Or: There’s no Use Crying over Spilled Iced Coffee
I was on the subway the other day.
I sat across from a person in the subway car that was taking up two seats as he lounged and sipped on an iced coffee.
At some point during the trip, he accidentally dropped the coffee on the ground, and it spilled upon the floor.
The spill was initially localized and confined to one area of the car.
However, the man attempted to contain the spill, effectively making it worse.
I want you to imagine this scene: a man scrambling to find any bit of paper he could to sop up coffee spill that only SLIGHTLY shifted due to the movement of the subway, but made worse by his own actions. His futile need for damage control.
It took the actions of concerned passenger to bring him aside and gently tell him that there was nothing more he could do, and pointed him in the direction of the subway conductor so that he could inform them of the spill.
Fast-forward to my own “spilled iced coffee” incident.
I’m supposed to start a copywriting class for the spring. I just found out that even though I paid I was still supposed to register online…which I did not realize until mere hours after registration closed.
As it was the weekend, all my frantic phone and email inquiries would go unanswered until at least Monday. Obviously I freaked out, concerned that I had effectively shot myself in the foot.
What if I missed my chance to take the class and they can’t sign me up in person?
What if someone else took my spot and now the course is full?
I spent some time beating myself up and kicking myself and lamenting how I could make such a stupid mistake.
My boyfriend had to talk me down the proverbial ledge that was my own mental headspace.
For a brief moment, I was the man with the iced coffee on the subway.
Perhaps in this person’s mind he was picturing the worst case scenario: that the TTC would accuse him of intentionally defacing city property and arrest him on the spot. Perhaps he thought he would be banned from using transit ever again.
I think we all sometimes go through our moments where something happens and we blow it out of proportion. Here’s what can be done to counteract such moments:
First: BREATHE.
Second: Remind yourself that it’s not that important and not that big a deal.
Third: Trust in the universe.
Fourth: Resist jumping to the worst-case scenario, even though we are hard-wired to do so since our evolution from cavemen.
“Hi! I see you there, and I recognize your anxiety. Thank you for trying to keep me safe, but you are not serving me right now. Please step aside as I try to resolve this calmly and rationally. Thank you!”
Fifth: Be POSITIVE. Stressing yourself into an ulcer is unproductive, and a very un-fun way to spend one’s time and energy.
There is nothing I can do until the school offices reopen on Monday. Rather than be miserable and throw myself a pity party, I will choose to be in the moment, be thankful that I caught my gaffe, and be confident that this all will be sorted out shortly.
Who knows? I may be able to laugh at my mini-panic attack in the coming weeks as I’m working on my assignment for copywriting class.
So how about you? What steps do you take to avoid making mental mountains out of molehills? How do you deal when faced with a problem or dilemma where you’re unsure of the outcome?