No.Nonsense.

I am a TV always on person. I even sleep with the TV on. I’m also a news junkie. My practice for decades when I went to bed was to turn the TV to Fox News, turn the volume to a level where I can hear the talking but it won’t disturb my sleep- likely louder then most people could stand but just right for me. And then I’d go to sleep. If the TV turned off during the night, that’s what would wake me up.

But a few weeks ago I made a conscious decision to change the nighttime background noise.

My choice to sleep with the news began to weigh on me when I would regularly wake up to reporting on air strikes, wars, and disasters. I would go to sleep in peace and wake up in turmoil.

It’s not that I want to bury my head in the sand and act as if these things don’t exist. I still keep up with what’s going on in the world. I just can’t start my day any longer with the negativity.

It also doesn’t help that I am not too keen on Fox News at the moment because they’ve become a shill for a war I oppose. I’ll likely come back at some point but I needed a break.

I have found that I’m supporting more independent media and podcasters because their agenda is not dependent on a corporate entity so they tend to be more honest in their opinions.

My nighttime routine now is the same but I will throw on a pop culture podcast that discusses the pitiful lives of celebrities as that’s more uplifting. I will often listen to a comedian or a podcast when I’m getting ready in the morning. I drive to work with the radio off. I maintain a new embargo until lunch. I focus on getting my day going with peace even if the world is falling apart.

It’s not about staying uninformed or ignoring what’s going on in the world. It’s about protecting my own mental health by not sinking into the morass of bad news. I learned in journalism class many years ago that if it bleeds it leads. The worst news was always the first story. And with cable news that’s what is running 24/7. You just can’t get away from it.

So I choose to prioritize myself. I write an opinion column about what’s going on in the world so I will never isolate myself from the narrative. But after weeks of the negative, I need a rest. So I’m cutting the noise and protecting what’s important, my wellbeing.