Keeping your cool

One of the first things you must do while working on an issue is to remain calm. I fully realize that in many cases, this is much easier said than done. However, remaining calm and collected will help you focus on the task at hand. Panic, or anger for that matter, is only going to clutter your brain and cloud your judgment, decreasing your effectiveness to properly work on the issue. Likewise, limit distractions; if the issue is important enough, ignore all other emails, set your phone to silent, set your instant messenger status to do not disturb--do anything you can to improve your focus. Don't be afraid to tell (or ask politely, if the case may be) people to leave you alone as you are currently working an important issue. I work with a project manager who, when I am working on an issue on a project, will ask me "Do you need anything from me or should I just leave you alone?", knowing that I can work better if left to focus and I will reach out to him if I do indeed need...