Knowledge

I’ve picked another one of our core values as the word for today – knowledge. In our core essentials curriculum, knowledge is defined as “learning something new so you can be better at what you do.” A lack of knowledge often leads to anxiety – when we don’t know the background or the outcome of a situation, we may feel uncertain and anxious.  Routines and knowledge of the outcomes helps to reduce this anxiety.  I’ve found that when I am faced with a new situation or an uncertain outcome, the more accurate information I can find, the better equipped I am at making a decision and the less anxiety I feel. I once heard a great analogy about expectations that highlights the importance of knowing information. Say you are waiting in a waiting room for a doctor’s appointment. Unbeknownst to you, the doctor is a half hour behind and you sit waiting for 30 minutes for your appointment without knowing when you will be seen.  By the time your name is called, you probably feel stressed and irritated that you had to wait so long. If, however, when you walk in, the receptionist tells you that the appointments are running a half hour behind and they continue to update you on when you will be seen, you are less likely to feel anxiety or stressed. You have knowledge of the situation and it helps you to feel more relaxed and less anxious. Too much information can also lead to heightened anxiety. We have so many sources of knowledge (maybe too many) and that means we have to be responsible consumers of the knowledge that is shared.  It’s easy to let your thoughts get away from you and to feel anxious when you hear a lot of misinformation.  We tend to look for information that supports our thoughts (known as confirmation bias) instead of reading information that would challenge our beliefs.  When you learn something new, try to find the source of that information and verify what you read to help you make a decision that is grounded in facts and not in anxiety. If you hear something that causes anxiety, look for additional facts that might help to alleviate the uncertainty you are feeling. 

My Reflections:

2 Challenges

·     Adapting to the rapid changes in the restrictions that are being put in place – closing schools, businesses, etc. We are getting so much information from a variety of different sources and it is hard to discern fact from misinformation. 

·     Learning about the many online formats that we can use to communicate with others during this time.

2 Positives

• I found a news resource – the Chester County Health Department – that has accurate information about what is happening here in my community.
• With all of the avenues to communicate with others, I have been able to talk with family members in Germany and Italy.  Even though I am hearing on the news that these countries are both experiencing significant medical crises right now, it helped to reduce my anxiety to hear that both of the people that I care about are well and are living their day to day life very much like I am now.

What can you I differently tomorrow to increase my knowledge?

• I will limit the information I obtain to sites that I trust such as the CDC, the WHO, and the Chester County Health Department. With my elementary age children, I will also limit the news that the do hear to facts that are developmentally appropriate. 

Your Reflections:

2 Challenges

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2 Positives

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What can you do differently tomorrow to increase your knowledge?

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