I can't focus on anything other than politics.

[SpaceCadetKeon]

Ever since Trump won the election I have been spending nearly every waking hour keeping up with current events. Used to, I would only read or hear about a story every other day. But now, it's become an obsession.

I need to stay informed.

At. All. Times.

I have a very difficult time maintaining focus on anything else. Video games and other forms of escapism just feel like a waste of time and energy now. I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time and not know what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

 

[Monocle]

That can't be healthy. Maybe pick a time of day to catch up on the news, and limit yourself to 30 mins or something. Sounds like you're putting yourself on edge and it's affecting your relationships and mental well being. I think you should spend the bulk of your time actually living.

 

[Nokterian]

It is good really because it is important for democracy to keep informed remove the doubts,seek the facts and truth also expose the lies. I try to keep people informed and open up a debate, sometimes it can escalate because you are not on the same level but still engaging is a good thing.

 

[Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order]

Ever since Trump won the election I have been spending nearly every waking hour keeping up with current events. Used to, I would only read or hear about a story every other day. But now, it's become an obsession.

I need to stay informed.

At. All. Times.

I have a very difficult time maintaining focus on anything else. Video games and other forms of escapism just feel like a waste of time and energy now. I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time not knowing what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

I'd sort of understand if you live in the US, but otherwise i'd say you're giving him way more thought than he deserves.

 

[Sunster]

Don't become another casualty of this administration. The world is really big and there are other things going on, great things.

 

[lastplayed]

I guess things have become too unpredictable for your liking, you feel like you're on edge and only focus on what you think you need to know to retain control, everything else becomes trivial. Sounds like a similar thing I went through after an earthquake.

 

[RinsFury]

I find it hard to think about anything else, tbh. We have a white supremacist fascist psychopath that has taken up residence in the White House, and every important position of government is being handed over to hateful racist bigots. Feels like the whole world is going insane and all you can do is hold on for dear life.

 

[- J - D -]

After we saw what the first month was like, I don't blame you and can understand. Still, you should try and disconnect and escape from time to time. For your own sanity.

 

[theaffection]

We'll get through this. We always do.....



These girls/guys are playing around too much in the DMs and Trump still expects us to care about his ridiculous ass? Smh 😹😹😹

 

[besada]

Read the news, don't read forums endlessly talking about the news, and act instead of worry. If you find yourself sitting around worrying, do something instead. Volunteer, contact your representatives, help someone else. Helping others reduces personal anxiety. It focuses us outward instead of inward.

As for constantly checking news on your cellphone, quit. If something big enough happens, you'll find out soon enough. No reason to suck on the fire hose constantly when it's going to rain down on you anyway.

Engaged and obsessed aren't the same thing. If you can't do it on your own, get the help of a therapist.

 

[phxxBullet]

Ever since Trump won the election I have been spending nearly every waking hour keeping up with current events. Used to, I would only read or hear about a story every other day. But now, it's become an obsession.

I need to stay informed.

At. All. Times.

I have a very difficult time maintaining focus on anything else. Video games and other forms of escapism just feel like a waste of time and energy now. I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time and not know what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

Since November, whenever I spend my free time on the internet, it's either googling stuff or neogaf OT searching for Trump related things.

It's kinda frustrating for me already, but every time i bother reading a non-US/Trump related topic, I feel like time is wasted when instead I could read up more about that turd.
And I don't even live somewhere near the US, there would alot of things to read up from all around Europe too.

So i really feel you.

 

[Monocle]

Read the news, don't read forums endlessly talking about the news, and act instead of worry. If you find yourself sitting around worrying, do something instead. Volunteer, contact your representatives, help someone else. Helping others reduces personal anxiety. It focuses us outward instead of inward.

As for constantly checking news on your cellphone, quit. If something big enough happens, you'll find out soon enough. No reason to suck on the fire hose constantly when it's going to rain down on you anyway.

Engaged and obsessed aren't the same thing. If you can't do it on your own, get the help of a therapist.

Good advice here.

