Let me ask you something… How are you feeling?

On April 11, one of my English classes had a class discussion, which left me emotionally and mentally drained. We were posed with the question: How are you feeling right now? A pretty general question was bound to elicit several different responses.

However, there was a general feeling in the room: discouraged.

Some talked about the end of the semester stress, never-ending to-do lists and deadlines that always seem to surprise us even though we’ve known about them for months. It’s mid-April, the time when students are the most stressed and exhausted and ready for a break. On top of this general stress school brings, some of my peers voiced their concerns and feelings about President Donald Trump and how his time in office has affected them.

Speaking for myself and maybe some of my peers, lately I cannot care about my school work. I’m the type of person who loves school and learning, so usually I can write a 10-page paper or spend hours studying for an exam with no problem. I want to care, but I physically, mentally and emotionally can’t. It took me some time to understand why. But I think I’ve finally figured it out.

Some of the work I’m assigned does not seem relevant. To me, to the world, to anything.

If I can’t connect to what I’m learning, does it even really matter?

What is the point of reading a ridiculously long book if I’m not able to apply it to real life?

Why?

These are the questions running through my head on a daily basis.

After discussing our concerns, struggles and general discouragement, we were asked: How do you cope with everything that’s going on? How do you escape it?

I think my favorite answer was: I just want to read a book.

Which then prompted the question: What are you all reading to escape?

I immediately responded: Nothing, because we don’t have time to.

I wish I could sit and read a book of my own choosing, even if it’s only taking my mind off things for a day. But unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow it.

But that got me thinking… How do I cope with everything? What is my escape?

It’s simple. I tune it out. I can only take so much bad news in a day and sometimes getting notifications from AP News every hour about something terrible happening, such as the recent attacks in Syria, is way too much for me to handle. I read enough to feel informed, but not so little to make me feel completely ignorant.

At first, I felt awful about not being as informed as I think I should. But now I realize it’s extremely necessary to do what keeps you sane in this crazy, politically charged time. If that means not reading all the top stories for the day or checking every news notification, that’s OK. As long as I know the basis of the day’s events, I’m good. I can handle that.

It’s been about five days since our class discussion but I haven’t stopped thinking about it. As the conversation permeated in my mind, I had a thought that made me feel better and see life in a more optimistic light.

We are feeling so discouraged because we care so much.

On March 10, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications hosted an event called “The Press and the Presidency in the Post-truth Era.” Jenna Johnson, a UNL alumna and reporter at The Washington Post, spoke about covering Trump’s campaign. During her talk, she said, “It’s a great time to be a journalist. People are following the news like I haven’t seen in years.”

We are very informed on current events and issues. We feel so strongly about what’s happening and what we’re reading in the news, so much so it’s invading almost every aspect of our lives. Although sometimes we’re feeling discouraged, it makes us passionate about what we believe and value, which makes us involved and determined to make a change.

Take the Women’s March on Washington, for example. According to USA Today, approximately 2.6 million people participated around the world. There was the March for Life, which also drew a crowd. Passion prompts change.

March on Washington 2017 | Photo: Brendan Hoffman for POLITICO

March for Life 2017 | Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Let’s go back to this question: How do you cope with everything that’s going on?

There’s not a clear or simple solution. However, I can offer my personal solution, which is still a work in progress.

Do something that makes you happy. I’ve been taking my dog to the dog park about twice a week for at least an hour. It’s good for both of us. I get outside, walk around and unplug from all things negative. My dog obviously enjoys playing with his furry friends. So it’s a win-win. Let’s face it, dogs make everything better.

Take a short break. Spend 30 minutes to 1 hour reading. Watch an episode of your favorite show. Take some time to relax instead of worrying or stressing. Better yet, plan to have this time; mark it in your calendar. And if you have the time, take an entire day off.

Talk to someone. Share your thoughts and feelings with someone, whether it’s your friend, significant other, sibling, parent, peer, professor, etc. Likely, whomever you talk to will feel the same as you. If you’re a UNL student, Counseling and Psychological Services gives students four counseling sessions for free. Talk to them. Get all the negative thoughts out of your head and negative feelings off your heart. Don’t let them back in. I find it very cathartic. If you’re not the type of person to talk about your feelings, write about them. Journaling is a magical medium.

These suggestions might not work for everyone, but it’s helping me so far.

The world may seem dismal right now, but we need to be optimistic and have hope that it will get better.

“There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” – J.R.R. Tolkien