Day 38: We're Past the One Month Mark!

It's been over a month of no TV at home and I can honest say it's been a good decision. I rarely miss it any more. I've stayed at family's homes and at hotels recently where TV was easily accessible. I thought I would want to spend whatever time I could watching it, but I really didn't. Did I watch some TV in these instances - sure, but not much. Some people might say, "You cheated, you cheated", but the purpose of this little experiment was to get the TV out of my home and everyday life. A little TV when I'm away from home certainly seems reasonable. Besides, this it my life so I get to make the rules :)! Will we ever bring TV back into our home? I'm not sure. The one area I'm still not sure I want to do without TV is when I'm exercising in the basement over the long winter. The TV makes exercising on stationary equipment so much more enjoyable. One thing I am sure of - we'll never bring the TV back upstairs in our main living area. It would be too tempting to watch on a daily basis again.

Now that I've kicked the TV habit, I'm not sure how often I'll continue to blog. I really don't feel I need an outlet for this change in my life any more as I feel like I've embraced it. It's been a really good thing for me personally and for my spouse too. Perhaps you could try it without TV too - maybe just for one day or one week....who knows where it may lead you?

Day 23: Easier Every Day

Well, it's been over three weeks without TV in the house and I can honestly say that it gets easier with each day. I was at my brother's house this past week for a couple days. Of course they had TV. I thought I might be tempted to overindulge and watch all my usual shows: DWTS, Biggest Loser, Desperate Housewives just to name a few. I really wasn't though. The TV was generally on most of the time in the background, but I never sat down and watched a show. Perhaps I've kicked the habit. If you asked me today, "Do I think I'll have TV back in our house again", I'd say probably not. Although I still miss it at home in the late evenings sometimes, I'm glad that I've been doing other things. Jeff started painting the basement last weekend and I plan on finishing it this weekend. And I've definitely been getting a better night's sleep without TV. I was listening to Oprah radio today and Gail King said that she has TV on all the time in her house in multiple rooms. She said she would find it VERY hard to not watch TV for even just one day. I say, Gail - you should try it!

Day 14: Another "Person" In The House

So it's been two full weeks now without any TV. Jeff admitted to me last night that he watched a bit of TV while eating dinner. I was working late and he was bored. We still have infomercials and one "Going Green" TV station available on our downgraded DishNetwork, so I guess that's what he was watching. I've been very busy this week, so I haven't had much time to be bored or to miss TV as much as last week. I got a couple new books from the library yesterday that I'm looking forward to reading, the basement needs painting, and hopefully the weather will be nice enough to get outside and bike more. I still do miss it in the late evenings though when I'd usually be up late watching TV. I've been thinking - why do I miss it so much? I think the TV is kind of like another person in the room. Perhaps not a person I can chat back and forth with, but let's face it, the TV can be a pretty good "friend". It makes you laugh. It keeps you informed. It let's you just zone out if you want. It doesn't demand anything from you. Short of a power outage, it's pretty predictable in meeting my entertainment needs. On any given night I could scan my DVR list and select from dozens of different programs depending on my mood: funny, serious, reality, thought provoking, enlightening, music, drama. It was all there. And let's not forget about my trusty "friend" - Food. TV and Food together can be a great pair of "friends", or so it seems. So I guess we have one less "person" in our house these days and we're still getting used to life without it.

Day 11: Boredom Leaves

I can't believe it! It will soon be TWO WEEKS without any TV. Today was a really nice Saturday filled with lots of things other than TV: church, cooking, reading, walking, exercising, napping (gotta love weekend naps). Jeff and I spent the day together doing all of the above and didn't miss TV one bit. Now it's late in the evening and I'm up blogging. This is the time I would normally be watching TV, probably snacking too, and then would drift off to sleep on the couch long after Jeff went to be. I'd then be drop dead tired in the morning and crabby too. Tonight I'll pick the healthier choice though and go to bed early since there's no TV to be watched. Goodnight all.....

