As part of my endless and possibly futile quest to be a less pathetic version of myself, I’ve embarked on a campaign to stop watching TV and movies. For me it’s low hanging fruit - some people really love movies, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched something that I truly enjoyed. It’s just something to fill dead time when I’m too tired to think. It BOTHERS me that I’ve spent so many hours mindlessly watching shows that I didn’t even like. I feel like I’m wasting my life every time I watch TV.
I’ve tried reading and podcasts with limited success. They’re good to a point, but the type of content I like is usually either pretty heavy or requires some thought (philosophy, human rights, law, etc. are my areas of interest), and I’m increasingly having trouble with my attention span too.
I already cancelled Netflix a long time ago, but I just never found a good replacement for it. Usually I find myself doomscrolling or watching the same few movies I already own or playing chess on my phone. I decided when I started that I’d let myself finish watching the shows I already followed, but just wouldn’t expose myself to any new ones. Now one of the last two shows that I had been following has been cancelled (which is understandable, the last season was AWFUL) and the other won’t have a new season for a while because of the strike (go strikers), so I’d really like to make TV and movies a non-factor in my life.
So I’m looking for advice here. What other activities are less of a waste of valuable time but not mentally tasking? Has anyone had success improving their attention span? I’d love to become a bookworm but goddamn is it ever hard to keep my ass on a chair long enough to get through more than two chapters. I don’t even know why my attention span is so bad - I actually used to tear through book and had no issue concentrating until about 5-10 years ago.
Any ideas?
I’ve successfully replaced too much screen time with reading. To do so, I always have at least one “heavy” book (typically non-fiction) and one light book (typically fiction) that I’m reading at the same time, mixed with constant access to both (kindle with synchronized kindle apps) and a strong desire to change my habits. It takes time but is well worth the effort.
Your desire for change is the most important step, don’t belittle it. Many people never have that voice. Let it fuel you. Small changes will build into a big transformation if you foster them.
Such a good method to approach reading. I find it difficult to finish long novels, but I break it up by reading comics in between. Just the medium change and the focus on imagery helps to rest the brain before going back to pages filled with heavy text.
Learn to play an instrument. Try a hobby; crafts, woodwork, painting. Learn a language. Join a local chess club. Volunteer for a local charity. Just keep trying stuff until you find something that is right for you.
Duolingo is the most productive addiction I have!
The addiction is strong because the owl Mafia comes looking for you. They guilt trip you at first, and then comes the violence. Leaving is unacceptable.
It’s starts with the 18 motivations by lunch time. If it reaches dinner, Duo breaks down your door and puts a pistol to your head until you do your lesson.
Break your streak and we break your fingers. You have been warned. The owl is always watching.
Seconded learning an instrument.
There is no “beating it”. There’s no final boss, there’s no credits roll, no end in sight. You can always get a little better, there is always something new to learn and reach for.
I think it is OK to “veg out” sometimes. Down time can be very good for you, you don’t always have to be “on” or productive.
I would warn against dropping whole categories of things like TV/movies because it throws the baby out with the bathwater. Plenty of great and worthwhile TV and movies and IMHO you do yourself a disservice by disallowing them.
Agree with this.
Decompressing is healthy and you need to find balance. Perhaps the content is the problem. TV/Film, while entertaining, is an art form. So raise your standards for content if you find what you are watching to be braindead.
For me, Discovery+ has great content which I share with my daughter and it leads to new ideas and hobbies for us that go beyond the TV.
Also, tuning out completely actually may be more alienating than you realize, and in social circles you may end up out of the loop.
Do the books have to be heavy? What about audio books?
I really enjoy reading but haven’t got much time for it, audio books have helped with that in the sense that I can still consume stories while doing other things.
I really enjoy going for long walks in the forest with my dog while listening to a good book. Few things beat that.
