So…you’re one of many who find the news emotionally draining. There’s no doubt that it’s difficult to pay attention to the news lately, just as it’s mentally-taxing to be emotionally-invested in the exhausting world around us.  With school shootings, police brutality, widespread violence against women, an increasingly fascist government, the worldâs climate changing, more and more deadly storms and disasters every year, sexual predators getting elected to some of the most powerful positions in our country, and the entirety of the current presidency, when are we supposed to breathe? Whereâs the good news?
The easy answer to a stress-free life has, unfortunately,  been to ignore the things we can afford to ignore, and appreciate the good things we do see in the world. This is an incomplete solution, as there are many things we as individuals personally could ignore that affect many other peopleâs lives. For example, if Iâd tried, I might have been able to disregard and brush off the recent shooting that happened at my school, but women on campus certainly couldnât do the same, as it was specifically a shooting involving stalking and toxic masculinity, coupled with campus police ignoring the complaints of a woman who knew her life was in danger. This is not someone the women attending college around me could easily overlook, even if they wanted to. Itâs one of countless events that instills fear in people walking through campus at night, and contributes to womenâs fear of rejecting men. The point is, even though it might be better for personal mental health, it would be irresponsible and callous to simply compartmentalize and ignore what happened. And for someone empathetic, like me, it wouldnât even be possible in the first place.
So if becoming detached from it all isnât the answer, what is? I wish I had a straightforward and perfect solution, but if there is one, I certainly havenât found it. All we can really do is support each other, and I think thatâs important. If we retreat into solitude, weâll all lose our battles, especially those against huge unjust governing bodies. Â We need to support others when we can, and in concrete ways, not just offering help. Posting something online is nice, but that alone doesnât help. Show solidarity by showing up to protests and keeping an eye on the people around you. Make sure to intervene when you could help keep someone safe (if you feel safe doing so). Donât just say you respect women in a post online, call out the men around you who abuse and mistreat women, and use your authority to make them stop. We need an environment where we can trust the people around us and they can trust us as well.
Now, this certainly doesnât reduce the stress on us, especially while that environment doesnât exist. But itâs a good first step; if everyone in the world became more sensitive and empathetic, we could come close to that environment. Maybe thatâs too idealistic, but itâs one thing we can do.
As for the stress itself, there are a few things we can do. Take the time to breathe and take care of yourself without looking at the news for a while. Talk to people about whatâs happening and how you feel about it and why. Give yourself a break; youâre not a bad person for not knowing all the horrible things occurring around the world every day. Just like youâre not a bad person for not recycling every single thing you can, or not buying only environmentally-friendly products. Even if everyone changed and became perfectly environmentally friendly, it would barely change anything, because 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global greenhouse gas emission. Individual virtue, no matter how strong, isnât going to fix everything. So, individual guilt isnât helpful either.
Itâs important that we take care of ourselves and the people around us, at least when weâre capable. Itâs also important to know your limits; youâre not going to be able to help anyone if you donât take any time to care for yourself and let someone else take care of you. Youâre also not going to be happy if you spend all your energy trying to help or care for someone who isnât helping you. Itâs okay to cut people off if theyâre weighing you down; you donât need a reason. At the end of the day, youâll help more people by letting yourself grow and learn than by desperately trying to give everything to someone who isnât reciprocating.
We can also make more effort to seek out positivity and create positivity around us. Interact with others and send your friends pictures of cute animals and uplifting memes. Even things that seem silly can be very helpful.
Iâll leave you with one of my favorite quotes of all time: âYou all have a bit of âI want to save the worldâ in you, thatâs why youâre here, in college. I want you to know that itâs okay if you only save one person, and its okay if that person is you.â – Unknown