{"id":336,"date":"2020-03-30T03:18:14","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T03:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/millennialsera.com\/?p=336"},"modified":"2020-04-14T04:48:49","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T04:48:49","slug":"the-psychology-of-a-worldwide-panic-and-how-to-keep-your-sanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/millennialsera.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/30\/the-psychology-of-a-worldwide-panic-and-how-to-keep-your-sanity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Psychology of a Worldwide Panic and How to Keep Your Sanity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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By Jorge Quintero
<\/i>Edited by John Fierst<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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COVID-19 brings about a lot of uncertainty. It\u2019s spreading fast. No one really understands how much worse it\u2019s going to get, and there is no real idea as to how long we are to remain at home. Everyday, there seems to be new headlines about ever-increasing death numbers all across the globe. All of these reasons are natural and logical motivations to be frightened.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Yet, toilet paper has nothing to do with the coronavirus, and videos around the world have been shared of people fighting just to have the comforting thought of a clean butt in a year in case this pandemic lasts that long. The coronavirus caused a panic that had people rush to buy medical masks to protect themselves from the virus. <\/span>These masks saw a 428% increase in sales in the US during the week ending on January 25th, compared to the same period a year prior<\/span><\/a>. Unfortunately, these masks do nothing for people who are not ill, and there has been a shortage and exacerbation of prices on the secondary market for this item. <\/span>According to stats from the Philadelphia police<\/span><\/a>, retail theft is up 59%, and aggravated assault is up 20%. Many in the Houston community are becoming more paranoid about similar increases in crime rates and are rushing to buy guns, where they are sold out at various stores across the city.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why does fear make people act irrationally? And how does not only the coronavirus, but the precautionary mandates contribute to that fear? The psychology of a global pandemic is interesting because in a time where we are naturally engineered to be cautious, vigilant, and fearful, this may actually be contributing to the spread and contracting of the disease. Yes, you read that right – being fearful in the face of a pandemic actually makes you more susceptible to the illness. As we\u2019ll see, it\u2019s extremely important to remain calm and collected, to not only allow effective decision making, but to also boost immune system levels and also avoid all the negative aspects of being chronically stressed, such as losing sleep, feeling restless, and having elevated hearts and shorter, choppier breathing.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How COVID-19 Creates Panic<\/b><\/p>\n

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As was stated above, it\u2019s completely okay to have a healthy fear of the coronavirus. It is absolutely a potential life-threatening virus for anyone and everyone regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity. However, safety guidelines from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and the WHO (World Health Organization) have been released with full consideration and understanding of the seriousness of the virus. No where in the safety guidelines does it recommend to hoard toilet paper, where medical masks, or buy a gun. There has to be some other factors at play. Here are the top 5 reasons why the pandemic has created a panic, explained by brain science and psychology:<\/span><\/p>\n

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