Last week, I was plagued with technical difficulties. First, I lost my Internet connection. Then there was a problem with my email. Then a part of my computer overheated. Then I had to debug something that may as well have been written in Swahili.
I'm not the type of person whose feathers are easily ruffled. But computer problems send me over the edge. I hate not knowing how to fix something, especially when it comes to technology. To make matters worse, phone support for most products is no longer free.
I figure if I get overwhelmed so easily by computer problems, people with ADD must really have it rough. If your partner tends to be overwhelmed by everyday life, you are probably the better person to deal with tech support.
With that in mind, there are a few things I try to remember in times of technology-induced stress that you may find helpful:
1. Don't panic.
Ask yourself, "What is the worst that could happen?" Worst case scenario, you will have to spend some money for live tech support. As long as you're backing up important files on a regular basis (we use ibackup.com), you don't have to worry about losing all your data.
2. Don't blame yourself.
No one expects you to have the same level of knowledge as an IT professional (unless, of course, you are one). I tend to berate myself for being bad with technology. But that doesn't help the problem, and it gets in the way of finding a solution.
3. Get help.
If you're dealing with a program or a piece of hardware that offers only pay-for-play customer support, you may have to suck it up and pay. If you want to pursue other options first, you can search online for user forums for that particular product, or go to your local bookstore and pick up a "for Dummies" book on the subject.
What kinds of things do you do to manage stress over technology problems? Share your ideas in the comments!
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"I figure if I get overwhelmed so easily by computer problems, people with ADD must really have it rough."
Not to be overly defensive but, we don't. They're frustrating yeah, but computer problems, or any other problems, in and of themselves don't pose an easier or harder problem. Now, trying to deal with it when there are other distractions, yeah that can cause problems.
Posted by: Tac Anderson | February 23, 2008 at 05:16 PM