Turn Off The TV: 10 Activities In Place of TV

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The television is detrimental to our physical and mental health, and there’s no question the role it plays in our sedentary lifestyles today. It’s easy to turn it on out of habit, but if  you find yourself mindlessly watching it, turn it off and choose one of these brain and body stimulating activities instead. Your body, mind, and soul will thank you.

 

1. Listen To Any Kind Of Music
Music can lift your mood, inspire you, entertain you, or keep you focused. Choose any kind of music you like depending on the mood or energy you’re looking for from it.
2. Read A Book
Find a good book that interests you, whether you want to get lost in a fictional novel, or learn more about the history of woodworking.
3. Take A Walk
Exchange 20-30 minutes of viewing time for a quick walk around the block. You get movement, fresh air, and hopefully some Vitamin D in the form of sunshine.
4. Play With Your Kids & Pets
Play is an essential part of a healthy life that we seem to forget to do as we age. Engage in play with your children or even your dog and get down to that giddy feeling in the center of your soul as you run around, have fun, laugh, move, and breath.
5. Run A Warm Bubble Bath
A bath is a great opportunity to relax and center your mind. The heat will help your body direct blood to inflammation to help facilitate healing.
6. Grab A Pen & Paper And Start Writing
Pick up a pen and paper and start writing, even if you have no direction or notion of what you’d like to write. You could try writing a song, a poem, or even a fictional story.
7. Clean Your Home
Sweeping, dusting, carrying loads of laundry, folding, putting dishes away, and general picking up of a house are all forms of movement. Not only can you feel accomplished about cleaning your humble abode, but you also managed to spend that much more time moving and not sitting.
8. Take a Drive
Remember, there is a real world out there other than the one on television. Get out in it. Take a drive just for fun. Listen to your favorite music as you stroll through the country. Let your mind experience new sights, and your senses feel the fresh air and scents of nature.
9. Go Outside
You don’t have to take a walk or engage in some sort of exercise to get outside and get moving. Go in your backyard and walk around it. Try to notice something unique around your house you have not seen or paid attention to before. Close your eyes, listen to the sounds around you, whether it’s birds chirping or the hum of cars and commuters. Immerse your senses.
10. Spend Time in the Kitchen
There’s virtually always something to be doing in your kitchen. Find new healthy recipes and write them down in a recipe book. Make a new recipe you’ve always wanted to try. Rearrange your fridge or pantry. No matter what you are doing, it’s healthier and more productive than sitting on your couch.

 

Ultimately, the amount of TV you watch is up to you, but there are many other ways to spend your time that are more productive for your body and mind.

Brendan Riley
I am an avid health and nutrition advocate, and I enjoy opening people's eyes to the injustices and atrocities around them, while promoting natural living and natural health.