Bad News Blues

© Dr. Ed Bauman, 2023

Like many of us, I follow selective news shows and read articles by commentators I respect, but these days, I also need to monitor what I see or read. Ingesting too much sad, bad, and tragic news is tough to stomach.

“Woke up this morning, looked around for my shoes.
Lord, I had dem mean ole’ bad new blues.”

— Dr. B riff on “Walking Blues” song by Son House, 1930

I’m noticing a new disorder as the news becomes increasingly modified, processed, and filled with toxic additives. I call it a case of Bad News Blues, or in more clinical terms, inflammatory NEWS-ITIS. The symptoms are cross-reactive with other common low-down, run-down conditions such as feeling exhausted, irritable, scattered, anxious, and overwhelmed. The Bad News Blues is better cured by meditation than medication, by exercise than alcohol or recreational drugs, by finding solace and compassion in community, rather than by debate, vilification, or retribution, justifying waging of more war. We need a peace process for our personal and collective piece of mind.

When tuning into the news, be sure to summon your focused fortitude and discernment to digest the news bytes served up to you. Chew well to assimilate what’s relevant to your need to know what’s going on, in a way that helps you be of service, or empowers you to stay safe, be mindful, and serve locally.

If the news triggers continuous alarm and confrontation, you can turn it off and strengthen your survival preparedness plan. The world is thoroughly saturated by a pandemic of Fight, Flight, or Freeze stress alerts. When we’ve got those mean old Bad News Blues, it’s tough to get out of bed some mornings and scroll through social media stories for heartwarming friend reports, which is quite all right. It is rather obvious that there are those who seek to gain power through chaos and fear, both of which distract leaders from dealing with larger issues of caring for people and the planet. The real and pressing danger is that we succumb to exhaustion with all the chaos and give in to fear. When worn out and depleted nutritionally, emotionally, and soulfully, we can’t stand in our strength and rise in our ability to make a difference individually, and collectively.

If you are sick and tired of managed media news, call your friends and get an authentic, organic news update from them. Check in. Bond around family, friendship, faith, and renewal. Make plans for a festive dinner party to celebrate life, nature, and the inner LIGHT that never will perish. And finally, take the time you need to recharge and renew yourself. Bathe in peaceful waters with natural fragrances, beautiful music, and candlelight to restore your soul. An intermittent news fast of your choice will allow your Bad News Blues to abate and new, shareable, youthful energy to emerge.