By Dixie 
Ever find yourself saying: “I’ll just check Facebook for five minutes” or “I’ll only listen to this one news program” or “I’ll just read this one letter to the editor” and finding yourself on the other side of two hours before you even blink? And feeling as angry as a slapped wasp as well?
Besides the time you will never get back, do you find yourself glaring at strangers in public, especially those who look like they don’t share your views? Been unfriended on Facebook lately? Do you often wonder how so many people, especially your former friends, could be such complete idiots??!!
Yeah I feel you. I have those same thoughts. This has been and still is a pretty ugly political season. The media on any side of the aisle is not helping. Misleading headlines, mysteriously anonymous sources, biased reporting and out and out lies makes for a very confusing, frightening and angry time in our countries’ history. How can you find some truth in all the cesspool of stories and opinions, keep your friends and calm the heck down overall??
Calming down:
Control how much time you spend on news: Set a timer for 5-15 minutes to read, listen or watch news. Use a timer app on your phone or an egg timer from the kitchen. Limit yourself to three times a day.
Take a walk outside at least once a day. Listen to music or a non political podcast, or talk with a walking buddy about anything but politics. Breathe air and feel alive.
Remind yourself that most everyone is feeling the same emotions no matter what their political views. Give them and yourself a break. Human beings, remember?
Keeping your friends:
See the last paragraph re human beings. Just. Human. Beings. Remember.
Do NOT participate in an argument about politics. You won’t change their minds and they won’t change yours. If you want to have a civil discourse (with emotions firmly checked) go ahead but proceed with caution. Agree in advance that if things get heated you will both walk away and agree to disagree. Protect the friendship above being right.
Don’t post political views or share political stories on social media. See paragraph above. Friends don’t let friends drink and post late at night either. And google “passive aggressive”. Don’t be a hiney, K?
Finding truth:
Keep an open mind by visiting news and opinion pages that don’t have your viewpoint. Read comments without adding your own emotion or idea of truth or fairness and just try to understand the other person’s viewpoint. Do. Not. Comment. It is interesting to see how passionate other people are but with a different interpretation of the same problems and potential solutions.
When back in your own news comfort zones, keep in mind that the slant is in ALL media, not just the other side of the fence. News is like water out of a fire hose these days and often the story today is proven wrong or partially wrong tomorrow but never reported. Opinions are like….you know, and everyone has one.
Keeping that in mind that the actual truth is usually somewhere in the middle. There are bad guys and good guys on both sides. Politics is…political.
And at the end of the day, didn’t we elect (and pay) those folks to handle the situation? And every four to eight years one side panics and the other side cheers.
And it has always turned out OK, hasn’t it?
Live your life. Enjoy your friends and family. This too shall pass.