Like an end of an era, the final episode of #OITNB’s latest season left a hollow kind of emptiness that lingered. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t about the series’ ending at all — rather, it was the end-of-show-grief that overcame like a plague all too familiar.
There was nothing left worth watching on Netflix; nothing that could match up… Till the next new show I discover a few days later. Binge watch, grieve, reset and repeat.
Except this time, I tried to stay away.
That persistent voice in my head had nagged—this was mindless television that entertained me during commutes, for that few hours after work and in between pockets of time, like when I’d be at my boyfriend’s place waiting for him to finish showering. Binge watching, or even watching TV shows in general did nothing to add value to my life or enrich my mind. It was simply unproductive.
Did I willingly put my life on hold in favour of Netflix and the watching of content on a screen?
“Entertainment has always been about escapism, but the streaming service has made binge-viewing the opium of the masses.” – The Guardian, 2018
Like a recovering addict I challenged myself to go cold turkey — well, almost. A movie once a week was acceptable. Playing a documentary in the background while I tackled laundry was OK. Essentially, the rule of thumb was to avoid television series, including sitcoms, at all costs.
The first two weeks went relatively well. I managed to fill my schedule up with some side projects and social events. Thankfully, there were little to no cravings, which probably resulted from what I’m calling the Netflix fatigue. While the old-me tended to avoid documentaries (‘why would I ever want to hear a monotonous narrator describing the same things over?’), the new-me caught Fyre Festival and realised the value in documentaries.
Now in my third week, I’m feeling much more refreshed and rejuvenated. And here’s what I’ve discovered:
I started consuming other forms of content
A long time ago before video entertainment became mainstream, I loved burying myself in a good book. Staying off Netflix and TV meant time-travelling back to a pre-video era: rediscovering beauty of the written language, rebooting my imagination when it comes to visualising a story, and of course, being patient with my reading speed (it’s slow). Apart from reading, I started writing too. P.S. This snippet of an article is definitely a by-product :-)
I showed up more — for myself, my loved ones, and work
Did you ever get that feeling that something was missing, if you went to bed without first catching a few minutes of TV? If you were like me, squeezing in an episode no matter how late it got, heavy-eyed or not, was of utmost importance. Television time was my down time, rightfully so after a day’s work, and man, was it well-guarded.
In contrast, without a ‘must-watch’ series weighing down my weekday nights, I felt a sense of relief and freedom. Because there was no need to satisfy that urge to Netflix and chill (no sexual innuendos intended), there was absolutely no rush to head home after a social gathering or date night , unless it was for sleep. The key takeaway: I showed up more all-round — physically, mentally and emotionally — for my loved ones, friends and work.
I consciously chose self-care and growth, over entertainment
Straining my eyes because of work was one thing. Straining my eyes voluntarily in my PJs because I couldn’t bear to press pause on a Netflix binge, was another.
“If I am feeling stressed or depressed, I self-medicate by staying up late, streaming show after show. Netflix is like audio-visual diazepam. It numbs my senses and makes me forget about everything else; — which is welcome, considering the state of the world. And just when I remember what I should be focusing on … 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, another episode starts automatically and I tune out again.” — The Guardian
Deciding to sleep early and actually getting more shut eye takes a mountain of effort in the 21st Century. Like how we know cigarettes are bad for us, we are aware that putting off sleep time can increase our risk of illness and death. But we still put it off anyway. It also doesn’t help that Netflix’s auto-play next episode default constantly encourages us to just. keep. bingeing! Plus, watching shows on LED screens (including TVs) especially before bed, affects the quality of our sleep — “LEDs give off a blue wavelength of light that suppresses melatonin levels and significantly interferes with our sleep.” (Source: SleepCycle, FastCompany)
Without being hooked onto a show and entrapped in a never-ending struggle to press pause, I’ve said goodbye to bedtime procraz. Sometimes I’d read a chapter, other times I’d go off on a tangent researching a crazy business idea. While I used to regularly sleep at 12:30/1am and waking at 7:30am, I’m now clocking a good 7 hours of rest and getting up earlier, too.
But by being less ambitious with my time, I gained more. Just having an extra hour of sleep alone has given me the energy and space to tackle more things in the day. Which brings me to my last point:
I’m taking back control.
Was I addicted? Perhaps. Did I succumb? Almost always. I was under the influence of modern day opiate Netflix (or more broadly, TV series), that gave me the escape I needed, whenever I wanted, at the play of button.
I was living in an entertainment bubble that others created online instead of my reality. And it made me realise just how important it was to be able to dissociate ourselves from the shows we’re immersed in, at any intersection.
I’m not yet at 100% but it’s safe to say that I’m working on it (as are we all!). Fingers crossed there won’t be any relapses happening anytime soon. In the meantime, here are three tips to get the ball in your court.
Three Tips to Take Back Control and Find Balance
- Eliminate temptation where possible. Prevent Netflix from hooking you into yet another episode with its next episode auto-play. Realise that taking a stand is as easy as toggling your account settings. Watch movies instead of committing to a series, but of course make an exception for Game of Thrones, which ends in six episodes anyway.
- Stack your Netflix or TV habits with positive ones. In bestseller book Atomic Habits, author James Clear recommends to associate a new habit with an existing one, to essentially effect a trigger for that new habit. For example, do 2 sets of sit-ups before watching Netflix, or hold yourself in the plank position for 30 seconds in between episodes. You’ll soon have plenty of abs, I’m sure.
- Disconnect to connect: Keep in mind that we should be off living our lives, not living on Netflix. Remember how good it is to wake up feeling refreshed with that additional hour of sleep each night. Put the screen away, be present, and make time for your offline self, your friends and family. You won’t regret it, I promise.
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Till the next one :-)
