Now and then, I hit a wall. It feels like I’ve tried everything, thought through every angle, and still nothing works. The problem before me becomes heavy and immovable — and I feel stuck.

I’ve learned that the way out isn’t always to push harder. Sometimes, it’s to speak. Out loud.

A colleague many years ago showed me this in the quirkiest way: he kept a tiny rubber duck glued to the top of his computer screen. Whenever he got stuck on a problem and couldn’t find a colleague to listen, he’d explain it to the duck — a strange thing to witness! More often than not, he’d already uncovered the answer by the time he’d finished talking it through.

My husband and I borrowed the habit. Both of us being software engineers and sharing an office meant we had the perfect setup to bounce problems off each other. Whenever one of us talked ourselves into a breakthrough, the other would respond with a playful “Quack! Quack!” Silly, yes — but these are the moments we’ll remember one day.

Last week, I found myself in that same place again — just not stuck on a programming problem. Two rough nights of poor sleep, after weeks of doing well, had me spiralling: what if my cycle of insomnia is back? I felt like I’d already tried everything and had no options left.

So I visited my running coach. Not to demand a solution, just to have someone listen while I talked it through. By the end of our conversation, we didn’t land on a miracle cure, but we did come up with two new things to try. I no longer felt pressed against the wall. And, more importantly, I no longer felt like I was facing it alone.

There is real power in speaking a problem out loud and walking someone else through your thoughts and reasoning. It not only creates space and perspective to unravel the knot, but it also builds connection and draws others into your world — even when the topic feels vulnerable.

Do you think it’s important to talk through difficult situations you’re facing with someone else? Is that something you allow yourself to do? And if not, what makes it hard?

#GettingUnstuck #AskingForAnEar #YouAreNotAlone #TalkItThrough #QuackQuack