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How-to guides

Using a problem-solving A3 report

Does your problem require a problem-solving A3 report? You are confronted with problems at work every day, and how you approach problem-solving will influence how effective your solution is. Although simple problems can often be solved by observation or a basic problem-solving tool such as 5 Whys, complex problems require a more comprehensive tool such as a problem-solving A3 report, a highly structured and documented root cause analysis that prevents the problem’s recurrence.

What is a problem-solving A3 report?

A problem-solving A3 report is a tried and tested problem-solving method first used by Toyota in the 1960s, and later embraced by numerous other approaches to continuous improvement. The report is limited to one A3 page, which encourages teams involved in the issue to collaborate and be concise by recording only essential information and graphics in the report. As teams go deeper into the problem-solving exercise, they may learn more about the parts or processes that went before. They should then simply go back and adjust the A3 report.

Download the how-to guide How to use a problem-solving A3 report to understand the key components of an A3 report:

• Problem statement   Also known as the “theme”, a problem statement names the problem as succinctly as possible. 
• Current condition   This section shows the “proof” of the problem statement using performance graphs or photos, for example. 
• Target conditions   The target condition or “goals” section should be specific, reasonably attainable and measurable. 
• Root cause analysis   This section unpacks your investigation to find the root cause of the problem. 
• Countermeasures   Detail possible improvements and findings in this section. 
• Improvement verification   Some improvements or countermeasures may not fix the problem, so use this section to record the verification details. 
• Follow-up actions   Reflect on what additional changes or improvements can be made. 

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Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI): Self-help workbooks and modules

The  Centre for Clinical Interventions  (CCI) has produced resources for consumers and healthcare professionals to assist in providing interventions for mental health problems such as depression, bipolar, social anxiety, panic, self-esteem, procrastination, perfectionism, and eating disorders. Some of these resources have been developed so that they can be worked through by people dealing with particular problems, while others have been produced as part of CCI’s  treatment  and  training  services. The resources provided on this website aim to provide general information about various mental health problems, as well as, techniques that focus on a  cognitive behavioural approach  to managing difficulties.

Looking After Yourself

If you experience a condition that is affecting your mental health and are looking for specific information about different types of problems, then please visit the  self help resources  section to see if there are any information packages relevant to you. 

Information packages are available for conditions such as depression, panic, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, and disordered eating.

View the self-help resources here .

Looking After Others

Nearly half the adult population will experience anxiety or depression or some other psychological problem at some time during their life. This means that it is highly likely that someone you care about will need your support; it could be your partner, child, parents, sibling, other family member friend, or colleague. Looking after someone can be very rewarding, but can also be challenging. It is important that you take care of yourself and we would recommend accessing appropriate services to support you as you look after others. In  Looking After Others  section of our website you will find a range of information sheets about psychological disorders, along with the schedule of information sessions that we provide at CCI.

View the Looking after Others resources here .

For Clinicians

If you are a Mental Health Practitioner or a Doctor and you are interested in cognitive behavioural approaches to psychological interventions, then the resources provided in  For Clinicians  section may be useful in the delivery of mental health services to consumers. It is beneficial to have some background knowledge of cognitive behavioural therapy before using the manuals or information sheets/worksheets so that you are best able to use them in practice.

View the Resources for Clinicians here .

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Problem solving self-help guide

Work through a self-help guide for problem solving based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Navigate self-help guide

1. introduction, 2. identifying problems, 3. types of problem - activity 1, 4. recognising there's a problem, 5. barriers to problem-solving, 6. activity 2 – writing your problem list, 7. activity 3 - focusing on one problem, 8. activity 4 - pros and cons, 9. choosing a solution, 10. plan your chosen solution - activity 5, 11. how did it go, 12. next steps.

Section 1 of 12

Urgent help

This self-help guide is intended for people with mild-to-moderate mental health issues.

If you're feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or in need of emotional support you can phone NHS 24 on 111.

For an emergency ambulance phone 999.

This self-help guide is intended for people with mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by problems, particularly if you’re experiencing mental health difficulties. This guide:

• provides step-by-step advice on how to solve problems
• gives you a set of skills to help manage problems in the future

This guide is based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT helps you to examine how you think about your life, and challenge negative automatic thoughts to free yourself from unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns.

