There is nothing quite like the panic your iPhone inspires when it decides to stop charging. Scrambling for the charger, plugging it into different outlets around your room, praying and cursing as the little screen remains dark is probably one of the worst experiences you can have in the middle of the week with snow darkening the sky and homework piling up in a tragic pile beside you.
I say this only because my iPhone stopped working this week, and it set me into spiral of panic that did nothing but raise my blood pressure and keep me up at night. My personal iPhone problems aside, this situation is a veritable fill in the blank for student stressors. Simply replace my iPhone with your whatever and you have a noxious cocktail of stress, self-loathing and paralyzing pity.
So what do you do in a situation like this? How do you stop panicking and fix your iPhone, or your laptop, or whatever else is going wrong in your life? How do you step back from the situation, breath and then address the problem like a rational, functioning human being?
In my case, you don’t, but that’s not very helpful to you.
First things first. The situation is never as bad as it seems. No matter what happens, it will not be the end of the world, you will not die in a catastrophic ball of flames, and you will find the strength to move on. Even if your problem is something as petty as a boy who won’t text you, or something as monumental as your laptop crashing, life will continue and you will deal with whatever comes next.
Secondly, you don’t have to go it alone. Whatever is wrong in your life isn’t just your burden to bear. There are undoubtedly people who love you and support you and are willing to help you out. Even if you don’t know who they are or where they’re hiding, I promise you they exist and that they will be there to help you through whatever’s wrong.
Things will always work out. I know it’s hard to believe this when you’re staring your problems in the face and they’re just grinning back at you, but I promise I speak the truth. Whatever happens, happens, and you can’t freak out about things that are beyond your control. You can worry about things that are in your control, but don’t obsess.
Lastly, you are more than your problems. You are more than a failed grade, a broken iPhone or a crappy roommate. You are more than a gallon of spoiled milk, your favorite pair of shoes torn up and wet from the snow, or a friend who won’t talk to you for something you don’t remember doing.
You are a brilliant rainbow of awesomeness, and nothing is worth your tears and heartaches, especially not your crappy iPhone.
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