As for your concentration difficulties, that sounds like something you perhaps should investigate? Is it rooted in something lifestyle related, like stress? Or maybe it’s something you might need medical aid for? It sounds rather debilitating so it’s probably best not to ignore it.
Or hiking! I have read a frankly ridiculous amount of audiobooks while doing other stuff like exercising. It also lowers my anxiety and can help a bit with depression (if that is anyone’s issue).
Another vote for audiobooks. I usually pop one on and do all of my chores so they suck slightly less
Well I guess it depends how much free time you have each day. Books, meditation, exercise (or even just going for a walk), cooking your own meals, getting more sleep…those things fill a lot of time in the evenings if you’re working full time. If you have more time than that, consider volunteering at local organisations that need help. Or find new hobbies that don’t involve looking at a screen and involve spending time with other people.
Any kind of exercise. Don’t need much thinking to do things like walking, yoga, body weight exercises. It’s even encouraged to let go of your thoughts.
Learn lock picking. Hours of endless frustration until it literally clicks and it feels amazing. Plenty of free (short) tutorials online (I used the MIT guide to lock picking at the time), or the lock picking lawyer on youtube.
Do you enjoy writing? I find it deeply rewarding to write fiction, and when I feel too strung out to produce anything worthwhile, I go through my work to edit/improve.
I also feel like I should try this. Anyways are you planning on doing something with them or just for fun and yourself? Are you writing a big story or just bits of something like animators usually do?
for some unknown reason I’m very intersted in story telling, and your hobby, but idk why, never tried doing it myself.
People have given lots of advice about picking up hobbies which I agree with. One thing I’d add is that you can make a list of movies and shows that you’re genuinely interested in and try to stick with those. It gives you an outlet when you don’t want to work on a hobby, it’s more rewarding than passively consuming the crap that Netflix churns out, and when you’re mostly watching high quality stuff, you might find the mass produced stuff becomes boring enough to you that you’ll be driven to work on a hobby instead.
What broke me out of this cycle was music. Picked up guitar and learning in earnest to sing as well. Both are bottomless skills that can keep you occupied and fulfilled for a lifetime if you embrace them in the right way.
Have you tried reading when you go to bed?
That’s the only time I read and it helps me to concentrate and also helps with falling asleep.
This is my thing: e-ink. I have a color e-ink tablet and a color e-ink phone. I can technically watch video on them, but… Just no. I can technically doomscroll, but again, it’s not the same. It’s easier on my eyes, doesn’t mess with my circadian rhythms, still lets me text friends, look up directions, Google trivia, etc. Plus, all my ebooks, all my podcasts, all my music. Great battery life, too.
I have never looked into eink phones, which do you use?
I tried the Yotaphone 2 back in the day. It had dual screens, and it worked for a while then died, then I got a Hisense A5. Wildly underpowered, no Google, black and white only. I still use it sometimes as a dedicated e-reader or for audio streaming. Currently using a Hisense A7cc, which I really like, although still no Google. I use Aurora Store to get my apps, and a whole bunch of Google replacements like One Calendar, Waze, NewPipe, Edison Mail, etc. My tablet is an Inknote + C, which I just got, and which took some getting used to, but no complaints so far except the price.
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You say you have a hard time getting into reading. One thing you can do is just stop reading any book you’re not into. It’s just not worth it when there are so many other books.
I have a 75-page rule. If I’m not into a book by page 75, I turn it back in and check a different one out.
Agreed that it’s not worth it.
Right, so I don’t suppose you’ve been screened for ADHD or other mental illness, have you? Gonna be tough to change while fighting your own body.
I’m a theater musician and have a lot of down time during some shows I do. I had found myself playing too much “Words with Friends” during those times. I learned how to knit, which is something I can both do in a pit, but also take with me wherever I go. I feel much more productive when I’m able to make things rather than just scroll or play games. It’s pretty simple to learn using YouTube videos, and you can often get materials secondhand.
Bonus is that you can still watch TV and knit!