How to use the problem solving self-help guide

Working through this guide can take around 30 to 40 minutes, but you should feel free to work at your own pace.

Work through the guide on your device, using the “Next” button to move forward and use the “Previous” button instead of the Back button in your browser. To type in a graphic or diary, click or tap the part you’d like to fill in and use your keyboard as usual.

If you’d like to save the guide and return to it later, you’ll need to save it as a PDF on your device before you leave the page. You can then continue filling it out on the PDF. We don’t use a login feature on our mental health self-help guides for privacy reasons.

If you’d like to print the guide at any time, you’ll find an option to save and print the whole guide, including the parts you have added, in each section.

Section 2 of 12

When you solve a problem, it increases your confidence and makes you feel more able to solve problems in future. When you feel overwhelmed, it’s easy to forget that you already have the ability to solve problems – it’s how you’ve coped with life so far. This guide is designed to help you tap into that ability and boost your confidence.

Finding the hidden problem

Sometimes you can’t tell what the problem that’s affecting you most actually is – you might feel stuck and unable to think of anything that would help.

Here are 2 examples of hidden problems:

Work was becoming stressful for Paul after a new computer system was put in place. He’d been confident at work before, but was now finding it hard to get out of bed to go into the office. All his colleagues seemed to be managing fine, but Paul was making lots of mistakes. When his boss asked how he was doing, Paul felt like he had to say he was fine, as he was worried about being sacked. At home, his girlfriend had noticed a change in his mood – he wasn’t keen to go out or do anything they used to enjoy.

Mandy was a single parent. She looked after her sister’s child as well as her own 12-year-old daughter, Lizzie. She also cared for her elderly mum, who was unwell. Mandy found it difficult to find time for herself, and always felt like her house was a mess and cleaning was never done. She found herself becoming irritable, especially when people asked her to do things or asked her what was wrong. Mandy was angry that no one seemed to understand how busy she was.

From these examples, you may be able to see how sometimes problems can become overwhelming and hard to identify, while at other times you can see them clearly. In this guide you’ll continue to work on identifying your own problems, and work out a series of steps to solve them.

Section 3 of 12

There are a large number of different types of problem. Have a look at this list and see which type – or types – your problem could be.

• relationships – for example, difficulties getting along with your partner/spouse, falling out of touch with friends, or feeling alone and isolated
• money – for example, struggling to manage bills or afford different expenses, increasing debts,  or feeling pressure to spend money you can’t afford
• lifestyle issues – for example, drinking too much alcohol, not eating healthily, not having time for your interests, or not having time to keep in touch with friends and loved ones
• work/education – for example, trouble doing well at work or meeting deadlines
• addiction issues – for example alcohol, drugs, or gambling
• managing health – for example, organising GP and dentist appointments, or getting enough exercise
• illness or disability – for example, dealing with a chronic illness or having a disability
• family responsibilities – for example, being there for family commitments, organising childcare, helping with lots of requests from family, or being a carer

Use the boxes below to type any problems you might experience that fall under these categories.

Section 4 of 12

Paul’s girlfriend helped him talk about his job more. He explained that he hated his job because he couldn’t get used to the new computer system and was always worried about making a mistake. Paul told her he felt like he had to stay late at work to avoid falling behind, and that meant he was too tired to go out when he got home.

Paul recognised he was so unhappy at work because he was terrified he’d make a mistake with the new computer system. He also recognised that trying to cope by staying late at work was causing another problem – he was too tired to do the things he enjoyed when he got home. This was making him more unhappy.

Mandy didn’t want to let anyone know how she was feeling, but one Saturday her sister asked if Mandy could drop her child off at a birthday party for her. Mandy lost her temper, and was shocked by how angry and upset she felt. Once she calmed down, she decided it was time to sit down and think about what was really going on.

Mandy recognised that all the different tasks she had to do for other people, and all the demands on her time, were making her feel frustrated and irritable. They were also making it hard to fit everything in. Mandy recognised that she found it hard to say no to other people. This left her feeling angry when she ended up with very little time to do her own tasks, or take time for herself to do things she enjoyed.

Think about your own situation. You’ve reached a point where you need to take action, which is why you’re completing this guide. Where do you think would be a good place to start?

Section 5 of 12

Sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to even start solving your problems, but that’s not the case. Here are some common challenges.

