Currently, the nation’s 7 day average of new Covid 19 infections has fallen dramatically from its peak of 253,963 on January 9, 2021 (CDC, 2021). However, this does not mean regulations and Pro-Covid 19 behaviors should be neglected. On the contrary now more than ever, people should be vigilant in practicing safe Covid 19 behaviors in order to prevent further spread. Moreover, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues restrictions seem to drag on and individuals experience “caution fatigue” (Gollan, 2020). Caution fatigue in this context is the progressive loss of inclination to follow Covid-19 guidelines. It’s a type of recursive thinking that can be detrimental to the safety of the public. The purpose of this project is to present a framework for changing this recursive thinking from a defeating cycle to an enhancing one. People try many things to fight off “caution fatigue”, including picking up a new hobby. However, if someone doesn’t have the time to pick up a new hobby they can instead, take 5 minutes out of their day and use language to reframe external stressors into beneficial eustress. This beneficial eustress can then be used to motivate individuals to abide by safety guidelines. My approach is designed to increase the likelihood individuals will exhibit safe covid-19 behaviors (as indicated by the CDC). Furthermore, it is believed that language is a tool used for meaning-making in individuals’ subjective experience (Chan, 2012). People assign symbols to various objects that then help them create a functional narrative within their memory system (SMS) (Conway & Pleydell-Pearce, 2000). Thus the activities will focus on assigning more functional symbols to the ambiguity introduced by the pandemic. My model will be using language as a mechanism of change by using interactive exercises to reframe Covid restrictions into personal imperatives. The outcome of the program is based on Wise interventions, that is, the principle to help people make sense of themselves in a specific situation (Walton & Wilson, 2018). The activities are designed to incorporate mindfulness practices that help make safe Covid-19 behaviors more coherent to someone’s personal narrative. Thus providing motivation for individuals to readily comply with safety protocols.
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Avoiding narrative fallacies through the use of everyday language Copyright © 2021 by Ethan Guzman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.