Don’t have sympathy for my tears, it’ll set me off again

Ihave to be increasingly careful with my entertainment choices these days, lest they push my already fraught emotional state over the edge during these challenging times. As my regular reader is all too aware, I have an unfortunate tendency to blub during the most tenuously soppy film, book or music, even at the best of times. Including repeats. Even ones I wept at first time around.

Nowadays, I find I’m having to be constantly vigilant to avoid a continuous pity party at Penman Towers. I’m regularly found switching off the radio and muting film soundtracks when the music starts reminding me of how things used to be in days gone by.

Who knew how many tunes would instantly transport me back to those carefree times with my grandparents or parents dancing round their kitchens? And don’t even get me started on Dame Vera…

As well as my usual trigger points, I’m now also ruling out programmes set in any location that’s not my house or back garden because that makes me think of past holidays and I get all nostalgic and weepy again. Which, as you can imagine, doesn’t leave much scope.

In the spirit of being good to myself in stressful times, I’ve tried really hard to find upbeat, feelgood films and TV programmes, but that’s much harder than you’d think. There have been a couple of series I started watching with Mr P then had to bow out of halfway through, as I found the misery of the characters and their stories too hard to take.

As far as books go, I’ve found the safest thing to do is reread ones I’ve reread many times before. That way there are no nasty surprises waiting on the next page. It’s also easier for my drastically reduced concentration span to cope with.

I’m hoping that my critical faculties w ill return to normal post-pandemic and that I’ll be able to choose entertainment on merit, rather than on whether they’re likely to set me off.

I’m also hoping the scarily vivid dreams that have plagued me over the last few months will tail off. In the meantime, I’m considering giving Cbeebies a whirl.

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I’m hoping my critical faculties will return to normal post-pandemic