Avoiding the problem

Paul had been avoiding bringing up the difficulties he was having with his girlfriend or his boss, because he didn’t want anyone to criticise him or think he wasn’t good enough at his job. This meant his boss didn’t know what the problem was when he noticed Paul taking longer with his tasks, and he didn’t know how to help. It also meant Paul’s girlfriend didn’t know why he wasn’t interested in activities in the evening anymore.

Mandy had been avoiding thinking about her problems, as she didn’t feel she had enough time. Instead, she was concentrating on everything she had to do every day, so she felt like she was coping. This meant she had little time for herself and other people didn’t realise she was finding it hard to cope.

Take a few minutes to think about whether you’ve been avoiding thinking about what your problem is. The next part of this guide will give you the chance to write out a list of your problems.

Feeling like you have too many problems

Writing a list of your problems helps to break your difficulties down so you can deal with one at a time. It also helps you to feel less overwhelmed.

You know what the problems are, but not the solutions

It’s okay if you don’t know the solutions just now. This approach gives you a structure you can use to find possible solutions that are realistic for you. It’s important to be patient with yourself – you don’t have to have all the answers straight away.

"Everything's fine in my life – I don't know why I feel like this."

Sometimes you can’t always identify what the problem is – to a stranger, it might seem like your life is perfect. But problems can include how you feel about yourself and your life too.

Do you ever do any of these things?

• put yourself down – think negative thoughts about yourself
• think negatively – always worry about what might go wrong rather than think about what might go right
• feel like everything has to be perfect – set yourself unrealistically high standards, so nothing you do ever feels “good enough”

These thinking problems can also be tackled by the methods in this guide.

If you can’t think of any problems that could explain while you feel this way, even after working through this guide, you should consider looking at  the other mental health self-help guides on NHS inform  if you haven’t already. You could also make an appointment with your GP to discuss things further. You can find a local GP using  Scotland’s Service Directory .

Section 6 of 12

The next step is writing out a list of your problems. You can either:

• use the boxes below, and save and download the list to your device at the end of this guide
• download a sh eet to your device

Please note:  If you decide to download a sheet to fill in, the text you add to that sheet will only be saved to your device. If you use an iPhone, the only way to edit the problem list is by using a PDF app on your device.

Here are some tips to make writing your problem list easier:

• Remember there are no wrong answers   – even the small things, over time, can grow into big issues. Nothing you write in this list is too small.
• Think about what’s really important to you – often when we’re struggling with things that seem small, it’s because we’re having trouble with areas of life that really matter to us.
• Talking   – try to talk to someone you know well and trust. If there isn’t anyone you feel comfortable discussing your issues with, you could call a service like  Breathing Space .
• If you need to, take a little time   – get away from the situation to allow yourself time to put things into perspective. Why not make yourself a cup of tea, or go for a walk? It’s often easier to see what the problem is when you’re not in the middle of it.

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The goal of writing a problem list is to pick one problem to work on at a time. After writing your problem list, the next step is to select the one you want to work on first.

Which one you choose is up to you but we suggest starting with the one that looks the easiest, or least distressing, to solve. You could also choose the one that you feel is the most important.

The next step is coming up with ideas for solving that problem.

Mandy chose the problem “not having enough time to relax”. While getting her ideas down, she came up with the following list, to help her find the time to do this.

• Book Lizzie into an after-school club, like drama or dancing
• Ask a friend or neighbour to watch Lizzie one evening a week
• Forget about housework for the next 3 years
• Ask Lizzie to help with some of the household chores
• Find a gym with a class Lizzie could do and go together
• Ask my sister for help with some of the things I have to do
• Get more confident about saying “no” to doing things when I’m busy

Getting all your ideas out

Use the solution sheet below to start writing out possible solutions to the problem you’ve chosen. The idea is to think up as many ways as possible of solving it, not come up with the perfect answer right away.

It’s important to write down every suggestion you think of, even if it seems unrealistic or ridiculous. The idea is to free up your creative thinking – thinking freely can help you consider things you normally wouldn’t.

You can include things you’re already doing to try and solve the problem.

You don’t have to fill out every line – if you can only come up with 2 or 3 solutions, that’s fine.

Ignore the part about pros and cons for now – this will be covered in the next section.

