22When it gets stuck

It happens: it stops understanding, goes round in circles, fixes one thing and breaks another. Here's what to do, in order.

Start a new chat. First and most effective. Context has probably filled up. Restate the gist in two paragraphs and it usually clears right up.

Narrow the task. If you're asking for a lot at once, it can lose the thread. Break it into pieces and do them one at a time.

Give it the whole error. Don't paraphrase - copy the entire text. There is usually one line that explains everything, and you may not know which line matters.

Say plainly what isn't working. "You've suggested the same thing twice now and it isn't helping. Let's approach it differently" is a perfectly normal sentence, and it understands it.

Switch model. If you have the option, try a stronger one. Sometimes the task is simply heavier than the model you launched.

And last: if nothing helps - walk away. Genuinely. Half of my dead ends resolved themselves after I went and ate something.