The perks of being a fair-weather football fan

Cheering on a favorite team can bring severe mood swings, violent outbursts, and even tightness in the chest, so I've chosen to be a fair-weather fan. For me, this isn't disloyalty but a form of self-care: I'm choosing which stressors get to affect me, and football no longer makes the cut.

I used to have a team. As a Baltimore native, when the Ravens came to our city in 1996, I was all in. After buying tons of black and purple, winning two Super Bowls, and then white-knuckling through the lackluster seasons that followed, I decided to set a boundary for my own sanity.

Gloria Chan Packer, who helps ambitious professionals manage stress and burnout in the workplace, writes that 'we can't eradicate stress entirely,' but advises that we should aim 'to establish a healthier and more sustainable relationship with your stress.' So I've decided to protect my peace while still respecting the game and showing up when it matters most.