I got home late and spent some time with the kids, before putting them to bed. Anna was out, so at 8.30 I decided to wind down in front of the TV.

This is what was on:

• The Bill: cop deals with teenage runaway and stressed out dad
• Cutting Edge: documentary examining the U.S. government’s monitoring of citizens
• All Saints: Tensions boiling over following a multiple victim accident
• CSI: Miami: A team member goes down during a bungled kidnapping
• NCIS: A blind photographer captures the body of an officer on film (don’t ask me)

It’s not much better in the next time slot, with a plane crash-landing into a mountain range, the murder of a dog owner, the poisoning of four people, tampering with non-prescription drugs and more war-in-Iraq than you can poke a stick at.

And we don’t have pay TV!

Let me dissect this a little.

These programs are full of stress and negative energy. Good news and happy stories don’t sell. Excitement and stress does. Action, violence, guilt, rage, fear, slander, jealousy, despair. Not unlike today at work.

If you are like me, with a mood disorder that is, then the emotional roller coaster that TV offers is unhelpful to say the least. That’s why us depressives need to focus on positive stress-relieving activities, like exercise, meditation and breathing techniques.

Do yourself a favor tonight. Don’t turn on the TV. Enjoy something relaxing instead.