It was near the end of my (sprint kayak) training camp in Florida in 2016 and I decided to start yet another Netflix binge. This time it was the classic sitcom Friends. 10 seasons, or 236 episodes of one of the most binged series on Netflix.
I began watching this show before bed, between training sessions, folding laundry, on my phone while commuting. Basically, anywhere and all day. It took me less than three weeks to binge this series, at the cost of my entire months' worth of internet streaming.
Most of us are guilty of this to some extent. My problem however, was that this wasn't my first major binge. This felt like the rock bottom of my binge-watching addiction. How many hours have I spent watching Netflix? I asked myself. What return did I get on the investment of time spent watching TV? Surely, it's nice to wind down and flip on the TV. But I was out of control.
That same spring in 2016, I decided to make binge-watching a thing of my past. Instead, I would find other ways to relax and enjoy some downtime. I thought to myself, there must be a substitute to Netflix that gives me the same gratification but has a higher ROI.
I decided to replace Netflix with novels and haven't looked back for three years and counting. I have really enjoyed becoming a bookworm. I get the same entertainment (fiction) and education (non-fiction) that I would from a show or documentary. I also enjoyed using my own imagination while reading instead of being spoon-fed imagery from the tv shows I was watching.
I immediately noticed other benefits from reading. My writing style changed, my vocabulary grew, and my memory and focus improved. Now don't get me wrong, when I find a good book, I can't put it down. I probably end up spending just as much time reading books as I used to watching TV. But the guilt is gone. The benefits I can extract from this new hobby will never compare to my Netflix binges.
I still enjoy curling up and watching a movie once and awhile. But every time someone tells me "you have to watch this new series!", I say "cool, thanks" and discard the thought knowing there will always be a new series that I 'need' to watch.
If you enjoy reading but 'can never find the time', I recommend giving it a try. For some, it might be replacing TV with a book. For others, the problem might be social media or video games. Even while studying law, which required a lot of reading, I didn't mind picking up a book for pleasure to wind down and engage my imagination.
Keep an eye out for my next blog where I dive deeper into my favourite reads from the last year!
Hayley
Comments