I didn't blog last night because of The Thing. I was doing research on The Thing and got caught up in that. However, the information I found out was good and helpful. Honestly, that has been somewhat scarce in this process. It was nice to have it go my way for a change.
As badly as The Thing has been on my general state of sanity and well being (such as it is), I am very grateful for the problem solving skills I've developed over the years. Even though this has been quite overwhelming, I've managed to use what I have to get through it. Well, you know, as much as I can. It's not over yet, but we're getting closer.
Okay, so here are some tips for when you get hit with some huge scary problem.
1. ALLOW YOURSELF SOME TIME TO PANIC. This isn't always possible. In some situations, you have to respond within second and your time frame for panic is very limited. However, if you have time on your side, let yourself freak out. I found out about The Thing on a Saturday. As hard as that was, my roommate remarked later that it was good because it gave me the whole weekend to just be emotional about it. I needed that, or rather, I needed to get that out of my system so I could focus.
2. DO NOT ACCEPT THAT THERE IS NO WAY OUT UNTIL YOU HAVE EXHAUSTED THE POSSIBILITIES. When a bad thing happens, quite often we assume there is no way out of it. It's part of the panic and despair. And, okay, somethings, there really isn't a way out of it. However, do not accept that until you are 100% certain of it.
3. RESEARCH AND ASK QUESTIONS. Yes, I know, this seems very basic. The thing is, when something bad happens, quite often we don't find out enough about it for ourselves. There is an emotional component to this, because it's scary to know for sure. It's difficult to even make yourself face the research because it makes you face the situation. That isn't something you want to do when the situation is bad. However, it is the major thing you have to do.
4. TACKLE THE PROBLEM AS YOU CAN. I've been researching this for a couple of weeks now. When I first began, the scope of all the stuff involved in dealing with The Thing was vast. There is so much information about it, so many rules, so many exceptions, and so many little details. At first, my brain would just go fuzzy when I'd try to read about it. After a while, I promised myself I would just look up one aspect at a time. I would focus on one detail, process it, and then, and ONLY then, move on to the next detail. That has made things easier. This is all foreign territory to me. It's like trying to learn a whole new language.
5. MANAGE YOUR TIME. The Thing has a time limit on it. There is a certain date by which it has to be handled. The date is a couple of months off, which has good and bad points. On one hand, it gives me time to do all of the stuff above. I CAN research. I CAN ask questions. I CAN tackle things as I am able. On the other hand, it makes it tempting to procrastinate. I have time. It doesn't have to be done tomorrow. And emotionally, I do NOT want to deal with it. Because I know part of me feels this way, I'm being very aware of how I spend my time. I have set down rules about how things must be handled (if at all possible) and keep reminding myself of my personal deadline.
6. DON'T LET IT CONSUME YOU. This is the hardest part. For the first week, I had so much trouble sleeping. I had so much trouble functioning. When I would sleep, I would wake up in the middle of the night and just freak out all over again. Even now, when I'm not talking to someone else, my mind is on The Thing. I have to keep talking myself down from panic.
The best way I have found to keep from staying in a constant state of panic is to calmly remind myself of what I have found out. I sooth myself with details of my plan. And then I remind myself that there is only so much I can do. This doesn't always work, but even when it helps just a little bit, it's better than nothing.
On Monday I go to pick up some more information about The Thing. Past that, it's worksheets and then probably some professional assistance. Once that happens, for better or worse, The Thing will be over. I have to admit, I am really looking forward to that.
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