 

[Nokterian]

I do try to focus on other stuff sure, but this moment it is important to stand up,be vocal but thoughtful, be democratic but most important keep yourself informed.

 

[Stasis]

I care way more than I used to. I follow tons of of ppl on Twitter, check news multiple times daily. Fake news, but news just the same. This is all new to me.

I'm a dual citizen, American and Canadian. I'm in Canada now but I'm still kind of obsessed with Trump. It's such a massive joke that I can't look away. Like a deer in headlights I guess. We used to have a plan to move back to the US, French Canadian gf and I. Not now. Gonna enjoy Canada until agent Orange is gone.

When I wake up I check Twitter and news sites now, first thing. Never did that before. I'd check news but it'd be a periodic thing, in the evenings mostly. Now it's like: "what dumb shit happened today?" and I must see it. I also used to respect people with different political views than mine, didn't care much. Now? Fuck anyone who still supports and/or believes in Trump in ANY way. That's where I'm at. I'm not happy that I've become this person, but I feel there's no other option atm. It's that bad.

Pretty intense change for me. I imagine he has this effect on many. I'm hoping this leads to us (I can still vote in NYC) getting him the FO ASAP.

 

[Pizza con salsiccia]

Thoughts?

Your life in its current status sucks.

Go do something else. Volunteer somewhere for instance. Anything to get you focused on stuff other than politics. It might not be worth it.

You can then still spend a couple hours a day to catch up on latest developments.

 

[Brandon F]

Read the news, don't read forums endlessly talking about the news, and act instead of worry. If you find yourself sitting around worrying, do something instead. Volunteer, contact your representatives, help someone else. Helping others reduces personal anxiety. It focuses us outward instead of inward.

As for constantly checking news on your cellphone, quit. If something big enough happens, you'll find out soon enough. No reason to suck on the fire hose constantly when it's going to rain down on you anyway.

Engaged and obsessed aren't the same thing. If you can't do it on your own, get the help of a therapist.

Great post! I also have become a slave to digging for breadcrumbs of hope in this manic 24hr news insanity. It really is an obsession, and the emotional roller coaster is taking its toll even with just a few months.

 

[Pantaghana]

I too spend an unhealthy amount of time reading about the current events in the WH and I'm not even American.

I keep telling myself that it's important to stay informed, but the fact that I'm mostly ignorant about my own country's politics hints at a completely different reason (TVTropes warning).

 

[SpaceCadetKeon]

That can't be healthy. Maybe pick a time of day to catch up on the news, and limit yourself to 30 mins or something. Sounds like you're putting yourself on edge and it's affecting your relationships and mental well being. I think you should spend the bulk of your time actually living.

Read the news, don't read forums endlessly talking about the news, and act instead of worry. If you find yourself sitting around worrying, do something instead. Volunteer, contact your representatives, help someone else. Helping others reduces personal anxiety. It focuses us outward instead of inward.

As for constantly checking news on your cellphone, quit. If something big enough happens, you'll find out soon enough. No reason to suck on the fire hose constantly when it's going to rain down on you anyway.

Engaged and obsessed aren't the same thing. If you can't do it on your own, get the help of a therapist.

Solid advice all-around. Much appreciated.

I'm actually already doing the bolded (calling reps, protesting, etc.) It really does help take the load off. Downtime's where I start getting antsy, but I'll try to cut down on my news intake. Thanks.

 

[Fox Mulder]

My brother does this. Watches news all day and everything out of his mouth is trump this, trump that.

Trump fucking sucks and he'll damage the country, but there's no point in fretting about it 100% of the time. Stay sane.

 

[DeSo]

Trump makes it tough when every day is this:

 

[Makai]

You're also not being informed on useful things because you're diverting all attention to vapid current events. People are so eager to share news that I just let friends curate for me and summarize. Then I spend a lot of that freed-up time improving my skills (and also for enjoying my life).

 

[Cryxo93]

I guess the question that you need to ask yourself is why you feel it's important to constantly stimulate yourself with current events? Does it make you feel good/better? If not, then don't do so out of obligation.

 

[teruterubozu]

Avoiding OT helps, just sayin'.

 

[BassForever]

Either go out and get involved in your local area's political party or stop reading gaf ot. Stressing yourself like this isn't healthy and if you're not actually gonna do anything you might as well be ignorant to whats going on. Ask yourself this, despite all the shitty things trump has said/done in his first month, has your day to day life been impacted in any way other then you spend more time staring at the news and being worried about whats next? This isn't giving Trump a pass, its more about you needing to focus on living/relaxing OR getting active in politics at your local level.

 

[ZombiePlatypus]

OP try and get out there and volunteer/protest etc. If you get more active with the issues you care about, it might help you feel less compelled to go overboard with keeping tabs on politics.

 

[MarkRenton]

You need a job

 

[Juice]

I wrote this the week after the election and my mental health has improved dramatically.

https://medium.com/@searls/nero-may...t-least-he-didnt-gawk-ec3988d20269#.1ykzmyrls

I'm starting to increase my drip feed now but I think I still can't be trusted. Entire days of productivity get derailed over relatively useless outrage.

 

[Oxn]

You are not into politics. You are into the drama.

You replaced others thing you keep up with, maybe reality tv, or whatever it is, with this.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

Obama was a godsend for the fact that I knew the world was in capable hands. I didn't have to pay attention every damn day. I didn't agree with everything he signed off on, but at least I knew the guy did his due diligence on decisions.

This fucker Trump though, every day is a headache. I try to get away from politics to keep my sanity.

 

[Melkezadek]

I've been having a really hard time with this as well. I'm constantly on my phone, obsessed with what's going to happen next. It isn't healthy, and it has taken time away from me and my family. Coming off of my Zoloft isn't helping the level of anxiety either. I'm a wreck and I'm looking for help on it.

I have deleted my Facebook account, which has helped tremendously. Even doing that, the world feels more quiet and I'm able to relax a bit. The internet really is a monkey's paw. On one hand, it's amazing to have such an instant access to information and forums of discussion. On the other hand, I feel like being tuned in to everything at once can make you lose focus on single things, which leads to unproductivity. Everything in moderation as they say, but with everything that's going on, it's difficult to not be consumed. Talking about Russia-Trump link to others makes me feel like a crazy person. Life feels stranger than fiction right now.

Best of luck to you, OP. I honestly recommend separating yourself from your phone as much as you possible. Only thing that has helped me even a little.

 

[John Kowalski]

Play some video games man

 

[alstein]

Ever since Trump won the election I have been spending nearly every waking hour keeping up with current events. Used to, I would only read or hear about a story every other day. But now, it's become an obsession.

I need to stay informed.

At. All. Times.

I have a very difficult time maintaining focus on anything else. Video games and other forms of escapism just feel like a waste of time and energy now. I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time and not know what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

Haven't posted here in over a year- but my advice would be to do two things:

1) Set aside some time for yourself before you burn out.

2) Put that nervous energy into fighting- find your local Democratic precinct and try to get organized in helping future local candidates- that's where this energy is needed. Doing #1 is important for having the energy to deal with #2, and knowing you are doing something will help you feel better about doing #1.

Just worrying isn't constructive.

 

[KodeAndGame]

That can't be healthy. Maybe pick a time of day to catch up on the news, and limit yourself to 30 mins or something. Sounds like you're putting yourself on edge and it's affecting your relationships and mental well being. I think you should spend the bulk of your time actually living.

This is literally what I do. I like it

 

[TheWhiteWolf]

Maybe get off NeoGAF OT for a while.

 

[PositiveGamer]

Ever since Trump won the election I have been spending nearly every waking hour keeping up with current events. Used to, I would only read or hear about a story every other day. But now, it's become an obsession.

I need to stay informed.

At. All. Times.

I have a very difficult time maintaining focus on anything else. Video games and other forms of escapism just feel like a waste of time and energy now. I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time and not know what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

Don't worry OP.. remember.... it is all FAKE NEWS

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Read the news, don't read forums endlessly talking about the news, and act instead of worry. If you find yourself sitting around worrying, do something instead. Volunteer, contact your representatives, help someone else. Helping others reduces personal anxiety. It focuses us outward instead of inward.

