I know it sounds like a silly question I should’ve asked on Wednesday but it has roots in how we process a crisis – it has to do with how we respond to information during a crisis. I think just being aware of it can help you process information in a more constructive and healthy way.
Crisis Psychology: Are You an Ostrich or a Meerkat? [Hustle Escape] – “When confronted with crises, psychologists have shown that we typically adjust the way in which we consume information and the rate at which we check it. As we are only at the beginning of this crisis, it’s worth getting to grips with this now, before some of the negative aspects of this psychology take hold.”
A few weeks ago, as the crisis was just starting, I was reading everything I could (except Fox News, I felt they were under-reporting). I’d rather be over-prepared and feel sheepish aftewards than under-prepared. Eventually, I started reducing the sources until I was really down to just one from the Center for Health Security at JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health. It’ll tell you everything relevant that’s happening without any of the hype.
(also, it doesn’t hurt to turn off the news!)
Lessons Learned From the Great Recession For Today’s Down Market [Financial Pilgrimage] – “Living through a recession is a much different story. The media coverage and end-of-world scenarios were just as prevalent in 2008-2009 as they have been in the past few weeks. Eventually if you don’t turn off the news you start to believe it. While it’s important to stay informed, it’s equally important to know when to step away and focus on the things you can control (this advice is mostly for myself).”
Finally, non-COVID-19 but perhaps even more crucial as we enter in this period of massive unemployment, missed payments, and impacts to an individual’s credit scores.
5 Reasons to Raise Your Credit Score: A Bad Credit Score Cost You Over Six Figures [Paychecks & Balances] – “… a bad credit score can cost an average household upwards of six figures during their lifetime.” Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your adult financial life. What’s scary is that it’s almost invisible too because it only appears in critical moments even though it has an impact in so many areas. Marcus has a good primer on what you should do.
And to bring you into a weekend where your schedule probably won’t change much, please enjoy a little music at a desk.
NPR has these “Tiny Desk” concerts where amazing artists come in and perform a small concert at the desk of Bob Boilen, the host of All Songs Considered. It’s fantastic. My two favorites are T-Pain and Taylor Swift.
Here’s T-Pain, of auto-tune fame: