How do you practice self-care after a chaotic summer?

This summer has been full of extraordinary highs and lows in the worlds of pop culture, politics and social justice. 

Staff writer Kameron Southerland hit the quad and asked UNC students, "How have you practiced self-care and healing after a summer of political and pop culture chaos?"

Anna Grace Kelley

First-year, business major 

“Some of that stuff can be kind of overwhelming to see and read about so I just try to spend some time off the internet and with my family, focusing on the good things that are happening in my life but also trying to figure out ways that I can be a small part in making sure that no one else feels too overwhelmed or upset.”

Jasmin Darden

Sophomore, exercise and sports science major

“I try to ignore a lot of the negative news and stuff on the internet. I don’t really pay attention to politics because I feel that a lot of the time the candidates just try to tear each other down.”

Astrid Nava

Sophomore, pharmacy major

“I didn’t really keep up with the news much but I did hear about the Ryan Lochte issue. It didn’t really affect me — it was just another story I heard about it. It’s probably good I didn’t keep up with the news since it was so chaotic.”

Brighton McConnell

Sophomore, broadcast journalism major

“I’ve been trying to sift through it all and read things that cover both sides of the story, no matter what story that may be, so I can get a well-rounded view of the issue. I tend to deal with chaotic things by doing that, looking at the whole picture and not just the different sides. I also let people that are close to me know that I care about them. Some things that have happened have caused me to think and reflect on how lucky I am to have those people in my life. Also RIP Harambe.”

Michael Bone

Sophomore, math major

“I like to keep up with the news and have the things that go on around the world be made known to me. When I read or see things in the news, I extend some sort of empathy towards those situations, but remember that a lot of the things that happen are detached from me.”

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