If you’re a big TV fan, you might start to find it’s the one thing you can do after a long day at work, or when you’ve got a free day to yourself. Does the realization of this bother you? Then you should think about changing the habit!
That might be difficult if you have few other hobbies, or you’ve got a packed schedule and you’re always too tired to do anything other than switch on the TV. However, the more you try new things in 2024, the richer your year is going to be.
Whether you’re a tech fan or you’ve got more traditional interests, here are some of the best ways to replace your TV binging habit with something more productive or healthy.
Sign Up for Online Classes
Online classes are great time fillers. Not only do you get to learn something new, but you might even have a whole new qualification to your name at the end of it all! That’s a much better use of your time than just watching TV in the evening.
You could use this qualification to get a new job, polish up your resume for a promotion, or to even open a business of your own. The possibilities are endless, and that’s why it’s such a good replacement habit to cultivate.
Plus, online classes can be about anything. From the history of witchcraft in 17th century Europe to the moon landings and what made them possible, you can pick up all kinds of new knowledge. All you need to do is pick an interest, look for a course, and then sign up.
Start Reading Thrillers
Thriller novels are great replacements for those people who love action and adventure TV programs. If you’re a fan of Reacher on Amazon Prime, for example, why not pick up the original series of novels and check them out?
Thriller novels are also pretty exciting, even when you think they couldn’t possibly carry the same level of risk and tension. And the more you read, the easier it’s going to be to identify the themes you love, meaning you can instantly pick up a new book and get stuck into it.
And honestly? This goes for any genre of entertainment you’re into. Dig into the written word of it instead and spend a good couple hours in the evening just reading. This makes for great brain food and will help you to build up your focus again too.
Download Some Games
Do you love getting involved in other worlds? Meeting new characters and making your own? Maybe that’s the main reason you love getting stuck into a new TV series? Well, download some games to scratch the itch instead!
Start small with easy yet fun games like spider solitaire to get you into the swing of things, and then start buying games through a storefront like Steam or Epic. Wait for a sale or claim a few free games if you’re not sure about this hobby, but spare some time over the weekend to try out a video game and see how it feels.
Gaming is an excellent hobby for a variety of reasons, but its main advantage over watching TV is clear: you have more opportunities to work your brain. It’s also not that difficult to transition from just watching a screen to deciding what happens on it!
Exercise in the Evenings
Exercise is the perfect activity for those of us who don’t want to be couch potatoes anymore. After all, when you exercise, you get both the brain and the body working, and you might even end up with a healthier resting heart rate in the end. That’ll make watching TV for hours on end way less of a ‘guilt fest’ in the future – especially if that’s a feeling you struggle with.
Start easy and gentle yourself into exercise. A good workout focuses on your whole body and supports you as you make the changes you want to. It doesn’t immediately wear you out and make you tired and achy for the rest of the day!
Exercise is also pretty addictive in itself. If you find something you like doing, you’re not going to want to cancel that gym membership any longer.
Look into Community Activities
Do you ever feel like you spend too much time indoors? Then you might want to try out some community activities in 2024. The more you interact with those in your community, the more friends and local connections you make. This makes for great neighbors, a supportive network right around you, and plenty to do when your usual friends aren’t in town.
These kinds of activities could also include anything. You could take part in a local gardening club, join a book club, go to the community center and try out a dance or yoga class – it’s all good for you.
You might even start being recognized around town, and given discounts by business owners in and around your community. And all because you decide to get involved and make a difference to the world that’s immediately around you!
Start a Hands-On Project
A hands-on project is something you dedicate your time and attention to through manual labor of some kind. If you’re used to just watching TV and you don’t do much else to stay occupied, this might seem a little foreign. However, it’s super easy to pick up, even though some hands-on skills can be hard to master.
So, what kind of activities do you like the idea of? Making your own furniture? Trying your hand at building something for the garden? Or maybe you’re more of a whizz in the kitchen? Whatever you might like to do here, just make sure you’re swapping TV time for hands-on time – that loaf of bread isn’t going to raise itself!
Think About What Caused the Habit
Watching TV isn’t a bad thing. As far as pastimes go, it’s fun, accessible, and opens your mind. If you want to get stuck into a new Netflix series, go ahead! Changing the habit is only necessary if you find it’s the only thing you ever do with your spare time. So don’t think you absolutely need to change right now; only do so if you want something new in your life.
To go along with that, make sure you identify what caused this habit of just sitting and watching TV. For a lot of people it is a simple lack of energy thanks to an otherwise packed schedule. When you come in from a long day at work, you don’t want to get on with a million other hobbies when you could just put the TV on.
For some people, it comes as a result of medical and/or mental health conditions. When you’ve got a chronic lack of energy, it’s worth it to talk to a doctor. If you know what’s going on inside, habit breaking is easier.
If you’re looking to replace TV with something else this year, why not try out the tips above? The more you make an effort to change a habit, the easier it becomes to cut that thing out of your life. So take up a project, see if you can switch watching a series into interacting with a game, and think about getting out a little more often. Meeting people and making new friends is never a bad thing, and could be the best use of your time in 2024.
