I went without TV for a week -- this is what I learned (part ii)

Back in May, I took it upon myself to experiment for a week without using the television. In the first part, I covered insights one through five, and although I could have easily stopped there, I would be remiss not mentioning some of the heavy-hitters. Read on for insights 6 through 10.

6. I moved my body more

When I wasn't curled up on the couch zoning out to a program, I found myself wanting to move more. Or maybe it wasn't a want, perhaps it was more of a "how do I relieve myself of this nervous energy that I didn't know I had?". Either way, I found myself moving my body more. Whether it was bopping around my apartment tending to random things in my home (see a few notes earlier), taking an extra walk in the day, stepping outside in the sun to eat breakfast, pulling weeds from my tiny garden, or offering to help someone, I was moving more. My body appreciated it, and I felt lifted because of it.

7. I was exhausted

Now, this was an unexpected outcome. Here I thought I would have tons more energy, as is described in all the former insights. I was not anticipating how tired I would be, especially in those first few days. More so than usual with my health conditions. I cannot be 100% certain it was from not using the TV as I was having about a month of sleep difficulties prior, but, I have a sneaking suspicion turning the TV off led me to actually sleep when I needed to, such as with naps.

Giving you a preview of insight no. 9, I recognize I had been watching TV to stay awake in the middle of the day. Subconsciously, unconsciously, or semi-consciously, who knows, but I was definitely using TV to keep myself from falling asleep in the middle of the day, especially when I needed to get more things done that day. Whether it was in the background while I was working on my computer or on in the middle of the day before errands, I had it on so I wouldn't fall asleep.

The very first day I turned the tube off, I got home from an appointment and I passed out hard for an unexpected 2 hour nap. I took long naps three days in a row in fact. I was exhausted.

I believe, partially, that having the TV off allowed me to follow my body's actual needs of rest and recovery -- likely from burnout -- and I may not have known I needed it until I was on the edge of a breakdown. I ended up discovering that I was likely dealing with an autoimmune flare, and the extra sleep was begging me to take it on for weeks. Unplugging the television allowed me to listen and act for my body's cues, whereas before I was likely missing them because of the distraction from the TV.

Amelia McBride's 2023 article on Well+Good titled "Why Am I So Tired on My Days Off" covers common reasons why when a person finally has time to spare and feels safe enough to relax, the body's parasympathetic nervous system turns on, and strengthens the pathways that promote rest/relaxation/digestion. When this happens, we often feel a wave of tiredness, even exhaustion, and if there's time or space for it, our bodies will demand a crash.

8. I did not spend more time on my phone

I was so curious to see if I would use my phone more while I was unplugged, but I only used it 15 additional minutes to the previous week, according to my phone diagnostics. (PS, if you've never looked at them, I highly recommend doing so! Your smartphone has weekly diagnostic uses of how often and which apps you use in minutes).

I can nearly guarantee that had I been normalized to games or a social media source on my phone, I probably would have used my phone to replace TV. However, I have been off Facebook and Instagram -- both professionally and personally -- for a about year/year-and-a-half, and I don't access any other social sites. I know this was of great value to me, otherwise I'm sure I would have been doom scrolling for hours to fill my time.

If you tend to be someone who uses your phone for more than communication, I would imagine this would be a far different outcome, and perhaps just as interesting an experiment to forego using your phone for entertainment for a week, just as I forewent television.

9. I have been using television To Ease Burnout and Grief

This was perhaps the biggest insight for me to come to terms with. Over the years, I knew I used TV for more than entertainment, but turning it off really allowed me to see it all in living color (feel free to ignore the pun). As a forewarning, some of the information that follows may be of a shock to readers due to vulnerable material; proceed reading with care.

• I had been using television to distract myself from my reality and offset burnout. Between late October in 2021 and early September 2022, a string of deaths happened back-to-back. The first two were almost welcomed, with my mom's dad and my dad's mom ending their battles with Alzheimer's/Dementia and other ailments. The following three deaths, spread out 2-3 months apart were extremely traumatic and tragic, leaving me, my partner, my family, and my partner's family in shock and grief for many months. I used television to distract myself from the pain and burnout in my life so I could get through work and every day to-dos. Fun Fact: Millennials are using streaming devices for distraction from their Burnout according to the 2019 Business Insider article by Hillary Hoffower.

