Dear mete:

Part of the Serenity Prayer is: “.. grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

For good mental health we need those things, that serenity, that courage and that wisdom.

For good mental health we need to feel confidence in our ability to exert power over our lives. Not complete power, as such is unrealistic, but reasonable power. It is necessary for us to feel that we have some power over what is happening in our lives.

When you got so engaged in the very real problem of immigration and terrorism in Europe, you got invested in trying to change the things you cannot change; in placing so much of your emotional energy in what you have no power to change. Such a quest is bound to act against mental health because it brings about a sense of total powerlessness.

So, yes, focus on what you can exert power over. Keep evaluating things for what you cannot change and what you can change.

anita