Download a solution sheet you can print or fill out on your device

Please note:  the text you add to the solution sheet will only be saved to your device. If you use an iPhone, the only way to edit the solution sheet is by using a PDF app on your device.

Section 8 of 12

The next step is thinking about the pros (good things) and cons (bad things) of each solution you thought of. Writing these down can help.

As an example, here’s the list Mandy came up with for her chosen problem.

Problem:  not having enough time to relax.

Write the pros and cons of each solution in the boxes on your solution sheet.

Section 9 of 12

Listing the pros and cons should’ve made it easier for you to decide what to do next. If not, try reading over the list again and thinking of some more pros and cons for each solution.

Are you having difficulty choosing a solution?

There are a few things that can make it harder for you to decide on a solution.

No solution seems good enough

There’s no such thing as a perfect solution – if there was, it’s likely you’d have solved the problem already. Are you setting your standards too high?

Your solution might not be perfect, but it doesn’t have to be perfect to start making things better.

You're scared to make the wrong choice

There’s always a bit of guessing involved in choosing a solution, as we can’t look into the future and see what’s going to happen.

With a lot of problems, it’s better to do something different than leave things the way they are. Even if things don’t turn out the way you’d hoped, it’s still a good chance to learn something and practice these problem-solving skills. In the next steps you’ll also review whether your solution helped – if not, you can follow the steps to try a different solution.

Two suggestions seem equally good

If you can’t choose which looks best, it might not matter very much which one you choose – they could both work equally well. Try one and see how it goes.

"The more I think about choosing a solution, the more I worry."

Getting caught up in worry can end up becoming a problem on its own. If you find yourself getting stressed out by trying to think of a solution, there are a couple of things you can do.

• do a relaxation exercise – you can find some  here
• distract yourself – do something different for a little while, like watching TV or reading a book
• decide to forget about the problem for a few hours or even a day – after you’ve had a break, you will feel better when you start thinking about it again
• it could be a good idea to look at your problem list and start with one that feels less overwhelming, where it’s easier think of possible solutions
• maybe a problem needs to be broken down more into simple steps to make it easier to think about solutions – for example, change “the house is a mess” to “the kitchen needs to be cleaned”

If you’re struggling to choose a solution and feel you’re getting caught up in worry, it might be worth visiting the  Depression  or  Anxiety  self-help guides on our site. If you’ve come to this guide from one of these, feel free to go back and work through it again if you think it’ll help.

We also have a lot of material on  coping with stress  that you might find helpful.

Section 10 of 12

It can be helpful to make a plan for the solution you’ve chosen. Once you lay out a step-by-step plan, taking action on your problem stops being a big task and becomes a number of smaller, more manageable tasks.

For example, Mandy decided to get more confident about saying no to things. You can see her action plan in the examples below.

Use the boxes below to write out your action plan step by step. You can save and download this at the end of the guide.

Or, if you prefer, you can download an action plan below to fill out on your device.

Download an action plan

Please note:  the text you add to the action plan PDF will only be saved to your device. If you use an iPhone, the only way to edit the action plan is by using a PDF app on your device.

Section 11 of 12

This is the time to reflect on how problem-solving went. Remember, even if your solution didn’t go the way you hoped, it’s important to keep using this approach until you feel confident.

1. The problem is solved

Well done! Your solution worked. Here are a couple of things to remember in future:

• You might not be aware that you’ve solved your problem until you realise you haven’t thought about it in a while – that’s fine, and shows that you don’t have to dwell on problems to solve them.
• It might be that things haven’t changed, or haven’t changed that much, but you’re now more able to deal with it.

2. The problem is slightly better

If the problem is slightly better, but not solved yet, there’s still a little more for you to do. There are a few things that could help:

• Keep doing what you’re doing – your problem could be solved if you continue with your current plan of action.
• Choose another solution from your list – have another look at your pros and cons list and see if another option could work better. Maybe a combination of two or more is the answer. You might even have another idea for a solution when you look at the list again.
• Choose another goal – have another look at your problem list and see if there is something else you could work on for a while.
• Choose a connected problem – if there’s another item on your problem list that could help solve the one you’re still working on, spend some time on that. You can return to the first problem later.

