Thank you for asking! I have post-traumatic stress disorder from sexual abuse by a fallen priest and have also been repeatedly sexually assaulted, so the current news can trigger flare-ups of my disability. More than anything, the coverage of these issues in the Times gives me hope, though, because the Powers that be still cower before reporting in the New York Times. I was trained at Stanford as a reporter and though I've been disabled, I also cope by keeping abreast of research on health and wellness issues. It is my favorite diversion: studying the "Blue Zones" of those who are healthy and happy.
Whenever I've had it up to here with the news, I go downstairs to my garage and carve wooden spoons. Working with my hands calms me and helps me become very meditative. A very good thing to do.
Love the use of the Outlander still for an article about coping. As a massive fan of both the TV series and the marvelous books by Diana Gabaldon ( currently re-reading the entire series)..I have also joined the talented actor Sam Heughan's My Peak Challenge group. This group is something he founded as a way for fans to channel their energy into a personal quest for health and well being , helping other members with motivation and advice all while raising money for Bloodwise cancer research in Scotland. This unique international (11K) strong community all runs on Facebook which means these very real posts from My Peak Challenge have effectively pushed my 'news' newsfeed to a minor spot. I still want to be an informed citizen, but I can't allow the negativity and click bait to take over . My health is way more important than tracking the moronic antics of the current POTUS.
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Feeling a moral responsibility to watch and see the truth has been a guiding principle since the Vietnam War came to us on television in the 60's and 70's. Real people, in danger and in conflict. In the aftermath, talking to friends helps, sorting and processing, while walking in Nature...a true American response ever since Emerson and Thoreau wrote it down. We're all in this together. And still, I say, STRONGER TOGETHER isn't the weak "sound bite" some would claim it is. Self-awareness and world-awareness walk hand in hand, even as each of us thinks and feels a way through to a better day. Marching, donating, serving, speaking out...this is who we ought to be. Back to the beginning. Moral responsibility.
When I feel the need to read something cheerful, I read the obituaries. No, I’m not hoping to learn that a specific person has died, and I am not happy about a person’s death. Instead, I find the sketches of these strangers’ lives to be fascinating, inspiring, informative, and, yes, distracting from whatever else is going on.
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I do the crossword puzzle on a daily basis to take my mind of the news.
And I tap dance...
Exercise for the brain and the body!
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For lent, I gave up Facebook. It has become filled with questionable articles and such bias, that they were unreadable. I found myself embarrassed to start a conversation with "I saw on Facebook…" I have not missed it and may not reinstate my account. I used my extra time to start, and finish, a project at home that I have long put off.
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Listening to classical music on radio or cd. No words (generally). Such a welcome respite!
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