• I had been using television to fall asleep. I watched countless nights of Bob Ross' painting show because I was having significant PTSD dreams, and I needed something soft and tender to lull me to sleep, or to turn on in the middle of the night when guided meditations just weren't cutting it. Come to find out, I am not the only one who has turned to Bob Ross for sleep. In a 2018 article from the New York Times by Laura M. Hoslon, Calm.com "recasted" old episodes of Ross' 1980s and '90s The Joy of Painting into "Sleep Stories" for people to use as mindfulness and calming meditations.

  
  

• I had been using television to avoid feeling isolated. After experiencing hardships, and especially hardships that happen back-to-back, it's not uncommon for people to feel totally alone in the world. In a 2022 Systematic Review of Loneliness in Bereavement, covering 63 research articles on loneliness and grief, it explains that grief and bereavement decreases one's mental health, in part by increasing one's sense of loneliness.

  
  

  In addition, an article titled "Imaginary Friends" written in 2009 by Fionnuala Butler and Cynthia Pickett of Scientific American, discusses the use of television as a surrogate for social interaction amidst feelings of isolation and loneliness. Admittedly, that year of loss and the months following, hit me hard with loneliness. I could hardly recognize how to be around people in a social setting outside of work. It was hard to feel relatable, so I isolated myself a lot to avoid making people uncomfortable if asked what was new in my life. I used television to fill the gap. I watched shows where people would connect socially and amusingly where the hardships between the characters were neatly wrapped up in a 30-minute episode or a series.

• I used television for inspiration. Some of my favorite shows are those that provide some entertainment while also showcasing people creating something. Whether it’s baking, glassmaking, pottery, art, woodturning, or mixed media making, I find myself drawn to these forms of entertainment. It excites a part of me that is a creator of things. The artist, the expressionist, the writer. Due to the unavoidable existence of difficult situations, pain, and suffering, I believe it is our duty to use methods that promote our creativity, as this helps bring light and life into the world. So, if you can find inspiration from a show that helps you move forward with creative expression and action, then I am all for it. And I definitely used television to back up my creative nudges during these difficult times.

10. TV is Still helpful to pass the time when you're sick

Nearly a week after finishing 8 days without television, I got sick. Nearly 2 weeks of outrageous coughing and no energy, followed by viral-onset vertigo (discovered by a fun visit to Urgent Care when I was supposed to be getting back to work after 2 weeks off sick), I was grateful for television. Grateful yet uneasy.

I did not want to fall back in to the behavior or habit of using television to soothe myself, and yet that was nearly all I could do in my day to pass the time, outside of a little walk. I could no longer read, because I couldn't concentrate and the excessive coughing made it impossible to hold a book, and writing (including finishing this article!) took too much mental energy I did not have. Instead, I was grateful to see where TV came in handy, and it felt a relief to put it in its proper spot.

Luckily, as soon as I was able to concentrate on anything, I turned the television off and picked up a book, reading over 1,000 pages in a week.

To Conclude...

As I write this, I can confidently say that I am forever grateful I took a week off of watching television. It has helped me see where TV tends to sneak in as a limiting solution to bigger issues, and where it can have it proper place while not overtaking my life.

Throughout the last three years, I cannot say that I would change anything about how I used TV. In fact, I think it was a saving grace for me. It also is important to note that I have been in therapy for years, so I cannot recommend enough working with a good therapist you jive with if you have the need.

Try For Yourself

Although stripping myself of tv was a difficult task to undertake with how ingrained it was in my daily life, I am grateful to have undergone such an experiment. It got me thinking, how many habits could we be more successful in addressing if we took some of the pressure off and looked at it more like an experiment?

The next time you try or think of trying to change a habit you're unsatisfied with -- one that has been a sidekick to you for years -- I recommend looking at it in a different light and ask the following questions:

1. Think about the last time you lived without this habit: what was different then than now? How did your former lifestyle support you being without this habit?

2. What are some of the benefits and pitfalls you might see happening as a result of changing this undesirable habit?

3. Does the habit you're wishing to change have any place to successfully of healthily exist in your life, or is it time to retire it completely?

By asking these questions and the ones in the first part of this two-part article, you can start to bring awareness to these habits while learning to hold back the negative judgments of yourself and the habit. Doing this will help engage your curiosity, which can enhance success for change.