Day 9: Boredom Sets In

I'm bored. Yes I admit it, I'm bored without having TV - especially in the evening. I knew evenings would be the hardest time of day as that's when I watched TV the most as a means of relaxing. Some people thought I'd just be on the computer more, but that hasn't been the case for me. I've been reading more, but then tend to fall asleep by the fire shortly after I start reading in the evenings. It's interesting how the TV can keep my attention until the wee hours of the night, but a good book puts me to sleep after 30 minutes. I've certainly been going to bed earlier without TV and I suppose that's healthy. But Yes...I'm bored. Hope I get over it soon.

Day 8: Still Not Watching

Spring weather has finally arrived here in Northern WI. I Went for a walk with a friend after work today and then got a weight workout in at home. My friend caught me up on all the reality TV show stuff I've been missing. Do I still miss the TV? Yep! But for now all is well here in "No TV Land".

Day 6: More Anti-TV Stats

I've been think more and more about how TV, or the lack there or, might be affecting my health. Here are more statistics supporting the theory that I was watching too much TV:

Millions of Americans are so hooked on television that they fit the criteria for substance abuse as defined in the official psychiatric manual, according to Rutgers University psychologist and TV-Free America board member Robert Kubey. Heavy TV viewers exhibit five dependency symptoms--two more than necessary to arrive at a clinical diagnosis of substance abuse. These include:
1) using TV as a sedative
2) indiscriminate viewing
3) feeling loss of control while viewing
4) feeling angry with oneself for watching too much
5) inability to stop watching;
6) feeling miserable when kept from watching.

I can honestly say numbers 1, 2, 4 apply to me. For number 6, I wouldn't say I feel "miserable" when I'm not watching TV. Sometimes it feels uncomfortable, but other times if really feels good to not be watching TV.

Violence and addiction are not the only TV-related health problems. A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey released in October 1995 found 4.7 million children between the ages of 6-17 (11% of this age group) to be severely overweight, more than twice the rate during the 1960's. The main culprits: inactivity (these same children average more than 22 hours of television-viewing a week) and a high-calorie diet. A 1991 study showed that there were an average of 200 junk food ads in four hours of children's Saturday morning cartoons.

According to William H. Deitz, pediatrician and prominent obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, "The easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV."

Children are not the only Americans suffering from weight problems; one-third of American adults are overweight. According to an American Journal of Public Health study, an adult who watches three hours of TV a day is far more likely to be obese than an adult who watches less than one hour.

Sometimes the problem is not too much weight; it's too little. Seventy-five percent of American women believe they are too fat. Not surprising when one takes into account that female models and actresses are twenty-three percent thinner than the average woman and are thinner than ninety-five percent of the female population!

With statistics like these, I continue to work towards a TV Free home environment!

Day 5: There's Other Stuff To Do

Jeff and I had a really nice non-TV day today. We went for a walk, did a weight workout together, played cards and had nice conversation together. Certainly some of these things we would've done on a typical TV Sunday, but not all of them. I think no TV might actually improve our relationship. We have a good relationship, but it seems that not watching TV helps us to be more connected.

I must admit that I'm missing TV, especially when I feel like I just want to "veg out" at night. It uncomfortable not having the option of turning the TV on. The fact that I'm feeling this way tells me that TV really was too much a part of my life. Seriously - it's just an electronic box so why is it that it has so much pull on a my day. I'm hoping that how I feel now is just a transition and that I will eventually enjoy my day without TV naturally. Jeff says he doesn't miss it at all (but I'm not sure I believe him).

Day 4: Everyone Has an Opinion

So it seems like when I share with people that we're giving up TV I get one of 3 main reactions from people:


1. The "Good for You" Response - Generally a positive response. People are surprised, but supportive of giving it a try, interested in the endeavor and some even indicate that they wish they had the nerve to do it too.


2. The "Yeah We Did That Too" Response - A positive response as well. This response comes from people who also have gotten rid of their TV's either for good or at least in some abbreviated fashion, i.e. no TV for a summer/a year or only watch movies. These people have all said that it's one of the best things they've done and have found the experience beneficial.