3. The problem isn’t better at all

If things aren’t any better, there are a few things you can do:

• Think about whether your plan has had time to work – things might get better if you keep going.
• Ask if anything at all is different – some things might be bad, but consider whether or not they were worse before you applied this problem-solving approach. The situation might have improved without you realising it.
• Try another option – go back over your solutions list, and the pros and cons, and see if a different solution works better.
• Check if you followed all the problem-solving steps correctly and, if needed, go back over some or all of the steps again.

If there still isn’t any improvement after you’ve done these things, don’t worry. If possible, discuss the problem with a person you trust, like a close friend or family member. You could also talk to someone anonymously using a service like  Breathing Space .

However it’s worked out, you should be proud of yourself for taking these steps. Keep using this problem-solving approach and it’ll get easier.

Section 12 of 12

Keep using the techniques from this guide – they’ll continue to help you. It’s important not to fall into old habits or forget how to use this problem-solving approach.

Remember that the problems you work on using these techniques don’t have to be big or life-changing – they can be day-to-day issues, or even decisions you need to make as part of work or study. The more you practice, the easier problem-solving will be.

Further help

If you’re feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or need emotional support you can phone NHS 24 on 111.

If you feel you need more help with your mental health, try speaking to your GP, or  search for mental health and wellbeing services in your area .

For information and advice when you’re feeling down, you can phone  Breathing Space  on 0800 83 85 87.

The Breathing Space phoneline is available:

• 24 hours at weekends (6pm Friday to 6am Monday)
• 6pm to 2am on weekdays (Monday to Thursday)

If you found this guide helpful and would like to do more work like this,  Living Life  offers a range of structured psychological interventions and therapies to improve mental health and wellbeing. This service is appointment-based and specifically for low mood, or mild/moderate depression or anxiety. Living Life are open Monday to Friday, from 1pm to 9pm, and you can phone them on 0800 328 9655 for an assessment appointment.

To learn more about coping with mental health issues,  visit our other mental health self-help guides on NHS inform .

For information that could help solve problems related to your health,  visit our Care, Support and Rights section .

To find services in your area that could help with a range of health and wellbeing issues, visit  Scotland’s Service Directory .

Section 1 of 17

This guide aims to help you:

• find out if you could have symptoms of depression
• understand more about depression
• find ways to manage or overcome depression

How to use the depression self-help guide

Work through the guide on your device, using the "Next" button to move forward and use the "Previous" button instead of the Back button in your browser. To type in a graphic or diary, click or tap the part you’d like to fill in and use your keyboard as usual.

Last updated: 27 May 2021

Section 2 of 17

2. Symptoms of depression

Section 3 of 17

3. Symptoms of depression

Last updated: 4 March 2022

Chronic pain and mood resources

If you are wanting to learn more about mood and chronic pain, this section includes:

Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry Resources

Cognitive behavioural therapy resources, acceptance and commitment therapy resources, dialectical behavioural therapy (dbt) resources, other tools and resources, depression and anxiety resources, free worksheets.

