The markets are down, the fear level is rising, and the truth that is spoken is slightly muffled behind the “precautionary” N95 face mask! One of the curses of modern communications is that you have so many instantaneous sources of information, not all of it is always accurate since the multiple venues are competing with one another to be the “first” to break news. So, how does one discern between what is hyperbole and conjecture and what is the truth and valuable information when it comes to the Corona Virus?

One of the first things that Hypnotists learn about how a person thinks is something called the “critical factor”, it’s the comparing mechanism which evaluates new information compared to what is already know and accepted as fact. The critical factor builds up over time as a person matures, sometimes it protects and sometimes the critical factor is a little too rigid and prevents new information from being accepted which might benefit the person. That’s where a good 5-Path ® Hypnotist excels, bypassing that critical factor so that it can accept new beneficial thoughts and information.

However, when it comes to something outside of our normal experience, outside of our comfort zone, something that sweeps into our consciousness as quickly as the fears of a Corona Virus Pandemic has, how should we evaluate the breathless, urgent headlines that inundate our news feeds and social media?

First, you must remember that nothing gets clicked on, read or downloaded these days without someone making money. Having worked in the media for decades I know that capturing your attention and getting you to spend more time listening, reading, or watching, means less time spent with the competition, therefore, more money for me and not them.  

Where does that lead someone who is simply trying to learn the facts? Well, how about a place you have used all of your life?  How about using your own judgment?  You can do this easily, it’s what you have always done and your decisions and actions will better serve you after you gather as much information as you can.

Second, it may be true that the markets are down due to the Corona Virus, but is it due to the fear that it will kill everyone? Not likely, the market reacts to what’s good or bad for business and making money is the goal. So, if the investors anticipated that business travel will fall due to their employees not wanting to travel, then also airline stocks, hotel occupancy rates, and restaurants, taxis and a host of other businesses’ will take a profit hit and are not currently a good investment. Take a look at this five-part series on the knock-on business effect of the Corona Virus from the Wall Street Journal. They say it may have more an impact than 9/11 did on travel https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-coronavirus-scare-this-time-is-different-11582632012

Is the information in that series an indication that Corona is a Plague about to destroy us? Not necessarily, because businesses are more connected and interwoven then they were just a decade or two ago (look up “just in time ordering” and how that might affect your local grocery store for a great example).

Third, dig deeper for information sources which are not so dependent on advertisers, for example, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has a very informative website which states, “We don’t have evidence yet to suggest this is any more virulent than the flu you see in the U.S. each year,” said Michael Mina, assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a January 26, 2020, Los Angeles Times article. “Most people, with proper medical attention, will do just fine.” I didn’t get that from the LA Times, but from Harvard itself https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/keeping-perspective-on-the-coronavirus-outbreak/.

Fourth and finally, use your own judgment and pay attention to local sources, such as your local County Health Commissioner. If they start to issue statements beyond what they usually do when confronted with a virulent flu season or an outbreak such as the West Nile/Zika Virus or any of the health threats they monitor, then follow their recommend precautionary measures. 

A prudent person would already be using hand sanitizer and following good hygiene procedures, avoiding sick people and staying away from crowds at this time of year just to avoid the yearly flu season. If it makes you feel better, N95 Masks, Nitrile Gloves and lots of healthy immune building supplements are always a wise investment to have on hand.

Now if all of that doesn’t help and you cannot rest your mind, and that this fear of the Corona Virus is dominating your thoughts, then it could be resonating with some thought patterns or fears established in your subconscious.  There is an effective alternative to help with that, 5-Path ® Hypnosis. You can make an online appointment for a free 30-minute consultation right here on www.familyfirsthypnosis.com

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels