Story about stress: What to do when a clock has a nervous breakdown

A brand-new clock sat proudly on a shelf, ticking away with precision, two ticks per second, just as any well-made clock should. At first, it was content with its steady rhythm, proud to be fulfilling its purpose. But as time passed, the clock began to think deeply about its task. It suddenly realized just how many times it would have to tick. “Two ticks per second means 120 ticks per minute,” it calculated. “That’s 7,200 ticks per hour, 172,800 ticks per day, 1,209,600 ticks per week…” The numbers continued to grow, and the clock’s gears tightened with anxiety. “In one year, that will be 62,899,200 ticks!” The thought was overwhelming. The clock panicked, feeling an unbearable burden. It had barely begun its journey, and yet, it was drowning in the weight of all the ticks it had yet to make. Unable to cope with the stress, the clock suffered a nervous breakdown. It ticked erratically, its hands trembled, and it nearly stopped working altogether. Concerned for its well-being, the owner took the clock to a specialist, a wise old clockmaker who had repaired countless timepieces in his lifetime.

The clockmaker examined the clock carefully, adjusting its mainspring and oiling its tiny gears. Then, he asked in a kind voice, “Clock, what’s troubling you?” With a distressed tone, the clock explained its predicament. “Oh, doctor, I have to tick so much! I have to tick two ticks per second, 120 ticks per minute, 7,200 ticks per hour, and…” The clock could barely finish its sentence before the sheer enormity of its task overwhelmed it again. The wise clockmaker gently interrupted. “Hold on now. Tell me, how many ticks do you have to make at any given moment?” The clock hesitated, confused by the simple question. “Well… just one tick at a time.” “Exactly,” the clockmaker said with a smile. “You only have to tick one tick at a time. Don’t even think about the next tick until it’s time. Just focus on the tick you’re making right now. That’s all you need to do.” The words settled into the clock’s gears like a soothing melody. The solution was so simple! It didn’t have to worry about all the future ticks. It only had to focus on the one tick in front of it. The clock returned to its shelf, still ticking just as before. But now, it did so without fear. It was no longer worried about how many ticks lay ahead. It simply ticked one tick at a time, just as the wise clockmaker had advised. And with that, the clock found peace. From that day forward, whenever it felt anxious, it reminded itself, one tick at a time, one step at a time, one problem at a time. And so, it kept ticking happily, never again overwhelmed by the journey ahead.