I've been practicing pacing, a fatigue management strategy, for a few months. It wasn't going great initially, so I kicked it up a notch by writing out daily schedules to ensure I actually slow down, pace my activity, and dedicate time to rest.
One surprising realization I've had while pacing is that the entertainment I turn to is violent. Ted Lasso is the exception, but even most shows I consider "light" routinely depict graphic violence — Barry, Poker Face, Only Murders in the Building. Ditto for movies — have you noticed how many comedies and rom-coms contain violence now?
It's like I thought I was watching a nice mix of different genres, but failed to notice they share a common thread — Oops! All murders.
What's this gotta do with pacing? Pacing involves resting after, well, everything. I work, I rest. I eat lunch, I rest. I walk my dog, I rest. You get the idea. Also, "rest" in this scenario doesn't involve looking at a phone, watching a show, or reading a book. It's just me and my bed.
Resting has made me more aware of how the activities I engage in affect me physically, mentally, and emotionally. Before pacing, I would've told you I found TV and movies fun. Relaxing, even. Now, I see they often lead to an increased heart rate, tense muscles, and anxious thoughts. Who knew?
In addition to managing fatigue, I want pacing to help me move through life in a more relaxed state. Pacing gives me space in which I can recognize which activities activate a stress response, rather than a relaxation response. I'm still surprised that watching almost any show I currently like dysregulates my nervous system at least a little.
So, I'm shifting my tastes. I watched Firefly Lane on a friend's recommendation. After reading books by Mindy Kaling, I also started The Mindy Project — no murders yet!
The biggest change I've made is reducing the overall time I spend watching TV. The younger version of myself that proudly went years without owning a TV would've been horrified to see that over the past two years, I've been watching it six or seven nights per week. Now, I'm down to two or three nights per week, and for shorter periods.
I'm not one for censorship. But, I do wonder what effect being steeped in simulated violence might have on our psyches, especially when, instead of taking time to process it, we jump from one source of stimulation to another without reflection. Also, do we really need murder to punctuate jokes in comedies and delineate stages of a romantic relationship in rom-coms?
At a younger age, I would’ve scoffed at the idea of violent entertainment being a problem, but in a country where guns are becoming more and more commonplace, and disagreements seem to more quickly turn to violence, maybe we don’t need murder in entertainment to be so common, almost like a wallpaper going barely noticed in the background.