Ep. 13: Pandemic Analysis Paralysis
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A recent poll revealed that 50% of us feel our mental health has worsened since the pandemic started. Dr. Jonathan Danson is a clinical psychologist who believes that COVID-19 and physical distancing are proving particularly problematic for high achievers. Host Shaun Francis interviews Dr. Danson about some of the problems the pandemic is provoking, including “analysis paralysis” when faced with choices more complex than the “fork in the road” option depicted above. Dr. Danson’s prescription for how to address such paradoxes of choice forms a large part of this episode’s conversation.
Show notes:
Dr. Danson references Barry Schwartz’s book, The Paradox of Choice.
Learn more about maximizers and satisficers:
https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/the-power-of-good-enough/387388/
Key points:
More time can actually cause more anxiety. We feel like we have more free time. But how many minutes are spent scrambling to figure out how to log onto that teleconferencing call, or managing children’s home schooling? If we actually do have more free time, the endless options on how to fill it can create “analysis paralysis” as certain kinds of people, known as “maximizers,” debate the perfect way to fill those minutes and hours. It’s much less stressful to be a “satisficer,” one who quickly chooses an option while recognizing that other choices may exist that could have produced more happiness.
We’re not afraid of uncertainty. We’re afraid of poor outcomes. Many people tell themselves they’re finding the unpredictability of the pandemic to be stressful. But that’s not quite right. It’s not the uncertainty itself that causes problems—it’s the possibility of a negative outcome. To counteract the stress associated with pandemic uncertainty, unpack what you believe are the “bad” possibilities, so that you can analyze how realistic they are.
Those human-interest accounts of COVID-19 exceptions can be harmful. One of the ways we evaluate risk, Dr. Danson says, is through a principle called the availability heuristic—how easily we can summon to mind an outcome. If we can picture an outcome vividly, our minds think it’s likely. But the availability heuristic doesn’t really work in the era of mass media. Hundreds of years ago, the only way for you to vividly summon to mind a shark attack was if you had witnessed one firsthand. In a post-Jaws, media-saturated world, if you’re feeling your mental health suffering, consider avoiding certain stories, such as those about supposedly healthy young people who nevertheless succumbed to COVID.
Please subscribe and rate us on your favourite podcast platform. Eat Move Think host Shaun Francis is Medcan’s CEO and chair. Follow him on Twitter @shauncfrancis. Connect with him on LinkedIn. And follow him on Instagram @shauncfrancis. Eat Move Think is produced by Ghost Bureau.
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