Pandemic Dramas: Strangely Therapeutic?

pandemic dramas have me like...

I'm not a doctor.

I don't even play one on TV.

But I have heard that prolonged exposure to news media and and all this discussion of pandemics is bad for you. I won't get into the psychology of it, but news in a time like this has a way of making people crazy.

I have known that people watch dramas that showcase the issue they're facing, but I have usually avoided such content (at least consciously). Then in what I considered a perverse move, I started looking for pandemic dramas online: Contagion, Armageddon, Pandemic, 48 Days Later, etc. 

So I posted about this, and many of my friends showed their approval and understanding. Tony Barnes chimed in: "It's cathartic." 

Catharsis:

a: purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity and fear) primarily through art

b: a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension

This article in GQ had a bit to say about it:

"Why Coronavirus Makes You Want To Wach Contagion"
https://www.gq.com/story/why-coronavirus-makes-you-want-to-watch-contagion

 

Well, this is a new one for me, as I usually get by well enough without it. So I'm not promoting the idea of looking for pain, but  there may be a way for this kind of media to do you some good. But, if they leave you feeling like shit, find something else to do.

What pandemic dramas would you recommend?

- Mr Benja -

A Free Tool To Introduce Calm And Deal With Social Media

One of my tools for dealing with all of the noise and nonsense that goes on around me is some nice ambient sleep music. When I was in school studying software engineering, my mind started getting overrun with thoughts. Another programmer introduced me to ambient music.

While there's a wide variety of ambient music, I've gotten some good relaxation vibes from Moby. He's made these selections free for download and personal use.

Breathe easy, Internet.

MOBY: LONG AMBIENTS

- Mr Benja -

Why Are You Online Withholding Likes? Click That Shit!

When I see a post I like, I LIKE it. There's not much thought going on with it. Spread those good vibes. Sometimes, I realize, "Oh...that person is a fucking bane on society. I shouldn't have done that. *UNLIKE*" But for the most part, I'm only following people deserving of my goodwill, and I don't usually resonate with bums enough to actually enjoy something they've posted.

Well, there was that one time a racist bum I happened to be following reposted some cool art, so I had to retract that Like. But even in that case, I was able to learn about a new artist that I could track down and follow. See, something good out of the dumb shit.

Anyway, don't hold back on Likes, they don't cost you anything and make whoever spent the time making the post feel a little better. Besides, you also get a signal boost and you have positively added yourself to the Big Data algorithm in the World Wide Web. Clicking that Like means you are one step closer to a better world...or maybe you aren't. Maybe you shouldn't even be online that much. So click or don't click. It doesn't matter that much.

Being Negative Is Easy. Being Positive? That Takes Work.

The thing about being positive, is that it actually takes work. I used to take it for granted, but it's legitimate work that we need to practice at. (At least I needed to practice it.)

Now I'm not talking about ignoring issues, tolerating nonsense, or lying to yourself. That's not really focusing on the positive, that's just putting your head in the sand. I'm also not saying you should cut yourself off from negative emotions. They have their place in life, and you should be in touch with them.

Example: If there is a steaming pile of dog shit on the floor, don't spend all day fretting about the dog shit and who did it. That's easy, and it accomplishes little. Think about having a clean floor and get it back to that state. Then you can try to ensure that you keep a floor that's dog shit free. That takes a bit more work but is more satisfying.

I've spent days wasting mental cycles on some bullshit that I've seen online that I have no plans to address in any way. I was just wasting my mind's precious time and energy. I could have spent that time thinking about (and working on) the next story I'll write, the next painting I'll create, the next time I meet up with friends, the next time I travel and so on.

There's a ton to be said about this sort of thing, and people have devoted their lives to studying the power of positive thinking, so I'll come back to this post. I've been angry many times before, so I'm going to use that as a starting point to talk about becoming becoming better.

I'll come back to this topic.