— This is part 1 of a 3 part series that considers information overload in times of crisis —

This week we have been chatting about the total and absolute information overload related to COVID-19. From all of the media coverage to the relentless emails and social media posts by opportunistic brands vying to communicate something relevant and timely.

There is SO MUCH INFORMATION and also, a lot of fear and uncertainty.

In this time of crisis, people have a hard time making sense of conflicting information, or knowing what to do.

Which got us thinking about how brands and organizations should be communicating right now — who is doing it well (and who is not) — as well as the impact that this is having on people, in general, and what ordinary folks should be doing to help manage their stress and mental health right now.

In this guest blog post, the first part of a three part series that will unpack much of this, our good friend and associate Kapil Khimdas, offers his thoughts: