VIEWPOINT (cont.)

end of the scale while others observe from afar and think, 'Bummer.' The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example. But all any of us can do is try to bring a level of coping that reflects the severity of the threat.

So, what do we do when we can’t escape the news?

Self-care is a priority.

Maintain as much of our health, emotional equilibrium and mental clarity as we can. We have to find balance, direct our energy into positivity and find enough “good stuff” in our regular daily lives to give us some peace of mind even when the world seems at time to be, as Merle Haggard once sang, “like a snowball headed for hell.”

You know still though, if you don’t have to monitor the news, don’t — or at least don’t let it dominate your thinking and your world view perspective.

Keep in mind, too, that anxiety itself is sometimes a legitimate thing. Just be aware of anxiety-producing activities and limit them to what’s necessary (for work, for school or for just keeping