information overload about news is the problem
it is causing a lot of issues. just think about how people think there is more crime now than before. we're just getting news about things that happened far away more often. because we're getting so much news about "crime" we think there is a lot of crime. but there isn't. there's far less of it.
there was a time about 100 years ago when the BBC had no news to report so they just played music. can you imagine? now we find news about everything.
stay up to date by reading the economist, and listening NPR news segments on your way to work. other than that, stop caring so much. all that happens is just getting anxiety about horsehit that doesn't matter and won't impact you. look at what has happened over the last year. mass hysteria, and yet next to nothing has actually changed. have different links on reddit... or use different accounts on home and at work, so you only get like https://www.reddit.com/r/ArchitecturePo ... EarthPorn/ instead of https://www.reddit.com/r/news+worldnews/
people disengage from politics for this reason. you get all worked up and for what? there's plenty of other things to do with life. drinking is certianly something, but with all things, moderation is key
if blacksmithing ain't right, why not try wood working? there are way more classes in that. i love making things. i'm a software engineer, so i very rarely go home and think i want to develop more, but if i wasn't maybe i'd spend more time on making a video game. instead, i make physical things with my hands. my main experience in woodworking is framing, but it's on my to do list to make furniture. it might be a few hundred bucks for a course, but it's something that you could then do in your own garage in your own home that you're buying later. or in some spare bedroom. you could make shelves for all the books you like instead of buying them from ikea. you could learn how to carve bowls with wet wood. you could make a coffee table
or maybe you should learn an instrument. there's pletny of things to do, but i think disengaging from the internet for hours at a time is very important for people's sanity. you read fantasy books and scifi. i love those things, but it is escapism. it's fantasylife, not real life, and so i suggest finding something in real life that takes time to master that you like to do. i suggest learning how to make something as the top thing.