television

18. Turn off the TV.

Do I really even have to write anything here? With the amount of TV people watch, I am guessing that I do. Here is one reason to keep reading and considering this Tool. First, are you someone who says, “I just don’t have enough time”? Second, do you watch TV? Enough said. In a recent study by Nielson, a person watches an estimated four hours and 45 minutes per day. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? These figures were accumulated over the 2007-2008 season. Is it any wonder why we are fatter than we have ever been? Is it any wonder why we are sadder than we have ever been? Is it any wonder why we are sicker than we have ever been? To make it worse, you watch these shows and news broadcasts that tell you how bad things are and then the commercials tell you what drugs to take to make it all better. I saw a commercial for restless leg syndrome and thought it was a TV skit. Right now they are working on a drug for shyness in children. I digress. Remember, your brain is nothing more than a computer and whatever you decide to put into it is what will end up eventually coming out of it.

There are so many unnecessary things we watch on TV; for starters, the news. Is there anything on the news that you have heard that you REALLY need to know. People are shot; there is a fire in your town; it’s going to be 64 degrees tomorrow. Do you really need to hear this over and over again? I promise you if there is something newsworthy that you need to know, then someone will end up telling you about it. Use others as your filter for what you decide to hear every day. If something really bad happens, someone will bring it up or call you. When I stopped watching the news, I have not missed anything that I am aware of, and when there has been something semi-big, a friend or patient will say, “Hey did you hear about….” Even when they do that, I choose not to listen half the time because I don’t want that junk in my head.

What’s really big right now is reality TV, which by all accounts is not even really that real. How do I know? Because I was on a reality show once and from what I could tell, only about 20-30% was real. Don’t believe me? Well, on this one particular show the director asked us to stop because it was boring and no one cared and we needed to start the “reality” scene again. Why would you ever want to watch people fighting with each other or watch the drama that is occurring in someone else’s house or life. Do you not have enough things to worry about on your own? When I decided to turn my TV off for a whole month, I found that I was almost bored. I had to find things to do with the added time I had. I worked out, I read, and I did house projects that had sat there because there was no time to do them. I started working on the things in my life and not watching other people’s lives on the magic box.

Almost five hours a day of TV is 35 hours a week. If you only decided to watch half the TV that you watch, you would have at least an extra 15 hours a week. I think with that time you could find some time to work out and read. Those two things alone would improve your life by 50%. Watch half the TV you watch and use the other time to work out four to five days a week and read one book per week. Now does this mean that you should get rid of your television? Of course not. How would you see me touring the country talking about my book? I’m just kidding. By knowing what the national average is, be aware of how much you are watching and if you are someone who claims not to have enough time. I think informative programs, historical programs and sports are acceptable. Those programs either provide you information or, with regard to sports shows (for the most part), are celebrating people’s wins. I believe it’s beneficial to watch an athlete who sets goals and then achieves them. If you are struggling with time or just need to get off the couch, use this Tool to take you to the next level.