Why Critical Thinking Will Save Your Mental Health

Hey, has anyone tried to buy hand sanitizer lately? That might sound like the beginning of a comedy sketch, which it is a little bit, but also a genuine question. It’s insane, right? Never in my life did I think I’d be talking about a hand sanitizer shortage, but here we are. THANKS CORONAVIRUS!

Yup, we’re gonna talk about THAT topic.

It’s all over the news right now, it’s limiting travel, it’s harmful to my favorite Chinese restaurants, and it’s sending people into a panic.

It does not, however, have anything to do with beer.

You heard right. A large group of people are avoiding Corona beer because of the name. I don’t have a medical degree and I’m no expert on infectious diseases, but I can say this with absolute certainty. Coronavirus does not come from beer. We might laugh at that (at least I hope you are), but it really is a symptom of a larger problem.

As a collective society, we’ve stopped thinking critically.

I get it. It’s pretty scary to hear that all of a sudden there’s a new virus that’s killing people. It’s never fun to hear that your health might be in danger. But is it actually? On one hand, you have elected officials and medical providers telling you not to panic. On the other hand, you hear stories on the news that seem alarming. Who is right? Short answer: everyone and no one.

Any information you receive is biased.

It’s delivered by humans and therefore always has some opinion or agenda in there. No one is ever 100% objective because it just isn’t possible. That’s not necessarily a bad thing at all – as long as you’re aware of it.

That newspaper with the sensationalist headline? They’re trying to sell papers. Keep that in mind. The elected official that is telling you that this isn’t that big of a deal and please for the love of God go eat in Chinatown? There’s political motive to take a stand on various issues and to try to avoid a panic constituency.

Again I say, NONE OF THIS IS A BAD THING. But it is a thing.

My point is that, regardless of what or how you’re hearing information, there’s a right and a wrong way to handle it. The right way? Take a pause and evaluate what you’re hearing. Why might this person or organization be delivering this information? Is there anything to gain from the way in which they’re presenting the facts? Do they have any other interests in this topic? Is it a reputable source? What do experts in the field say? After you ask those questions, then decide what you’d like to do with the information. It might be to take what you just heard as truth – which is 100% fine. Just make sure you’re thinking about it first.

Back to that illness that doesn’t come from beer…

Case in point, there are a ton of facts and myths about this virus already, and it hasn’t been around for that long. Educate yourself. Take in the information, and evaluate it in the way that makes the most sense to you. It’s definitely scary to think about any type of worst case scenario happening to you, but isn’t it better when you’re making an educated, well thought out decision on how to prevent that possibility? (Spoiler: yes is the only acceptable answer here).

It will also help your mental health.

Think back to the last time you were stressed, anxious, or in a state of panic. How did you physically feel? For most people, the answer is some version of “not good”. Don’t put yourself through that if you don’t have to. Ironically, constantly worrying about getting sick could actually make you sick. I’m not here to tell anyone how to feel (all feelings are valid!), but before you go down that road, make sure you’ve made an educated decision about whether or not the situation really warrants putting that much stress on yourself.

Take the information in, but don’t stop there. Pause. Think. Evaluate. THEN decide. You’ll be a calmer, healthier person for it.

P.S.- Please stop buying masks.