Something that most people might not know about me is that I am a news junkie. I LOVE watching the news. In fact, as a tween and teenager, I loved catching the 10pm local nightly news. There was always bad news, sometimes scary news, but there was this draw for me. I liked being informed, even if it wasn’t the most positive information. I embraced the “knowledge is power” saying before I even heard it spoken. But you might be wondering how cable TV relates to health. Stay with me and you’ll find out.
My relationship with cable TV
Before getting married, I lived at home where my parents had cable. Watching certain shows on a certain cable news channel (to be unnamed) was part of my evening routine. I loved hearing the commentary and getting the low-down on current events and politics. After meeting Mark, and especially during deployment, my ears would perk up for any news about Afghanistan or the military.
My husband and I went without cable for the first nine months of our marriage. We lived in Arizona for most of that time, and it just didn’t make sense to get cable for such a short stint at that location. When we moved to North Carolina and rented a house with Mark’s twin brother, there was no question we’d get cable. I was able to tune back into my favorite cable news shows! I rarely watched any other channels – if I was in control of the remote, that is.
Addicted to cable news?
When I moved to an apartment last year during Mark’s third combat deployment, at first I told myself that we’d save money by just having basic local TV. I was busy in my final year of nursing school and thought that I could satisfy myself with clips my favorite news channel put out online. It was probably no more than two weeks into apartment living that I broke down and got the basic cable package so I could have my precious news channel again. It was the first time I lived without another human and I ALWAYS had it on in the background. In some ways it helped me cope, but in retrospect I am seeing that it may have contributed to my stress.
Now, living in Germany, we are back to having no cable. We do get a select few channels through AFN (Armed Forces Network) for free, and one of them is a news channel. It rotates between three of the top cable news channels, although we have no control over the schedule. For our first several months here, though, we didn’t even have AFN. I realized that it was NICE. I can be so much more efficient without the TV on during the day. I am not even tempted to turn it on and have it in the background. I do feel less connected to what is going on in the United States and current events in general, but I don’t crave the news cycle like I used to. Funnily enough, my stress is lower too.
Cumulative stressors = lots of stress!
Now, I am not implying a single causal relationship. Being done with nursing school, having passed my nursing boards, and being back with my husband after an almost-yearlong separation are the main reasons why my stress is lower. But I do believe that eliminating my chronic cable news habit has also played a part. There are so many little things that can contribute to stress and anxiety. These things can build up over time without us evening realizing it. It is not until they are gone that we realize: wow, I feel so much better!
Instead of having the TV buzzing all day, I enjoy sitting on our large porch and listening to the birds singing, dogs barking, and occasional cars or kids going by. Some background noise like that is normal, and can even be helpful for concentrating. (I know that’s true for me!) Seeing my beautiful plants and flowers also is calming to the mind and body.
The takeaway to this informal story is: what in your life is causing you undue stress? Don’t get me wrong, there are some things and people in our lives that are not going anywhere. We do sometimes have to suffer with anxieties and annoyances. And some stress is actually good and motivating for us! But what is not worth it? Is there a group of “friends” that causes you anxiety every time you’re with them? Is there a TV show or news channel that does the same thing? Maybe it’s scrolling social media that brings you not joy, but nervousness, unhealthy comparison, or even panic.
How can you reduce stress in your life?
It might be time to think about cutting down or completely eliminating those things. With social media, you could take notifications off your phone so you’re not constantly “pinged” with those red numbers. Maybe it’s deciding to spend more time with your husband instead of your friends’ weekly get-together; or having tea with one close friend instead of a group gathering. These are just a few ideas. Cutting out the unnecessary stressors will give you a greater capacity to deal with the necessary or unavoidable stressors of life. I’ve also noticed that I do more reading when I’m not constantly paying attention to a TV show.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you have cable or do you not, and why? I do believe that we should not live “in the dark” on what’s happening in the world. Staying up-to-date as an informed citizen is very important. But there are other ways to consume the news other than having cable news on constantly. Leave a reply below!