• Question: Do you get stressed if you mess up? How do you solve these problems?

    Asked by to Daren, Lynne, Phillip, Simon on 17 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Lynne Thomas

      Lynne Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      I think everyone makes mistakes at some times and it can be very frustrating. When we do experiments at Diamond Light Source, we usually have a few days and we have to run the experiments 24 hours a day. That means we have to work shifts through the night! It is very difficult to avoid mistakes when you are tired. I think you just have to be kind to yourself and remember that you did the best that you could at the time. And also accept that mistakes are going to happen. So I try to take a fairly relaxed approach to them. It is good to think about why you made the mistake in the first place though so that you can try and avoid it next time! But important not to dwell on it for too long and remember that it happens to everyone!

    • Photo: Daren Fearon

      Daren Fearon answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Mistakes happen, it doesn’t how smart you are or how careful you are, everyone can have an accident. While this can be very frustrating, beating yourself up over it won’t help anyone. You do have to take responsibility for your mistake though and try and learn from it – if you can do that then it at least wasn’t all for nothing. Good preparation can go a long way to help avoiding mistakes too.

    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      I mess up on a regular basis – we even have a board in our lab where we write up our mistakes and then vote at the end of the week as to who did the stupidest thing. The winner gets a point and the person with the most points at the end of the year has to buy everybody else a drink. It helps us all learn from each other’s mistakes and think twice before we do things.
      The important thing to remember is that mistakes happen, it’s best not to get stressed about it and you should clean everything up and make it safe again and then start back at the beginning!

    • Photo: Phillip Manning

      Phillip Manning answered on 17 Jun 2014:

      Some of the best science is born from mistakes. It is human to make mistakes, but important to learn from them. Admitting them is often the first step…and often reduces stress.

Comments