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How to Deal with Information Overload During the Epidemic?

Our Friends · Aug. 4, 2020

Information about the epidemic is everywhere. Some people say that it's not their choice to decide whether to read or listen to it and this information has greatly affected them and their feelings. Should we get to know the information? Should we believe it? How to deal with it?  

 

Listen to the psychologist's advice  

Psychological research finds that people's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors interact with one another. For example, if you see a message about novel coronavirus pneumonia, which says that a certain physical performance is one of its symptoms, so you will concern about it: Am I infected with the virus? When you have this concern in your mind, you will be worried, or even scared, which will, in return strengthen the idea. What's more, the idea of "Am I infected with the novel coronavirus pneumonia" also affects your behaviors. For example, you will tend to check the symptoms of pneumonia frequently through the internet, swiping mobile phones constantly, talking to friends, inquiring about treatment medication, etc. Of course, all of these behaviors will strengthen the original ideas and feelings. This is the process of psychological and behavioral changes after people are influenced by external information.  

 

Especially when outside information is flying around, we are more susceptible. On the one hand, we are prone to become information overload. When human society enters the information age, the information we receive is growing rapidly every day, and our cognitive load is heavier, so information overload will bring some impact on us. On the other hand, long-term immersion in negative information is also prone to bring "indirect harm".  

 

Understandably, paying attention to the epidemic is an act of seeking a sense of security. However, various negative information about the epidemic, such as rumors, tragedies, anger, sensation, can affect people's emotions. However, immersion in negative emotions for a long time will damage the immune system of individuals, resulting in indirect hurt to them.  

 

As the novel coronavirus pneumonia is a newly discovered disease, the source, mechanism and specific drugs of the disease have not been fully recognized, information about the disease will change constantly. In this process, some false information will also be included.

 

So how do we deal with this massive information? We can adjust ourselves from three aspects.  

 

First, learn to set time limits.  

For example, don't pay more than half an hour to pay attention to new coronary pneumonia every day. At the same time, you should play an active role in adjusting your actions and setting up a new schedule for study, work, and rest to enrich your life. Reducing information intake and having a regular life can improve your sense of control, as the sense of control is one of the people's basic psychological needs.

 

Second, when you hear any news, you should learn to think critically, and don't accept it or deny it completely. In Lüshi Chunqiu, there is an appropriate expression about dealing with external information: things in hearsay are often specious, which should be examined, pondered and verified, otherwise it will make a big mistake. Therefore, when we see or hear any news, we should learn to think and judge, don't assert a false rumor as truth and spread this false information. We should let "rumors stop at the wise".  

 

Finally, leave yourself 10 to 20 minutes a day to take care of your heart and talk to yourself. Nowadays, with the rapid development of society, people are spinning like a top every day. Without enough time to let the mind catch up with the body. If you can press the pause key every day and talk to your mind, gradually you can get peace of mind.  

 

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