We all need to slow down and re-evaluate the way we live from time to time.
As much as we're living through a time of profound uncertainty at the moment, it has also given the gift of connecting us back into the very immediate present.
This public health crisis has interrupted our routines, shaken up our work lives and perhaps opened up an opportunity to evaluate all the systems and ways we've been living that didn't make a lot of sense before.
The basic necessities of life are now taking precedent above all else. We have this opportunity to not only take a step back from our way of life but also take a deep breath and try other ways of living.
I have been asking myself a lot lately, "Who do I want to be? What am I contributing and what kind of world do I want to live in?" And then throwing all my energy in the direction of building on that vision.
Fact-checking is a life and death matter right now.
So much information is spreading so rapidly at the moment that it is difficult to separate truth from conjecture. We need to know how to adequately protect ourselves, our friends, family, coworkers and community from not only infection but also how to safely take care of each other. We need to know when it is appropriate to seek out medical care, and how to know when symptoms are the manifestation of stress, COVID-19 or some other life challenging illness.
Please identify your trusted sources of information and fact check what you are hearing and reading as often as you can. There are some very informed, brilliant and educated minds working on all levels of the issues we are facing today. It's important to find information that is reviewed, verified and vetted by other professionals.
Some good places to start for verified and vetted information:
And of course, check with your local health authority, as they will have a better picture of what the situation and risks are in your community.
In a crisis verify and evaluate information sources carefully.
What makes a source credible? Does it pass the CRAAP test?
I've been using my time in isolation to educate and prepare myself for the future.
I believe the best way to manage fear and anxiety is by leaning into it, getting curious and becoming informed enough that the fear no longer has power over us. I've been collecting my recipes, planning my garden, reaching out to everyone in my networks as best I can, while studying what I can on how to prepare our communities for the challenges ahead.
Raven Taylor
Who am I? I am a licensed massage therapist and teacher, but I am currently not working due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since I have time and I care about our world, I am putting my research, education and communications skills to good use. Before I studied massage therapy I studied communications and sociology at Simon Fraser University. I have been taking World Health Organization country planning and preparedness training and learning everything I can in order to support my communities and networks as we find our way through this.
References & Sources:
Barbeau, Elise."Evaluate a Webpage Like a Librarian." 24 Jul 2019, https://www.citethisforme.com/blog/2019/07/24/evaluate-webpage-like-librarian.
Cite This For Me. "Determining Authority in a World of Fake News." 17 Nov. 2017 https://www.citethisforme.com/blog/2017/11/24/determining-authority-world-fake-news
Perkins, Kendra. “The CRAAP Test: An Easy & Fun Way to Evaluate Research Sources.” RefME, 19 Apr. 2016, http://www.refme.com/blog/2016/04/19/the-craap-test-an-easy-fun-way-to-evaluate-research-sources/.