The anxiety is there. We are in such a hurry to be done with this we are seeking any and all avenues to get the latest information on the virus. The problem is that every information channel you watch has a different message as to what is currently happening, that’s so- not-helpful. After spending all day in front of a computer, your brain is mush and it’s hard to process it all.
Welcome to the Age of Information Overload.
Before the Labor Day holiday, Col. Patrick Miller, 88th Air Base Wing commander, sent out a note that said to relax, recharge and take a breather over the long weekend. He was right. Time to unplug and step away.
Ohio has so much to offer. My family and I spent our day at the Columbus Zoo. It was great to get outside in the beautiful weather and get some exercise while enjoying some of nature’s awesome creatures. It was really great to get away from the constant flood of information.
There’s something to be said about watching a Sloth Bear lounge around lazily or a manatee glide through the water. We probably could have sat there for three hours and watched that happen. We also found out that a cheetah can run 70 mph for 30 to 60 seconds. Pretty amazing, and we saw a demonstration.
Going back to the constant flood of information, these are tough times no doubt. Things aren’t normal. With the base still at Health Protection Condition Charlie and Phase 1, most of the Wright-Patterson community is working from home and has been since March.
Being virtually connected all day has people in front of a screen with very little personal interaction. The challenge is what happens when the day is over and people switch to the multitude of information channels?
After being engaged all day, now you are bombarded by an increase of channels for receiving information; radio, television, newspapers, websites, e-mail, mobile devices and tablets.
I believe there is a carryover effect where it can slow down productivity and can affect decision-making ability. Cue the stress, confusion and annoyance. This is when mistakes can start to happen.
Break the cycle. Set a timer to go outside and get a little walk in during the day. Step away from technology and get outside and just be. Do a little stretching. Do some deep breathing. Whatever gets you away from the electronic interference, do it.
Step away from the e-mail, the devices, the news. If you have to watch TV, I’m pretty sure there are hundreds of channels that aren’t news based. It’s a tough thing to do. I have an extremely hard time with this because my job revolves around news.
If you need a little extra help, contact the 88th Air Base Wing’s community support coordinator, Heath McNaughton. He can point you in the right direction.
As I said earlier, these are tough times. The future is undetermined at this point. Telework in some sort of form or fashion, is here to stay. Make a conscious effort to take a break from this very confusing information environment. It is only going to get more congested in the coming weeks.
The job and the work will still be there. Take the time for you.
I look forward to getting after it again next week.
In case you are interested, the Cheetah Run at the Columbus Zoo runs daily at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. I highly recommend it. It’s pretty cool.
About the Author