• Article:  NPC:  Clinical Psychology ( link )
• Article:  NPC:  Psychiatry ( link )
• Factsheet:  Pain Australia:  Self Management of Chronic Pain ( link )
• Factsheet: Chronic Pain Management Strategies ( link )
• Article:  ACI:  Pain and Thoughts ( link )
• Article:  APMA:  Psychological Approaches to Pain Management ( link )
• Article: NHS: Changing the way you think and feel ( link )
• Article: MyHealth Alberta: Chronic Pain: Using Healthy Thinking ( link )
• Article: National Institute of Mental Health: Chronic Illness and Mental Health ( link )
• Article: ICP:  Catastrophising and Chronic Pain ( link )
• Article: ICP:  Fear-Avoidance of Pain ( link )
• Article: ICP:  The Perfectionist and Chronic Pain: How to Cope with Pain Series ( link )
• Article: ICP:  All or Nothing Thinking: How to Cope with Pain Series ( link )
• Article: ICP:  Mind Reading: How to Cope with Pain Series ( link )
• Article: ICP:  What is your relationship to chronic pain? ( link )
• Article: ICP:  Reducing Pain Behaviours: Coping with Pain Series ( link )
• Article: ICP:  Reducing Pain Talk: Coping with Pain Series ( link )
• Article:  Psychology Today:  Mindfulness, CBT and ACT for Chronic Pain ( link )
• Factsheet: CCI:  Analysing your thinking ( link )
• Factsheet: CCI:  Unhelpful thinking styles ( link )
• Factsheet: CCI:  Behavioural experiments, negative predictions ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Thinking and feeling ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Analysing your thinking ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Changing your thinking ( link )
• Factsheet:  Society of Clinical Psychology:  ACT for Chronic Pain ( link )
• Booklet:  Society of Clinical Psychology:  Acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of chronic pain ( link )
• Article:  Clinical Pain Advisor: Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) for chronic pain management ( link )
• Article:  Psychology Today:  How to survive chronic pain, one moment at a time ( link )
• Educational Video:  Neuroplasticity ( link )
• Article:  Physiopedia: Densensitisation ( link )
• Article: Healthdirect:  Facing Fears ( link )
• Article: Healthdirect:  Worry Time ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI: Postponing your Worry ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Situational Exposure ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  What are safety behaviours?  ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI: Behavioural activation, fun & achievement ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI: Improving how you feel ( link )
• Factsheet:  Staying Healthy ( link )
• Factsheet:  Grief and bereavement ( link )
• Article:  Healthdirect:  Anxiety (link)
• Factsheets:  CCI: Anxiety ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  What is anxiety ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  The vicious cycle of anxiety ( link )
• Article: BeyondBlue:  Anxiety ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Stress and Anxiety ( link )
• Article:  Healthdirect:  Depression ( link )
• Factsheets:  CCI:  Depression ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  What is depression?  ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  What causes depression ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI:  The vicious cycle of depression ( link )
• Factsheet:  CCI: Behavioural activation, fun & achievement (link)
• Factsheet:  CCI:  Psychotherapy for depression ( link )DepressionArticle: BeyondBlue:  Depression ( link )
• Factsheets:  Black Dog Institute ( link )
• Factsheets:  WayAhead ( link )
• Factsheets:  SANE Australia ( link )
• Online Course: This Way Up ( link )
• Online Course: Control My Pain ( link )
• Online Course: Reconnect2Life ( link )
• Free Online Course: Mindspot ( link )
• Free Online Course: PainTrainer ( link )
• Free Online Course: Pain Course ( link )
• Worksheets:  CCI:  Anxiety Symptoms ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Depressive Symptoms ( link )
• Worksheet:  TA:  Healthy versus Unhealthy Coping Styles ( link )
• Module 1: Overview of Depression ( link )
• Module 2:  Behavioural Strategies for Managing Depression ( link )
• Module 3:  The Thinking-Feeling Connection ( link )
• Module 4:  The ABC Analysis ( link )
• Module 5:  Unhelpful Thinking Styles ( link )
• Module 6:  Detective Work and Disputation ( link )
• Module 7:  The End Result ( link )
• Module 8:  Core Beliefs ( link )
• Module 9:  Self-Management ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Behavioural Activation Worksheet (Fun and Achievements) ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Problem Solving ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Fun Activities Catalogue ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI: Situational Exposure Diary ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Making the connection ( link )
• Worksheet: CCI:  Thought Diary ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Core Beliefs ( link )
• Worksheet:  CCI:  Healthy Me ( link )
• Worksheet:  TA:  Protective Factors ( link )
• Worksheet:  TA:  Emotion Thermometers ( link )
• Worksheet:  TA:  Worry Exploration ( link )

Understanding Pain

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LAST REVIEWED 5 September 2023

Good Thinking provides a series of workbooks that contain expert advice, exercises, checklists, action plans and other practical tools to help with specific mental health concerns.

We recognise that everyone’s path to good mental health is different – that’s why the Good Thinking service offers a broad range of resources for Londoners, from apps to quick quizzes, ‘how to’ guides to podcasts. 

If you think you might benefit from a more in-depth approach and you can commit a little more time, our free workbooks might be the right tool for you. We’ve worked with NHS specialists to develop two Good Thinking workbooks (on trauma and sleep) and the others were produced by the renowned Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI).

Please don’t be put off by the term ‘workbook’! The benefit of this modular approach is that you can view, download and go through the information at your own pace (either on your screen or you can print it off) and the step-by-step process can help you to decide if you need further support . If you’re a GP or other healthcare professional, you might like to print off parts of these workbooks to share with your patients.

