Nothing on tv? GOOD! Ten Things Better Than Watching Television

How often do you watch television? How much do you watch in a day?  Did you know that watching too much TV can actually damage your mind and hypnotize you?    This article  discusses the effects of television on our minds :

"What Really Happens When You Watch

          Television exerts an almost hypnotic pull. If the box is on, your body is drawn to watch, researchers say. The quickly shifting images and loud noises prompt a reaction known as the orienting reflex, which evolved to protect us from potential predators. When you sense movement, your body freezes and "blood rushes to your brain so you can scope out what's going on," Kubey explains.

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Once it catches your attention, television sedates you like a drug. Scientists say television viewing increases your brain's alpha waves and slows your beta waves, making you feel mellow and relaxed

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But once you turn off the television set, the good feelings evaporate. Any negative feelings you weren't paying attention to while the set was on will surface. And you might experience symptoms of withdrawal, including boredom, dissatisfaction, irritability, a low energy level, and an inability to concentrate," Kubey says. In a week long study of people's habits, Kubey and a colleague discovered that people were less likely to feel good after watching television than after exercising, reading a good book, or having an interesting conversation."

There are many arguments against TV and many people simply don't care.  What else are we supposed to do with our free time?  There's nothing more fun or interesting than TV, right? If you feel that way, read on!

10 Things Better than Watching Television

 There is no particular order of preference for this list. It was just a list of things that I thought of according to what I've discovered over the past few years of essentially television free life.

1. Start a hobby.  It may be dancing, yoga, pottery, photography, music lessons.  Anything that you've had an interest in or that you think you may enjoy.  Maybe you had no free time because of work, family obligations, endless amounts of errands. Let TV drop off that seemingly never ending list and do something for yourself! You might be surprised how much of your time it was stealing!
2.  Read books.  Reading is immensely more interesting than watching television.  Not only is it more intellectually stimulating, but also more creatively stimulating.  You are forced to imagine the scenes and interpret them as you would and not just as you're told to by the tube.
3. Exercise.  This site discusses the benefits of exercise.  Not only does it benefit the body but also, it benefits the mind and overall helps us feel better.  A good, enjoyable workout session releases endorphins which help us feel great. So besides the obvious benefits of physical fitness, exercise beats TV on the subject of mental benefit as well.  
4. Get out into the community events.  This can include anything from visiting a museum, attending concerts and plays or visiting art shows or galleries, just to name a few.  These types of things can inspire an interest in history, literature or perhaps giving you a different point of view on life.
5. Discover music. Of course I would mention this!  As a pianist and music teacher, I cannot express in words how important I believe music is to most people. But even for someone who doesn't take music as seriously as I do, it can still be very enjoyable.  Cracked.com discusses how music affects us here.
6. Explore the city/town you live in.  This may not be for all but some people find it very interesting.  One hobby which does this, by definition, is Urban Exploration. Of course, you don't have to be as brazen as some Urban Explorers to enjoy this type of thing. You could even simply walk around/drive around a part of town you haven't seen before. "Curiosity is the very basis of learning...."  -  Arnold Edinborough
7. Plant a garden.  This is something that has many benefits. It is enjoyable, in my opinion, to get your hands dirty and plant something.  Also the opportunity to be responsible for a living thing, sort of like a pet, I suppose, is fun.  And of course, you can eat the final product! 
8. Go for aimless walks.  This sort of falls in line with the one about exploring and also the one about exercise but the three are not necessarily tied together.  A walk can be at any pace you choose and it doesn't need to be for any particular purpose.  Even if you bring music along, you are usually alone with your thoughts (unless you go walking with a friend and that is another good way to spend TV-free time) and you can enjoy your surroundings  You also get lots of fresh air and, depending on the time of day, sunlight.  .
9. Go to bed and wake up early.   I can't count the number of times where I stayed up too late watching TV and was not happy about getting up in the morning.  There are many studies that say adequate amounts of sleep are essential to our overall health.  Also getting up a few minutes earlier helps reduce stress levels and could even give us time to do something helpful. Maybe exercise or have a nice breakfast instead of rushing out the door with a breakfast bar. 
10. Date yourself. I think some people see this differently than I do.  What i mean here is getting to know yourself extremely well. Search your soul and mind.  I have always been a loner. I have spent many years getting to know what I really want in life, what I like, what my beliefs are. Things like that can be very beneficial things to think about and know about yourself.  Knowing yourself inside and out can keep you from being take advantage of, perhaps by someone you're in an unhealthy relationship with. It can also boost your self-worth and wisdom. 

So, hopefully some of these things were convincing enough to persuade you to stop watching TV and start living life! Okay, maybe it is a bit arrogant of me to assume people aren't living life but any amount of recess from television is a good thing for you! 

".......People are stupid because they've got the hand-maiden of television. Television is not like movies, television is not like books. Television is not like anything but television. It gives you everything. I mean, I think that it's ironic that everyone who ever sees this will probably be seeing it on a TV screen"...."It's not like radio, radio is wonderful. Radio, you can see it in your mind, you can create it, you can make it just as colorful and as smart and as opulent as you wish it to be. On television, that's it. That's what you get and that's the whole thing. This means you don't have to work for it. You can sit there [slouchy and slack jawed] like a couch potato and that's it. You've gotta have a good thumb and that's about it.  That's one reason people are stupid, they just are not using their brains. You don't use a muscle, it atrophies"   - Harland Ellison on TV in "Dreams with Sharp Teeth"