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174,203 Things You Can Do Instead of Watching TV
174,203 Things You Can Do Instead of Watching TV
This is the first post in our Kill Your TV series, designed to help you navigate your television-less existence for the next 30 days. (You didn’t think we’d spring it on you and then leave you hanging, did you?) Today’s post is all about helping you through the first week without your beloved plug-in drug – and filling those hours with somethingmeaningful.
While it may seem obvious to those of you who have been without cable for a few years now, we’re here to present the rest of you Kill Your TV participants with 174,203 (almost) things you can do with your life instead of watching TV. (We’re also giving you links to products we like in our newly opened Amazon store, to help get you started.) Take back those hours this month and do something productive, fun, enriching or restorative. Like what? Glad you asked.
Improve Your Training Performance
- Stretch
- Perform self-myofascial release
- Go for a recovery walk/bike/swim/paddle/row
- Read training-related books or articles
- Do some skill work
- Practice yoga
- Update your training logs
- Get a massage
- Take an ice bath
- Connect with your trainer or fellow gym-goers
- Lay out your short-term and long-term training goals
- Get acupuncture
Improve Your Sleep
- Go to bed earlier
- Read a book
- Take a hot bath
- Have sex
- Develop a pre-bed routine
- Prepare clothes/food/work for the morning
- Buy and install black-out curtains
- Read Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival
- Read Dallas’ sleep article in Performance Menu
Improve Your Nutrition
- Prep and cook food for the week
- Try a new recipe
- Visit a local farm or market
- Clean out your pantry
- Take a cooking class
- Prepare a new vegetable
- Read a cookbook
- Make a weekly meal plan
- Find a new nutrition book
- Sign up for a CSA
- Host a dinner party
Improve Your Family Time
- Call or visit a family member
- Play a board game or cards
- Read a book together
- Go outside and play
- Cook dinner together
- Help your kids with their homework
- Take a family walk after dinner
- Plan a family trip or vacation
- Have a date night with your significant other
- Work on a puzzle
- Do a craft project
- Write a letter or send a card
- Organize family photos
- Plan a party or an event
Improve Your Household
- Train your dog
- Finish that project that’s been half done for 6 months
- Clean something
- Organize something
- Start a garden
- Mow the lawn
- Plant a tree or flowers
- Have a yard sale
- Start a compost pile
- Wash your car
- Send stuff to Goodwill
- Get your oil changed
- Do laundry
- Go through stacks of papers and mail
Improve Your Fun and Play
- Pick up a new sport
- Go rock climbing
- Learn to swim
- Go for a bike ride
- Have a picnic
- Play with a slackline
- Play boccee
- Play ball with your kids
- Climb a tree
- Have a block party
- Throw a frisbee
- Go for a hike
- Nap in the grass
- Go to a local baseball game
- Shoot some baskets
Improve YOU
- Take an adult education class
- Get a pedicure
- Plan your dream house
- Go to church
- Volunteer
- Learn to knit
- Write something
- Take an art class
- Browse your local bookstore
- Get involved with your neighborhood
- Get involved in local politics
- Finish your will
- Join a book club
- Meet with a financial advisor
- Organize your business receipts
- Take yourself out for dinner
- Go to the dentist
- Test drive a car you can’t afford
What Will YOU Do?
Okay, so we don’t quite have 174,203 things… but this is a darn good start. And we bet you can come up with even more ideas to fill those TV-watching hours. So what will you do instead of watching television during the month of May? Submit your best ideas to comments.
