8 Ways to Get over Your TV Addiction

Write down a weekly schedule of your favorite shows. If you like just about everything on TV, then try to whittle the schedule down to two or three shows each day. You can make this schedule shorter as time goes on. Try to watch only the shows you have written down on your television. Maybe you could put a lamp next to the television and place it on a timer so that the light will turn on when it’s time to watch TV. This will keep you from constantly looking at your watch and waiting for your favorite shows to start.

Getting out of the house and going for a walk might take your mind off what shows might be playing on the television at that particular moment. Having a dog to take for a walk will make this diversion method much easier. You might be able to talk a friend into loaning you his dog or taking a walk with you. Being distracted by a chatty friend makes the time fly right by.

Schedule a particular time of day to go to the gym, if possible. Try choosing a time in the day where you are more likely to sit for a longer period of time in front of the television. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel after a couple of weeks of working out at the gym. I’m no good at setting up an exercise routine for myself, so I find it much easier to workout with a friend or to join a class where an instructor tells me what exercises to do.

Try to get friends together at least once a week for dinner. Potluck dinners are the easiest to conduct, this way you won’t be responsible for doing all the cooking. These types of dinners are also a lot more fun. Get some vintage board games to play after dinner, instead of the traditional movie and popcorn. Watching a movie isn’t going to help you with your TV addiction.

If you’ve made a television show schedule and have stuck with it or have a journal that tells exactly how much TV you’ve given up, try to reward yourself for your accomplishment. The reward could be a tasty treat, a day of shopping, a night out on the town, or anything that you can honestly look forward to and that you will try hard to receive.

Most addictions arise out of boredom. Try taking up a new hobby or joining a group of people who have a particular hobby. Maybe there is a gardening club in town that you can join. Take up painting or drawing for a while to see if you like it. There are plenty of hobbies that will keep you not only physically occupied, but also mentally engaged.

Sometimes the only way to curb an addiction is by getting rid of temptation. Cutting yourself off from all access to television might be what is needed. You’ll still be able to watch movies your own or rent, but not having instant access to television shows might lessen your fascination with TV in general.

Okay, this is probably the most drastic measure of them all. I have friends who don’t even own a television and their kids don’t know the difference. They grew up reading books, playing games, and telling each other stories to pass the time. If you honestly can’t seem to stay away from the television for even a few hours of the day, then you might want to see if removing the TV from view helps. Try hiding it in the closet or giving it to a friend to take care of for a while.

These 8 ways to get over your TV addiction are just some suggestions I’ve come up with. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comment section. I’d love to hear what you come up with! I find that not having television access is a huge money saver too. Which of these 8 ways do you think would work best for you, if you were trying to curb an addiction to TV?

Top Photo Credit: !shtiaQ Ahmed