Senior News Line: Tuning out the news

Today marks seven days since I’ve watched the television news. For a news junkie, that’s a very long time. But I feel much better for having taken a break.

It can’t be good for us, either mentally or physically, to be constantly bombarded with information that causes stress and likely has a health impact in the form of higher blood pressure.

The chronic chaos shown to us on television news even impacts us socially when we don’t know anymore what the safe topics are, and sometimes we just give up and don’t talk much at all when we’re with others.

Gone is the spontaneity — and the joy — we once felt, and we eventually stop socializing altogether because of the additional stress it brings when in the company of others who insist on talking about negative news topics.

The news comes at us from several directions: the computer, the television, our cellphones. Add to that the stream of breaking news alerts either on the television or notifications chiming on our phones, and we just don’t get away from it.

Before I could go cold turkey and avoid the news, I knew I’d have to keep up with weather. In my area it’s safer to know what’s coming.

To stay ahead of possible bad weather I use the Weather Channel on TV and Wunderground at www.wunderground.com on the computer.

Not that I can do this indefinitely, of course, avoiding the news. At some point I’m going to have to check back in with the rest of the world.

But it’s been a relief not to be bombarded with constant chaos, hysteria, sensational crawlers on the screen and differing viewpoints about world events.

I invite you to try it for yourself, even if it’s just for a few days. You’ll feel better.