“I can barely watch the news on TV these days.”

 “My heart sinks when I get an online news alert.”

“I brace myself to read the newspaper in the morning.”

These are the statements I hear from, and share with, other people many times a week.

Meals with friends often begin with one of us saying, “let’s not talk about …”

Social and political angst.

How best to get through these challenging times?

External actions. Make phone calls, give money to candidates and organizations, volunteer, write a letter to the editor, contact your elected officials and, of course, vote. No action is too small.

Taking these actions is empowering. Sitting back in despair is disempowering.

Internal actions. Be kind to yourself. Get plenty of rest. Eat healthy foods. Do fun exercise. Spend time in nature. Stay informed without overexposing yourself to the craziness. Spend time with uplifting, positive people. Laugh.

So, let’s take care of ourselves so we can take care of each other.

Sound like a plan?