3. The "What Would You Do That For?" Response - I'm disappointed to say that this it the most common response I've gotten, and often the most passionate response as well. Surprisingly, this is the response I received from some of my family. I was like, "Seriously? Why wouldn't they support this little path of self-improvement I'm embarking on?" I don't know for sure why I get this response from so many people, but I can certainly speculate. I think for some of these people, they know on some level that they too are excessive TV watchers, but they don't want to admit it and they certainly don't want to make any changes in their own life. The funny thing is, I'm not asking for anyone else to do what I'm doing, rather I'm just sharing my experience. Suddenly these individuals go into passionate diatribe of "how they don't watch that much TV" and "I don't see the sense in doing that. You're just going to be on the computer more and then anyway" or "I'm always doing something else too while I'm watching TV so I think I'm productive". Rationalizing, Rationalizing, Rationalizing....


For all you people out there who are critical and defensive about someone getting rid of their TV - I suspect that you may be the people who need to reduce you TV time the most - just a thought...... :)

Day 2: The Statistics of TV

So I'm home after a long day and I must admit my first instinct is to turn on the TV. Good luck with that though unless I'm wanting to watch "the bug races". In my reflection regarding not watching TV I was looking up some statistics regarding TV watching in the USA. Here are some thought-provoking figures. Perhaps after reading them, others will work at limiting TV's influence on their lives too...

TV's AFFECTS ON FAMILY LIFE:
Percentage of households that possess at least one television: 99

Percentage of U.S. homes with three or more TV sets: 66

Number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes

Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66

Value of that time assuming an average wage of S5/hour: S1.25 trillion

Percentage of Americans who pay for cable TV: 56

Number of videos rented daily in the U.S.: 6 million

Number of public library items checked out daily: 3 million

Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49

TV's AFFECT ON CHILDREN:
Approximate number of studies examining TV's effects on children: 4,000

Minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5

Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680

Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70

Percentage of parents who would like to limit their children's TV watching: 73

Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours

Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

TV'S AFFECT ON SOCIETY:
Percentage of local news broadcast time devoted to advertising: 30

Percentage devoted to stories about crime, disaster and war: 53.8

Percentage devoted to public service announcements: 0.7

Percentage of Americans who can name The Three Stooges: 59

Percentage who can name at least three justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: 17

Statistics compiled by TV-Free America
1322 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 887-4036

Day 2 - Barely...

So technically it's day 2 of my "no TV", but it's just past midnight again. I thought I would end up going to be early tonight without having TV as I tend to be a night owl and would often fall asleep in front of the TV. Instead, though, I've been busy doing a lot of different things tonight: cleaning, figuring out how to work my new Blackberry and satellite radio, exercising, cooking...I do miss it a bit, most the zoning out in front of the TV. I listened to Oprah's XM Radio program for a little bit tonight and liked it. Overall, I'm feeling good about my the No TV decision so far.

Day 1: Are We Really Doing This?

BIG CHANGES in our household today. As of midnight 4/1/09 we no longer have TV! I've been thinking about getting rid of TV for a while now. My husband had been feeling the same way so we've finally decided to give it a try. It seems like the TV just sucks me in, even when there are other things I'd like to do.

I must admit that I stayed up until midnight last night watching TV for every last minute I could. Then when I got up this am, I turned the TV to verify that it REALLY was gone. I could still view all the stuff in our DVR programs though and I was tempted to keep it there for viewing (I had over 60 hours of programming), but then thought, "No, I should delete all this stuff too if we really want to try it without TV". I was pretty proud of myself for deleting it all.


Who knows how long of an "experiment" this will be. We might wimp out right away. I just kept thinking about it, but truthfully have been a little anxious about doing it. I like to think though, that if something keeps coming back into your thoughts over and over, perhaps it's something a person should pay attention to. I must admit, I'm looking forward to going home and having no TV options tonight. I feels like it "frees" me to do other things.

A friend of mine suggested that I blog about this new life experience, so here I find myself on blogger.com writing about. It sounded like a good idea, especially now that I'll have more time on my hands since I'm not watching so much TV.