You Could Get an Entire Day Back This Way

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut of plunking yourself down in front of the TV and suddenly the evening has disappeared? It happens. We are creatures of habit and sometimes those habits don’t always serve us very well.

I’m not going to be that person who tells you “you should get rid of your TV and never watch it again!” because honestly, this is real life and sometimes watching a show or a lighthearted movie can be helpful. And sometimes, we need a half hour to ourselves to get something done (like dinner!) and if the kids can watch one show while we do that, then so be it!

I will, however, keep encouraging you to decrease the amount of time you watch. And there’s very good reasons for that. Here are just 5 of them:

You Won’t Sit as Much if You’re Not Watching the Tube

We were not meant to sit for as long as many of us do. There’s been research done that shows that sitting too much every day can lead to a long list of unhealthy conditions that can cause pain, and have a negative impact on your overall health and physical fitness. Since most television is viewed sitting down, when you stop watching as much TV, you’re likely standing more and being more active, which is a very good thing! With the extra time you find watching less TV, you can get outside and garden or go for a walk/run which would be amazing!

Your Brain Becomes More Alert & Healthier

Researchers have discovered that staring at a television set can cause changes in your brain chemistry. Some of the negative impacts of staring at an electronic screen, television or otherwise, may include signs of a decreased memory, an inability to plan, organize and take action, and less mental clarity when you really need to focus. With less time in front of the tube, you can enrich your mind with amazing books (actual or audio) or find some amazing podcasts to inspire you!

You’ll Discover You Have More Free Time Than You Realized

Do you often find yourself complaining that there’s not enough hours in the day to get everything done? Think again! Take out some of the nearly 28-34 hours of the TV watching that the ratings/habits company, Nielsen, says you are spending in front of the tube each week, and you can find yourself more than 1 full day of extra time on your hands. WooHoo!

You’ll Likely Notice a Positive Shift in Your Own Belief System

Television is a one-way form of communication. People you’ve never met, that maybe hold views, beliefs, and values very different from your own, create the content that you consume. When we watch too much TV (and especially when we aren’t super selective about what we’re watching) you can begin to lose the ability to form your own thoughts, opinions and beliefs. Lightening the TV load can allow you to truly tap back into what you feel is most important in YOUR life.

You’ll Stop Feeling “Less-Than”

Let’s be honest… TV content can create incredibly unrealistic expectations. Most human beings are not even remotely close to the “perfection” that is presented in mainstream TV – you know, slim, trim, super sexy, incredibly smart, abundantly wealthy AND successful, which is how its often represented in TV-Land. Now I’m not saying you can’t aspire to improve the quality of your life and if that list of qualities is what you’re looking for then absolutely choose some shows that inspire you, but don’t get caught up in the comparison game. Especially when it’s not accurate. I mean, honestly, life is raw, and real, and complicated, and BEAUTIFUL. When you decrease the amount of time you’re watching (and possibly comparing yourself to what you see on the screen) then you can focus on your own life and whatever changes you truly want to make. Then you can can set some goals and start taking the actions you really want to to create a life you LOVE.

So what do you say? Are you ready to really take stock of how much time you’re spending gapping out in front of the TV and then make the decision to start claiming back some of your own precious time?

Always from the heart,
Jennifer

Making some simple changes to their daily habits to help support better quality sleep on the regular is something I work on with moms in my online coaching program, The Real Life Reset System. If this sounds like something you want to know more about, I’d love to chat with you some more! I offer free 30-minute Mom Life Clarity Calls and regardless of whether you choose to work with me or decide to wait, you’ll leave the call with a better handle on what your best “next steps” will be.  Book your free Mom Life Clarity Call here.