself and start with the basics and move on from there.

Mechanical aptitude can help you through some of the most complicated problems, including tear down, and reassembly... when frustration hits, take a step back, breathe a little, go over your minds thought process on what's going on, but don't over think it. Generally there's a logical path through most things, and sometimes pressure to "get it done" etc, blocks that stream/path. One step at a time I always say, and You'll get there.

Some get frustrated because they can't see how to go about completely solving the problem. I encourage them to solve what they know, and in so doing, often new avenues open up that could not be seen from the get go.

I agree with this very much. It's like G.I. Joe always said, knowing is half the battle. Sometimes I'm frustrated because I don't understand something. Best piece of advice I can say, don't be afraid to ask questions.

Many times, it seems that the problem is difficult because of the long text, but mostly, it helps to write down the formula for the question being asked and try to extract the values from the text. Sometimes, you may need two formulas, so it's a good practice to write down both formulas and input the values from the text.

One thing, try to envision what the root problem is, don't let the pathway to getting to it, cloud your mind. Thinking about things based on experiences with similar issues, or talking to colleagues about said situations, can help to get to the root cause. Once you formulate a plan, implement it into the total task of getting to it... IE, disassembly, replacement, reassembly, testing... and be open to adjusting as you see other potential issues as you go along. One problem is usually caused by another smaller issue so to speak... the weakest link breaks.

I use to let myself get overwhelmed with task upon task. It's tough to see an end to a problem that involves an entire fleet of airframes. I had a manager tell me once that I was going about it all wrong. Instead of focusing on the, in this case, 200 aircraft that needed to be fix, focuse on the one that's in front of me now. Then move to the next one. He said how do you eat an elephant? I was confused.....I don't know. I've never had elephant I told him. He laughed, one bite at a time 😉. Now that makes sense.

I agree 2 heads are better than one . I was taught when I first started in the work force to use the wealth of knowledge around you and get all the info you can from all sources such as operators , service manuals and other fellow workers to help figure out a problem and pass that info to mothers if you see them struggling with the same problem .

Sometimes the same solution can be found using different formulas and methods, so it helps to try different formulas rather than getting stuck.

Two heads are better than one. Not only with safety, two people working together are safer, but when diagnosing problems two brains can be better than one. bouncing ideas off your work team is more beneficial than arguing ideas with yourself

Just like a map, you can find many routes to get to the same place. Your way may be A-ok, but not necessarily the only, or best way... use all information you can gather to build a network of ways to get from point A to point B

I like to always think outside the box when hands on tools is required. Just because I saw someone else use their approach with success, I try to build from their idea and improve it. That may take adding or removing tools or aids to my own strategy, but keeping an open mind has always helped me figuring out how to get the job done right and safely the first time.

Sometimes you just need to throw something across the room or smash something with a big hammer.aynr take a nap or if you can sleep on the problem

Taking a break is always helpful, and talking with friends is even more helpful. I would often take a break to drink water and play cricket. Most of the time, during these breaks, my mind would work on the problem, and many times, I would solve the problem without any assistance.

My approach is a general: Not only to mechanics, to solving any problems I follow Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: concentration of mind. At first I think about a problem only at leisure, analyze it. Then I concentrate my consciousness on it longer and more constantly: an hour, two hours or more every day, combining with rest, or with another type of problem, so as not to be overworked. During this process, you need to ignore an existing theory, especially if it seems wrong to you. but you can not prove it. Frequent repetition of this process is the key to success. As you focus longer, it becomes easier and solution comes from any unexpected source.

Sometimes the obvious thing is not so obvious to someone who has stared at the same problem for a long time. Get a fresh set of eyes to look into it, if available. That may be just the thing to help you see what you're missing.

In some cases it is good to step back and take a break from the mechanical problem you are working on. In some cases 5 or 10 minutes may be all you need. In other cases you may want to step back for a couple of days if that is possible. I have found by doing this it has allowed me to come back to the problem with a fresh perspective and recharged for the challenge resulting in a timely solution.

I can't tell you how many times I'd be at something for what seemed all day. I get so frustrated, I go home from work, I be thinking about it all night. To the point I would literally dream about it and how to repair or do the problem. I'd wake up the next day refreshed, and with new determination, and low and behold it worked. Sometimes you just got to step away and think it over with a fresh mind.

My way of sharing my knowledge has always been to highlight what could go wrong when completing a task. The maintenance manual may not always include warnings that reflect the real hazards when a task is completed, so learning on the go yields a more realistic approach sometimes.

In mechanics, the same question often appears with different texts and values, so it is helpful to keep the old solutions for reference since most of the time, the same logic is needed. Practice as much as possible and learn from the mistakes you made previously. My teacher once said, 'Many times our brains get stuck, but the pen remembers what to write,' but what's truly important is that you have written it many times.

No one is master of all problem solving, be willing to take mistakes, and learn from them. Share what you've learned with colleagues, they may share insights with you as well, and everyone becomes better at problem solving.

I laugh at this one. Only because it reminds me of younger me starting out in the industry. I was a young mechanic in the Army. I didn't know my wrench from my hammer 😳. I was terrible. But I had a thirst to learn. I had a supervisor get so mad at me one day, he said you know what I hate most about you? I thought this an odd question 🤔. I never thought of me as a dislikable kid. He goes, I can't get mad at you for messing up because somehow you manage to find something brand new to mess up each time. Well let's face it, you will make mistakes. It's not about the mistakes, it's about learning from them. As Edison said, he learned all those different ways not to make a light bulb, it wasn't failure.

During my college days, mechanics was the toughest subject in tier 2 city colleges. Seniors warned us about its difficulty, creating panic that became a tradition for new batches. The passing ratio for mechanics was just 10-15%. In my first year, this panic gripped us, but I adopted a strategic approach. I focused on understanding problem-solving basics and practiced numerous numerical problems. This dedication paid off when I became the first person in my college to pass with 56 marks, the highest ever achieved. The key lesson is to always begin with the basics.