Workbooks developed by Good Thinking and expert advisors

We’ve worked with experts in trauma and sleep to develop two workbooks for Londoners, which contain lots of useful tips and techniques.

Coping with trauma for better mental health

Caroline Harrison, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, provides a series of techniques that are helpful if you have experienced something traumatic in your life.

Getting better sleep

This six-module programme by sleep expert Majella Cogan will help you to understand your sleep problems and improve your sleep quality.

Getting better sleep workbook

Workbooks from the Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI)

We’ve also gathered a range of evidence-based information sheets and workbooks on mental wellbeing by the renowned Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI).

Overcoming low self-esteem

The nine-module workbook, information sheets and worksheets which will help you better understand and improve your self-esteem.

These four information sheets contain facts about sleep and insomnia as well as advice about sleep hygiene.

Sleep workbook

This workbook has 10 modules and covers everything from negative beliefs through to problem solving, helpful thinking and self-management.

Anxiety workbook

Health anxiety

With nine modules, this workbook helps those who worry excessively about their health and provides advice on healthy living and self-management.

Health anxiety workbook

As well as an introduction to depression, this workbook features nine modules by Back from the Bluez, which include behavioural strategies and core beliefs.

Depression workbook

Self-compassion

With seven modules, this workbook explains how to introduce self-compassionate thinking and behaviours into your life.

Self-compassion workbook

Mindfulness

These three information sheets cover the benefits of mindfulness and provide guidance on how to become mindful.

Mindfulness Workbook

Featuring 12 modules, this workbook covers everything from unhelpful thinking styles through to breathing and self-management.

Panic workbook

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Problem Solving

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An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.

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Languages this resource is available in

• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• English (GB)
• English (US)
• Spanish (International)

Mechanisms associated with this resource

• Skills deficit

Introduction & Theoretical Background

Problem Solving is a helpful intervention whenever clients present with difficulties, dilemmas, and conundrums, or when they experience repetitive thought such as rumination or worry. Effective problem solving is an essential life skill and this Problem Solving worksheet is designed to guide adults through steps which will help them to generate solutions to ‘stuck’ situations in their lives. It follows the qualities of effective problem solving outlined by Nezu, Nezu & D’Zurilla (2013), namely: clearly defining a problem; generation of alternative solutions; deliberative decision making; and the implementation of the chosen solution.

The therapist’s stance during problem solving should be one of collaborative curiosity. It is not for the therapist to pass judgment or to impose their preferred solution. Instead it is the clinician’s role to sit alongside clients and to help them examine the advantages and disadvantages of their options and, if the client is ‘stuck’ in rumination or worry, to help motivate them to take action to become unstuck – constructive rumination asks “How can I…?” questions instead of “Why…?” questions.

In their description of problem solving therapy Nezu, Nezu & D’Zurilla (2013) describe how it is helpful to elicit a positive orientation towards the problem which involves: being willing to appraise problems as challenges; remain optimistic that problems are solvable; remember that successful problem solving involves time and effort.

Therapist Guidance

• What is the nature of the problem?
• What are my goals?
• What is getting the way of me reaching my goals?
• “Can you think of any ways that you could make this problem not be a problem any more?”
• “What’s keeping this problem as a problem? What could you do to target that part of the problem?”
• “If your friend was bothered by a problem like this what might be something that you recommend they try?”
• “What would be some of the worst ways of solving a problem like this? And the best?”
• “How would Batman solve a problem like this?”
• Consider short term and long-term implications of each strategy
• Implications may relate to: emotional well-being, choices & opportunities, relationships, self-growth
• The next step is to consider which of the available options is the best solution. If you do not feel positive about any solutions, the choice becomes “Which is the least-worst?”. Remember that “even not-making-a-choice is a form of choice”.  
• The last step of problem solving is putting a plan into action. Rumination, worry, and being in the horns of a dilemma are ‘stuck’ states which require a behavioral ‘nudge’ to become unstuck. Once you have put your plan into action it is important to monitor the outcome and to evaluate whether the actual outcome was consistent with the anticipated outcome.

References And Further Reading

• Beck, A.T., Rush, A.J., Shaw, B.F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression . New York: Guilford. Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., D’Zurilla, T. J. (2013). Problem-solving therapy: a treatment manual . New York: Springer.
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