Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you may feel like you’re competing for a medal in the Outrage Olympics.
And the truth is, there is a lot to be angry about.
So what can you do?
First, shut off the news. Yes, you should stay informed and not bury your head in the sand. Yes, you should (please!) take action on things you are passionate about. But stewing in front of cable TV is not doing you any favors.
In fact, studies have shown that watching more than 6 hours of traumatic event coverage on the news can actually cause more PTSD than being at the event. So be thoughtful about your news consumption.
Second, practice radical forgiveness.
If you’ve never thought to do a forgiveness exercise for a public figure who has hurt you, here’s what to do.
Use your forgiveness exercise (if you haven’t gotten it yet, grab it here), and use it on someone who has hurt you. A politician, a celebrity, anyone who has caused you enough pain where it’s robbing you of your joy.
Reminder: we don’t forgive someone for their benefit. We do it for ourselves to let go of negative emotions, and free up our energy that we could otherwise use for positive change and action.
If you need some encouragement, Emily made you a video on this. Plus, Emily shares a fact about herself you may find surprising.
You can watch it here.