It goes without saying that a lot of terrible things are going on in our country right now. While we cannot turn a blind eye to these things, I think many people are reaching a point of meltdown in their mental power plants because they are trying to take in and process everything all at once. This might be an unpopular opinion in this crazy year with the outrage culture in its prime, but I think we all need to try to stop being so on top of all the national and world events going on around us. Turn off the TV, unsubscribe from or unfollow news channels and profiles, and turn your attention to yourself, your home, and the people closest to you, at least for a little while.

Everything is shit right now. I get that, and I know you want to be informed so you can do your part to help. Until just recently, I wanted to do the same. But I realized consuming the amount of terrible news I had been and dwelling on it to the point where I felt like I would burst was causing my mental health to decline, my relationships with friends and family to suffer, my ability to be an effective teacher to be a constant struggle, and the care of my home and my self to cease to exist entirely, I knew something had to change. I had to lessen the amount of time I spent watching the news. I had to stop grieving and stressing over incidences that happen hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. I had to look away.

How could I… no, how DARE I look away?

It might seem like I don’t care, but I do. The thing is, there was nothing I could do. And spending all my time an energy on horribly negative things that I could do nothing about was causing me to neglect the things I could do something about to make the world a better place. We don’t have to save the world, but if we can make the world brighter and safer for those around us, that’s something to work toward.

With the mental state I was in before I decided to look away, I couldn’t talk family members through their own emotional stress, teach my students to be better problem solvers, empathetic listeners, and well-rounded people, help my husband with chores and errands to keep ourselves from living like we’re college students, or take care of myself and feel content with my life and what I am able to contribute to it. Now, I can do all of it at once. In my humble opinion, I think all of those things are a far better alternative than pacing my living room and muttering about neo-Nazis and wildfires.

You don’t have to completely shut it out (honestly, I don’t know if any of us could if we tried), but decreasing the amount of bad news we are taking in or just designating a specific timeslot in our day to catch up will lead to a lot more contentment and peace of mind that will help us to be better at the things we can actually control in our lives.

If nothing else, though, I think every news station should play the opening of A Series of Unfortunate Events before every episode:

“Look away, look away

Look away, look away

This show will wreck your evening , your whole life, and your day

Every single episode is nothing but dismay

So, look away

Look away, look away“