Between the election circus (mainly GOP) and the terrorist attacks all over the world (298 and counting so far this year), things seem bleak. We cut off our cable in January and watch only what we can on Roku, which is to say, everything except news. It is not that we can't watch news on Roku, but we have to make an effort to watch news, so it I feel a bit like an emotionally fragile ostrich sticking my head in the Roku, but it is the only way to tune out the cacophony of evil and stupid that we are all drowning in. I am drawn to British mystery and cop shows (this week it's New Tricks), fantasy shows (Gotham, Sleepy Hollow), and gritty shows (Ray Donovan, Hannibal, and Quantico). Anything that takes my mind off of work and the world, is a boon to my ability to sleep, which has been profoundly affected by the chaos around me of late. Luckily, melatonin also has a positive impact on my drowsiness
While the world is still reeling from the attacks in Paris (because there seems to be relatively little coverage of the rest of the attacks in the world), I am in the middle of a media detox diet. Yes, I still have the occasional news relapse, but for the sake of my mental health, I am trying to partake in a balanced and healthy news diet. The verboten, fettuccine Alfredo of this diet is anything right wing and most certainly all things Fox. In my younger days, my system could handle the toxicity, but as I get older, I have learned to accept my limitations. My news staple is NPR during drive time and the rare treat I allow myself is a desert of Trevor Noah's Daily Show.
This is how I survive the media apocalypse.
