What do we do when the world gets too hard? How do we deal when every headline is devastating news and we feel powerless? I am constantly torn between needing to do something and needing to bury my head in the sand. We can do both, but it must be with intention. You must take care of yourself first.

For me, I limit my news intake. I will never be the MOST informed, so why am I scouring internet news headlines on a subject I know nothing about? I read my local paper’s digital edition twice a day to keep a basic idea of what’s going on in the world but I am not the most informed person. And I have decided I am ok with being mildly informed instead.

I vary my sources. I primarily get my U.S. news from non U.S. sources. I find more balanced coverage from news sources that aren’t as personally invested or aren’t playing to an American audience.

I research first and react second. If something in a headline seems scandalous or infuriating I recognize it’s probably not quite as dramatic as they’ve presented it to be. I read the full article not just the headline, I Google other articles on the issue, I read more in depth on Wikipedia.

The news media/infotainment industry relies on us reading headlines and getting outraged. Life is too short for outrage, read the fine print.

In the end, I focus locally. When things are so overwhelming in politics or news, and everything seems bad, I focus on the local things that are going right. Flowers are blooming, I solved a problem at work, our city library is staring a library of things, not just books. Find the good news and restrict your exposure to the bad.

And get involved in the solution. If you are upset by continued school shootings, write your congresspeople. If you are frustrated that your taxes are too high, lobby the legislature. If you’re upset about homelessness work with an outreach organization. Get involved on a personal level. These things are not just happening to you, you can have an impact. So start local and small and you will feel the impact more acutely.

The world gets heavy. But you have the power to turn it off. Take a social media break if you are feeling fragile. Block people the second they are not constructive. Have arguments and disagreements in real life not over the internet.

But breathe. Enjoy flowers. Smile and hold doors for people. Find ways to add good to the world. Build connections. Communities of support help you handle the hard stuff. Rely on others. Let them rely on you.