What to do while others watch TV

You can give your presence without your attention

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is that just because your partner or kids
are watching TV, you don't have to watch TV yourself.

(00:24):
You can spend time in other people's presence while still
doing another activity if you'd prefer. Watching TV is generally
not the most satisfying way to spend your leisure time. Really,
there's various time use research asking people how happy they
are at various moments, and I can promise you you

(00:46):
will be happier doing creative hobbies exercising, reading, or interacting
with friends, then you will be while watching TV. But
not everyone has read that research or cares And if
other people in your household like to relax while watching TV,
you can face a bit of a dilemma. You want

(01:08):
to spend time with them in their presence. It's nice
to sit together on the sofa, but then you wind
up spending all your leisure time watching TV rather than
doing other activities that you might prefer. Fortunately, this is
not inevitable. It is indeed possible to spend time in

(01:31):
people's presence without watching TV yourself. If you like to read.
One of the simplest options is to sit next to
your TV watching loved ones and read your book with
headphones in your ears. That way, you get the cuddling
and the warmth, and you don't have to waste an
hour of your life watching something you don't care for.

(01:55):
Just listen to instrumental music or white noise so you
can still concentrate on what you're reading. If the other
person is up for it, and this might be easier
to foist on your kids than a partner, they can
wear headphones to watch their show. Think of a kid
on an iPad with headphones watching a cartoon while you

(02:16):
snuggle next to them and read your book. If wearing
headphones feels awkward or unfriendly, I would encourage you to
move past that. But if you feel you can't do this,
you could choose to read a book that doesn't require
full concentration. You might page through an art book or

(02:36):
a decorating book while the TV is on. I love
to do one thousand piece puzzles, and for many people
that would be doable with the TV on two. In
my case, I do my puzzles in another room. But
if you don't mind the TV background noise. A table
in the corner could be a great way for you
to be in your loved one's presence while still doing

(02:58):
something that you prefer. Or you could grab a book
of number puzzles or crossword puzzles, or a deck of
cards to play solitaire. Adult coloring books could hit the
spot too. Lots of people are able to craft while
the TV is on. Knitting, needle point, embroidery, even sketching

(03:19):
with charcoal or pastel's could work well. I would not
encourage you to do chores while your family watches TV.
That sounds like no fun. Sometimes that impulse is about
doing something physical rather than vegging out. If that's the
case and you're a person who has a lot of energy,
use that energy to do something like stretching or yoga

(03:41):
or strength training. Just don't position yourself between the people
on the couch and the screen. In any case, when
you get pressure from other family members to be part
of their screen time, or if you just feel like
you should be there, try to get at what you
are actually desire. Ring. Do you all want to engage

(04:02):
in the plot of a show together, That is one thing,
But if it's a football game or maybe a kid's cartoon.
The other person probably just wants your presence and not
so much your attention, So see if there is a
way to give your presence without giving up the activities

(04:23):
that you would prefer to do with this time. I
would point out that often people use this time to
scroll on their phones when they are not engaged in
the show and the TV watching loved ones don't usually
complain so much about that. I am just suggesting doing
something a little more purposeful. If you do another activity

(04:46):
while your family watches TV, I'd love to hear about it.
You can let me know at Laura at Laura Vanderkamp
dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura that thanks
for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

(05:11):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod
that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
Podcast at I heeart Media dot com that Before Breakfast

(05:34):
is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much.
I look forward to staying in touch Before Breakfast is
a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
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