That drop trick is bs, the only thing it fixes is maybe a loose ribbon cable for like a day. Your issue is the corrupt save though, and the good news is Nintendo keeps cloud backups if you have Switch Online. Go to the home menu, hit the plus button on Animal Crossing, and check Save Data Cloud. If it backed up before last night you can pull your island back. The spinning stick means the potentiometer got knocked loose, so the controller is toast unless you swap the stick module, but save the island first. If cloud is off, that save is gone and there's no workaround.

How many of those 214 did you actually reread before your friend called it out? I feel this so hard because I keep a prompt log too and mine is packed with people staring out windows or checking their phones in the first line. It is wild how your brain latches onto one safe way to start and never lets go, and you dont see it until someone from the outside points at the pattern. Crossing out all those openers must have felt awful in the moment but kind of great too, like cleaning out a closet you forgot was full. I love that setting first rule, no people in the first two lines, because it takes the crutch away and forces your brain to actually build a place. I am going to go count mine tonight, and I already know the number is going to hurt.