Small problem

When I was teaching at the special education center, I got to help students maintain perspective on obstacles. Many of our students were very routine-driven and would become quite upset when things went awry. For example, a student may be unable to find a pencil and would start freaking out. I learned to talk with them and ask “Now is this a big problem or a small problem?” This helped the student to calm down and realize that missing a pencil is a small problem, since finding another pencil is pretty simple.

Now I’ve taken to saying this phrase in my own life. For example, when my closet rod broke and all my clothes ended up on the floor, I said “small problem” and started cleaning up. Even when I cut myself while cooking and started bleeding on the table, I said “Small problem!” and washed it off. It is a bit silly, but I find it helpful.