Alternatives to Television

It is very easy to spend several hours a day glued to the screen of a television set. It is estimated that on average an individual watches approximately two full months of television over the course of a year. Unfortunately, our daily screen time is continually increasing due to the growth of on-demand streaming services.

Finding an alternative to watching hours and hours of television each day may pose a difficult task for some people who simply cannot miss a particular show that they watch on a regular basis. Despite the temptation TV creates, there are far healthier activities to do instead.

On November 21, Television Day, turn off the screen and try these alternatives:

• Go for a walk
• Exercise with or without weights
• Knit, crochet, or sew
• Read a book, magazine, or newspaper
• Start a collection, ie: trading cards, stamps, figurines, or coins
• Play a game in-person with friends or family or online
• Work on a jigsaw or activity puzzles
• Organize or clean
• Learn a new activity, ie: language, fine art, or dance
• Write a story
• Plant a flower, vegetables, or herb garden