Need tips and tricks to avoid going insane--I'm serious

Maybe just limit yourself to 30 minutes a day of news. Years ago that's all anybody got and it worked okay and take weekends off and focus on things in your own life you enjoy.

Maybe a 5:2 diet, only news related? Unplug completely or as much as you can for an entire day every so often. I spend every Sunday focusing on anything but the news.

My therapist said this is a REAL problem with all her patients. Everyone is complaining of increased anxiety other problems. Her suggestion is unplugging. I have been trying to do that. I don't watch the news, I only go after "him" on twitter, nowhere else. I also have started meditating again and it is helping a lot.

I think many of us can relate! First and foremost, take care of yourself. You are most useful to the resistance if you are healthy.  And don't worry about taking breaks - we all help carry each other.

It is hard to balance being informed and not letting it get to you too much. I would suggest limiting your news intake (and under no uncertain terms are you to read the comments or engage in them). I get a briefing email from the NYT each morning and it's a nice summary. Maybe find something similar? I find during weekends when I'm spending time with my family or friends and engaged in other activities without checking news or discussing politics, I feel refreshed.

Time with family and friends, exercise, time outdoors, reading (especially with a cat on my lap), visits to the cat shelter have all been very helpful for me. I'm also currently trying to line up another volunteering opportunity - I feel like giving back to my community and creating the community I envision and want to live in is a great way to move forward.

Hope you find something that works!

Staggered breathing. Take care of you. We all need to take a breath.

Ok, I asked, because if you weren't religious at all, my reply would not be relevant. It still might not be, but I'll tell you how I cope, anyway!

I am religious. I believe in God and The Bible. I believe that God is All knowing, He saw the end before the beginning.

If you believe in the Bible, we were told by Jesus himself in Matthew 24 that all these crazy and horrible things would be happening at the time before his second coming. I think he told us these thing so we would be prepared for the crazy things that are happening now. So we would know that He knew these things would happen. But He is the way we shouldn't fear. Now I'm not saying that ignoring everything that is happening is the way to go. I believe that we should be informed. Stand up for what you believe, try to make the world a better place, however you feel best. I believe, that in the end God will prevail. His mission, his plan WILL NOT be thwarted.

So you know where I'm coming from, I do believe that there is life after this earth life. And, really, that is what gives me hope and peace in this life. I want to share with you a scripture. I am member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (aka LDS or Mormon) and this scripture comes from our Book of Mormon.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

So that is how I cope. I hope you don't think I'm too crazy, and I hope I might have helped you even just a little!

Have you gone for a well check up just to be sure there isn't anything else at play?

I know it's easier said then done, but really limiting what you expose yourself to is probably the easiest way.

In line with yoga, meditation, holistic, how about a gratitude journal? or lighting a candle every day for someone/something? If you study all this, then you know the universe needs your positive energy and intentions. Don't let the man bring you down!

Sometimes a walk around the block helps, looking up at the sky, watching birds at a feeder. These are all things that work for me.

My Dad, who pays a lot of attention to politics all his life, says it's always been this way. We just didn't have the 24/7 news feed and the sound bytes and the tweets. It's just constant now.

I get perspective by reading things like Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. Reminding myself people have been fighting things like this since the beginning of time. The haves versus the have-nots. Goes back a long long way.

Limit your news consumption to just 30 minutes a day, avoid the political posts here (or limit yourself to just one a day, posting only one or two comments), and be careful what you read on facebook (maybe block a few friends for a while if they post political stuff.

In addition to what others have said, I've started DVRing some late night talk show monologues (Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers) and I also watch Samantha Bee and John Oliver. If I can't laugh with them, I'd just being in a state of anxiety all the time.

I've started reading more. I mean novels, biographies, etc. instead of turning on the TV or my favorite political newsites or webpages, I pick up my book. I still check FB but stay away from political rants on both sides. I have been spending a lot more time on Instagram too- pictures vs. political rants: a no-brainer.

Honestly, I also think it's unhealthy to only surround yourself with like- minded people. It might be fun to become part of a different kind of group of people: birdwatchers, quilters, a book club, a walking group, musicians, etc. All of that negative energy just feeds itself.

Have you considered getting your news from another English speaking country, UK(BBC) Ireland(RTE) etc etc? It might give enough of an overview for you to keep up to date with the bonus of being probably a shorter report.

As I said on another thread- I want to know what's going on, but I don't want to know.

Don't watch/listen/read as much. I pick and choose a bit which crap I pay attention to, and focus on that (i.e., Betsy DeVos really got to me, and the National Park Service, the other cabinet posts not so much). Aside from finding things that you enjoy doing - hobbies, reading, etc., to distract you - find something positive you can do to affect the change you want to see. I marched that day, and plan on working with the local group preserving rights for women. You/I can't change the vastness of the crap that has been going on, but we can change a small part, and that change may lead to other positive things.

Just had this conversation with my Primary Care MD when I saw him a few weeks ago for my Medicare wellness check. He is from India, as is his wife and their parents still live there. They travel to India every year to visit.

He told me that he has stopped listening to NPR on his am commute, and calls his Mom instead. He and his wife have green cards and are not citizens. He said that he believes that there are still many many good people in our government, and that good will prevail. His advice was to stay informed, but unplug, and find something else to do that makes you happy instead of dwelling on the political situation.

He made me stop and take a deep breath, because if someone in his situation can be calm about it, then I certainly should be able to. He rocks!

I've been doing a lot more book reading lately.

If it was affecting my health in such a negative way I would unplug from it all!

I think there is a fine line between being a concerned citizen and having it impede in your life daily and constantly. I guess what I'm saying is be concerned in moderation. Find a hobby to occupy your time, do some me type activities. Put ppl on fb who constantly have political posts on ignore.

Life is too short to let a dumb ass affect your health.

I know I have limited my cnn watching because it upsets me.