Three Tips for Watching Less TV

TV is a lot like gambling; we think we are strong enough to handle it. We think we can have a TV on in the background while we read, clean, study, or talk. But we can’t. Like mosquitoes attracted to a bug zapper, our eyes are inevitably drawn to the screen. Three hours later, we suddenly realize our entire evening has been lost. This article gives you three tips to reclaim those precious evening hours.

Move your TV

Most people have a TV in their living room, housed in a colossal entertainment center with all the room’s furniture reverently facing it. A bat could know that you watch too much TV just based on sonar frequencies. Move your TV out of your most comfortable, most used room and put into a smaller, less used room. If you can, move your TV somewhere that will be specifically devoted only to watching TV. This way, you are forced to make a conscious decision to go and watch TV, rather than be sucked in to whatever happens to be on. Don’t be a mosquito!

Get a TV guide and use it

Don’t watch any TV unless you have planned to watch it beforehand. From a printed or online TV guide, choose what you really want to watch and make a plan for the week. You will avoid hours of channel flicking and almost certainly watch less TV overall.

Record how much TV you watch

How much TV do you actually watch? It’s probably more than you think. Keep a notepad, pen and timer handy and record how much time you spend watching TV. Do the math to find out how much TV you watch in a week, in a month, in a year. Now imagine your were working at McDonald’s for those hours—or exercising, or spending quality time with your family; you would have money for a holiday, the body of a minor god, or a family so close it would make Dr. Phil jealous