As for constantly checking news on your cellphone, quit. If something big enough happens, you'll find out soon enough. No reason to suck on the fire hose constantly when it's going to rain down on you anyway.

Engaged and obsessed aren't the same thing. If you can't do it on your own, get the help of a therapist.

yea basically this.

 

[ghst]

concentrate on what's going on immediately around you.

politics aside, we've become a generation of social cripples who can't engage with their surroundings without having a portal to somewhere else. if it's got to the point where your boyfriend is mentioning it then you do likely have a problem and should treat your phone like any other damaging addiction.

 

[Lord Frieza]

You are not into politics. You are into the drama.

You replaced others thing you keep up with, maybe reality tv, or whatever it is, with this.

This is pretty condesending honestly.

 

[scoobs]

I HIGHLY recommend meditation. You need to rest your mind a bit every day and escape a bit.

 

[TyrantII]

You need to do something constructive with that, turn it into action.

Volunteer, March, and find local organizations looking for help to change.

It'll make you feel better, and it will help reduce your news anxiety knowing you can push back.

 

[fantomena]

Check my history and you can see Im in a similiar situation as OP.

 

[Auto_aim1]

Best way to deal with this is to just ignore politics for a few months. You will eventually stop caring or taking it too seriously.

 

[Glix]

While i dont think im at the level you are in certain ways..

Its like there is a cloud over me. The volume on anything that brings me joy has been turned down

Its always in the back of head that there is something "bad" going on even if im not directly thinking about trump and hi supporters.

Switch launch will be interesting as there are only a handful of things in this life that are as exciting to me as a nintendo hatdware launch, but i have a feeling my joy will be less than usual

Best way to deal with this is to just ignore politics for a few months. You will eventually stop caring or taking it too seriously.

This is bad advice. You cant ignore it when they are sending friends and or family out of the country. You cant ignore when they are dismantling checks and balances. Come on now

 

[Billy_Pilgrim]

My advice is to delete facebook/social media and insulate yourself from the worst of it. When you're constantly reminded that the world is at odds with your worldview it becomes overbearing.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Don't let the terrorists win. Live your life. Spend time with friends and family.

 

[DoubleYou]

I HIGHLY recommend meditation. You need to rest your mind a bit every day and escape a bit.

This. Though I wouldn't call meditation escaping. It's the opposite really. Cope with what is.

 

[OldMan]

 

[TimHortons]

Ever since Trump won the election... I get anxious whenever I'm spending time shopping, or hanging out with friends, or on dates with my boyfriend because I have to pry myself from my phone for prolonged periods of time and not know what's going on in the world at that very instant. My boyfriend in particular seems to think that I have a problem. I can't say I blame him.

Thoughts?

Your still going out and being social and have a relationship. That's already leaps and bounds ahead most of GAF. Just sayin'

 

[Temascos]

I'm in the same sort of situation as you OP, I can't seem to get much enjoyment of games as I once did after The Bigly November Disaster. Coupled with my generally anxious demeanor and it did a number on me for a while, including pretty big anxiety attacks and even a trip to the hospital when I thought I was having heart problems. (For frame of reference, I'm 29 years old and a fairly skinny guy, odds of that happening are almost as likely as getting struck by lightning)

Overly dramatic? Without a bloody doubt, but in the heat of the moment it's easy to get caught up. Since the new year started and work got rolling I've done classes and taken part in marches. Planning to go to the NHS rally in March along with Stand Up To Racism, along with trying to understand even just a little more about politics and legislation has helped out a great deal.

Still sucks I can't even get into spending a couple of hours a week on Deadly Premonition without thinking of that orange bastard.

 

[Auto_aim1]

This is bad advice. You cant ignore it when they are sending friends and or family out of the country. You cant ignore when they are dismantling checks and balances. Come on now

Man, you have a point but being obsessed with politics is not good for your health. You have to focus on something else and deal with the bad things as it happens. There's no point constantly thinking about it. Don't let Trump live rent free in your head.