Thinking About How to Quit Watching TV
Are you ready to quit watching TV?
You’ve read about how much TV the average person watches too, right? Yes, the research is true – the average person watches over 5 hours of TV a day! That is almost as much time as the average person spends at work or sleeping. (Well, I DID say ‘almost’…)
My guess is that you probably don’t watch that much tv. But you are aware that you watch more TV than is probably best for you, but it’s such an easy ‘default’ activity that you don’t know how to stop. You might be starting to wonder, could you quit watching tv and if you did what would you do instead of watching TV.
Like cutting any habit out of your life, if isn’t going to be easy and you’ll want a plan. But let’s start by remembering that watching TV is bad for you!
Founder and president of Path Foundation NY, Eric Braverman has spent years devoted to understanding brain health. His views on just how harmful TV is are blunt: “The boob tube turns you into a boob,” he says. “Television mesmerizes people and turns them into intellectual spectators. It feeds passivity and makes you less engaged.”
I suspect that you know the true of Eric’s words in your gut.
So let’s change that habit.
What do to Instead of Watching TV
There really is an endless list of things you could do instead of watching TV but to help you break the habit.
Here are 22 things to do instead of watching TV. By the time you have ticked everything off this list you will be wondering how you ever had time to watch TV to begin with.
Let’s get active
- When was the last time you went for a hike? If you’re reading this in summer now is the perfect time to take a hike while the days are long
- Start planning your next vacation! You can always book a couple short get-aways using AirBNB
- Go fishing
- Go surfing
- Go camping (or go camping in your own backyard)
- Go for a walk
I think you are starting to get the idea here; there is an almost endless list of activities you could do that get you moving and will help you quit watching TV.
And sure, maybe you’re thinking ‘that’s not interesting to me’, but lets be brutally honest with ourselves… is watching TV really that interesting? Aside from the short-term dopamine hit, is it really doing anything for you?
Maybe there are 1 or 2 programs each week that are genuinely interesting, stimulating, GOOD… but then if you’re like I used to be, and like most people, then you end up leaving the TV on, and turning it on even on nights when there’s nothing on, and just ‘channel surfing’ hoping for something good…
Is going for a walk or setting up a camp with the kids in your own backyard such a bad way to spend an evening in comparison?
Let’s get cultured
- Visit the local library – libraries are constantly changing programs they run, new books they have for you to borrow, along with different ways to engage with your local community. They also tend to have a schedule of different activities and social groups you can be a part of.
- Read a book. Now that you’ve visited a library you’ve hopefully been reminded of all the incredible ideas and stories that have been written! Reading a book will nourish your mind and excite your imagination. If you still aren’t sure about quitting watching TV you could read the Games of Thrones series instead of watching it. You’ll get those same vivid images, the same epic battles and amazing characters will come to life, but this time you’ll be INCREASING your brain activity, rather than switching it off.
- Hit the museum – like libraries, museums are continually bringing in new exhibitions on top of their core exhibition.
- Learn another language. Always wanted to travel to Paris or Rome? Why not learn French or Italian before you do!
Let’s build your community
- Practice gratitude – watching TV has been linked to depression as people spend more time comparing themselves to those on TV, and being sedentary is also known to lead to depression in some people. Let’s flip that! Practice gratitude by inviting a friend or family member over for dinner and having some real-life conversations with real-life people!
- Games! Board games may seem old school but they are a fantastic way to exercise the mind and build lasting relationships with those around you. If you think board games are just ‘Monopoly’ and ‘Scrabble’ then google ‘eurogames’ and be amazed at the incredible range of great games that have been made in the last 10-15 years, aimed at challenging intelligent adults like you with interesting and engaging gameplay. It’s also a great way to keep your friends coming over to your house so you don’t have to go out…
- Call someone you love. A phone call might seem silly but taking the time to put your phone against your ear and use it for its original intended purpose can have a profound impact on the person you call and on yourself. Give it a try. You never know when your call is what makes someone’s day.
- Volunteer. You could volunteer at a local soup kitchen, women’s shelter, or church. Most not-for-profit organisations that help the local community love having people volunteer!
Let’s make money
- Start working out how you could start a side hustle to make some extra money.
- Sell things you no longer need or want on eBay, Gumtree or an old fashioned garage sale.
- Become an Uber or Lyft driver. Since you’ve quit watching TV you’ll have a lot more time and earning some extra money as an Uber or Lyft driver will help you save even more cash and you’ll meet some of the people in your local area at the same time.
- Become a Mystery Shopper. If you’re looking for something to do instead of watching TV during the day, then you should give mystery shopping a go. You actually get paid to shop at stores, eat in restaurants and then give your opinion on the experience. It’s a good option if you need to make $500 fast too.
- Start giving tutoring lessons. If you have any sort of skill or knowledge that people want, and you can communicate well one-on-one, then this is worth thinking about. And you don’t have to be an expert, you just have to know your level and look for work at that level. For example, you don’t have to be a university professor to teach basic conversational English language skills.
Let’s improve your environment
- Look at making your home more energy efficient – it will not only help you save money but it will also help the environment too.
- Cleaning the house is usually something that I hate doing on the weekends because it takes time away from doing fun things with family and friends. But by doing small cleaning chores throughout the week it all gets done before the weekend! It’s a win-win.
- Gardening – there is something soothing about being out in the garden, weeding, pruning, watching the seasons slowly change.
There is something relaxing and calming about living in a clean and ordered environment. Clean and tidy benchtops in the kitchen, a clean office desk, and a tidy and ordered garden. It’s those areas of your environment that you see every day, that once clean and clear from clutter start to have a refreshing positive impact on your mind.
A Final note
Get Richer Every Day is about just that, giving your tactics and strategies to get richer every day. Watching TV and paying for TV are an area that many people have strong opinions but never stop to really question WHY they have those views.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how much value you really get from TV? A week after that ‘big episode’ is all done and dusted, was it really worth it?
You may ultimately decide that you don’t want to cut TV out of your life altogether or quit watching tv completely and that is fine – but finding better balance between TV and other activities can still bring a huge improvement to your mood, lifestyle, health, and finances, whilst still keeping the 1 or 2 shows that you just HAVE to watch.
But let me ask a question:
If you stopped paying for PayTV for one year how much money would you save, is it really worth that much to you and would you really miss it if you simply didn’t know what was on?
THANKS FOR READING
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