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Greetings, Kittens!
I was hit with a bit of malware on Monday that I'm still recovering, (I'll get my taskbar back yet). I don't want to dedicate any more time to the downside, just let me spread the gospel of running SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes every month, every two weeks if you have Spotify or anything else that runs 3rd party apps.
Although it took me two days to recover from it, I don't feel negative about that time. In fact, I think it was a perfect microcosm moment of what to do when things go sideways. A friend that I talked to during it, (and who I talked into running antimalware which turned up a trojan, so seriously check your systems), asked me how I kept my zen, and I outlined what I took from the incident. In case you were all interested in how my mind works, I thought I'd share it here too. Originally it was in ten steps, but I've expanded them to thirteen for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy.
13 Steps To Getting Through An Incident Without It Ruining Your Whole Day
1st, Don’t Panic. Take a breath and step back before doing anything and see what’s fully going on.
2nd, Act Instead of React. Evaluate and move forward rather than just immediately reacting on the emotion of the moment.
3rd, Remember You’re Not Alone. Any problem you have, someone else has had it and they’ve talked about it on the internet. Go and check for solutions if you can’t handle the problem yourself.
4th, Keep Asking Questions. If the first search doesn’t turn up what you need, keep tweaking the question, type it right into the search engine and continue until you find what you need, or until you find it explained in a way you understand.
5th, Verify. Don’t borrow trouble, compare your advice and verify your sources.
6th, Pace Yourself. Take the solution, whatever it may be, at your own pace and without feeling anything but empowered to turn around the situation.
7th, Be Patient. Pardon my language, but it takes time to unfuck a situation, give yourself that time.
8th, Gain Perspective. Whatever's happened, you're there to complain about it, so it could have been worse. Every time the moment begins to overwhelm you, stop, back away, see the bigger picture and get back in there to fix it.
9th, Multitask. Whatever has knocked your day off-kilter, take the moment it presents. Perhaps you needed time to yourself to be alone with your own thoughts. Nothing hyper focuses you like trying to fix a laptop, (or car, or situation in general). Take the moment not to think about anything else. And when you can do nothing but sit back and let the scan run, (or wait for maintenance, etc), consider it that time you never get to read or watch tv or work out. I mean, why waste it?
10th, Remember, It’s Not Personal, Even When It Feels That Way. It’s an incident, perhaps a couple incidents, but that’s all they are. It’s not an agenda. Even when someone takes something out on you, it’s not really about you, so don’t internalize it as if it were.
11th, Let it Go. Whatever it is, it happened and it’s over, even if it’s not entirely resolved.
12th, When In Doubt, Dance It Out. At the beginning, in the middle, at the end, anywhere during the situation, take a music break and have a time. It will elevate your seratonin and make it all look better.
13th, Call Me. Or, you know, whatever friend you have that listens to that kind of thing. Not only will you feel better to get it said, but you might save them the trouble of flying blind when their own situation comes around.
Other Thursday Thirteeners
I was hit with a bit of malware on Monday that I'm still recovering, (I'll get my taskbar back yet). I don't want to dedicate any more time to the downside, just let me spread the gospel of running SuperAntiSpyware and Malwarebytes every month, every two weeks if you have Spotify or anything else that runs 3rd party apps.
Although it took me two days to recover from it, I don't feel negative about that time. In fact, I think it was a perfect microcosm moment of what to do when things go sideways. A friend that I talked to during it, (and who I talked into running antimalware which turned up a trojan, so seriously check your systems), asked me how I kept my zen, and I outlined what I took from the incident. In case you were all interested in how my mind works, I thought I'd share it here too. Originally it was in ten steps, but I've expanded them to thirteen for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy.
13 Steps To Getting Through An Incident Without It Ruining Your Whole Day
1st, Don’t Panic. Take a breath and step back before doing anything and see what’s fully going on.
2nd, Act Instead of React. Evaluate and move forward rather than just immediately reacting on the emotion of the moment.
3rd, Remember You’re Not Alone. Any problem you have, someone else has had it and they’ve talked about it on the internet. Go and check for solutions if you can’t handle the problem yourself.
4th, Keep Asking Questions. If the first search doesn’t turn up what you need, keep tweaking the question, type it right into the search engine and continue until you find what you need, or until you find it explained in a way you understand.
5th, Verify. Don’t borrow trouble, compare your advice and verify your sources.
6th, Pace Yourself. Take the solution, whatever it may be, at your own pace and without feeling anything but empowered to turn around the situation.
7th, Be Patient. Pardon my language, but it takes time to unfuck a situation, give yourself that time.
8th, Gain Perspective. Whatever's happened, you're there to complain about it, so it could have been worse. Every time the moment begins to overwhelm you, stop, back away, see the bigger picture and get back in there to fix it.
9th, Multitask. Whatever has knocked your day off-kilter, take the moment it presents. Perhaps you needed time to yourself to be alone with your own thoughts. Nothing hyper focuses you like trying to fix a laptop, (or car, or situation in general). Take the moment not to think about anything else. And when you can do nothing but sit back and let the scan run, (or wait for maintenance, etc), consider it that time you never get to read or watch tv or work out. I mean, why waste it?
10th, Remember, It’s Not Personal, Even When It Feels That Way. It’s an incident, perhaps a couple incidents, but that’s all they are. It’s not an agenda. Even when someone takes something out on you, it’s not really about you, so don’t internalize it as if it were.
11th, Let it Go. Whatever it is, it happened and it’s over, even if it’s not entirely resolved.
12th, When In Doubt, Dance It Out. At the beginning, in the middle, at the end, anywhere during the situation, take a music break and have a time. It will elevate your seratonin and make it all look better.
13th, Call Me. Or, you know, whatever friend you have that listens to that kind of thing. Not only will you feel better to get it said, but you might save them the trouble of flying blind when their own situation comes around.
Other Thursday Thirteeners
