January wuthout TV | Busy busy

Today the TV was a non-issue. Saturdays are usually busy, with house cleaning and grocery shopping. We also dine out, so I didn't have time to miss the TV.

Bye bye!

January without TV | Maybe my mood is being affected

I'm not feeling very good right now, even though my mood was fairly positive during the day. Maybe yesterday I was being too optimistic. Maybe my mood is being affected by the lack of TV. Maybe not being able to turn it on on the days I'm working from home does make me feel more lonely and bored. We have to remember that one of my rules was not to use the internet to replace the TV, and my internet usage lately has been very limited (I use it all day for work, and then at the end of the day the last thing I feel like doing is to sit in front of the computer and surf the web). So, at this precise moment I'm feeling this intense craving for mindless entertainment - how do I get that without the TV or youtube funny videos? How??...

Anyway, I'll hold on strong. My main curiosity is to see where this will take me. Will boredom motivate me to do something different? (Of course, it has already, in small ways.)

Night night.

January without TV | A new normal

Not watching TV is becoming my new normal, so I'm not missing it so much. I seem to be replacing it with the radio - when I prepare meals, do the dishes and have my meals alone. The radio can be entertaining and informative, and it is certainly not so addictive and absorbing as the TV. I still miss it - just not as much as I thought I would by now...

But my mood today was very low throughout the afternoon. I don't think this has anything to do with my TV experience... It certainly has to do with working from home, alone. I think I must review this option. The thing is, we're not living exactly halfway between our jobs. Mine is more far away and, since it is in a very big city, the traffic makes my journey much longer than B.'s journey. But we agreed on this because I could work from home 2 days a week! So yes, I have a conundrum here...

Anyway, I will probably end up making this blog more than just a journal about my experiences and also write a bit about what's going on in my life. It feels good to write!

See you tomorrow.

January without TV | My old forgotten music

I had a good day of work today and, unlike yesterday, I've been in a pleasant mood.

I prepared dinner listening to my favorite radio station and, after that, I ironed some clothes listening to a playlist full of good music. Until a few years ago I used to listen to a lot of music but, for some unknown reason, I slowly stopped. I also used to sing a lot, and this stopped too. This has probably something to do with my depression (I'm better now, but I don't think I can ever say that the depression is gone forever). Anyway, I enjoyed listing again and I even found myself happily singing along. And now I'm feeling eager to search for some new music, especially of my old favorite bands/artists that have been releasing new albums in the last years.

I'm going to call my parents now. Then I'll take a shower and read a bit in bed (I'm finishing this book).

Until tomorrow!

January without TV | Lonely - but eager to go out

Today I worked from home (I generally do this 2 days a week). I knew that lunch without TV would be hard, since I always watch something to distract myself while I eat. And yes, it was hard. And it was also weird. Just eating... Do people still do that? I felt my anxiety and sadness (old friends of mine) louder than usual. I felt lonely. I knew that this would happen - I know how much I (and we, in general) use the TV to create the illusion of being in company. I think that TV (and, of course, the internet) really succeeds in making us feel less lonely - at least in the short term. But I also believe that, precisely because of that, it tends to make us less willing to engage with the real world. At least I know that's what happens with me. And today I really felt it. I'm living in an apartment in an area where I know pretty much no one besides my boyfriend - we picked this place just because it stands midway between the cities where we work. It's also a place that's not very 'walkable', so going for a short walk during the day is not something that I feel very motivated to do. This means that a day spent working from home is a day where I pretty much don't see or speak with anyone besides B.. So TV does create a sense of company when I'm here all alone. Not having it today makes me much more eager to go to work tomorrow - and see real life people and trees and the sky... Now this is weird! I'm an introvert who doesn't feel this kind of stuff often. But maybe this is good...

So, I wanted to see what was here, within me, below the TV noise. I knew it wasn't pretty. But I need to know exactly how I've been pacifying and soothing these feelings and if there are better ways to do so...

January without TV | Oh, the wonderful TV fun...

So, as I expected, today (in the evening) it was hard to abstain from the TV. I felt kind of empty and as if I was missing out on all the wonderful fun that the TV can provide. I folded my laundry in silence (I generally do this in front of the TV) which wasn't actually that bad. Then I started to organize my summer vacation photos - which I've been wanting to do for an (obviously) long time -, and that was good. I did surf the web a little while organizing the photos (I'm a bit obsessed about finding the perfect affordable house for me and B.). But I still feel like I've missed out on so much TV fun - which is, honestly, a bit sad... Can't I have a really good time without TV? I believe I do!... Do I? ;P

To be continued...

January without TV | First day!

My first day without TV was fairly easy. We woke up late and spent the whole day at home. I didn't really feel the urge to turn on the TV during the afternoon. I did some house chores and then did something that had been on my wish-to-do list for a while - I went through my recent photos, selected a picture of me and B., printed it, and put it in a lovely frame I bought some time ago. I also brainstormed about some home decor diy projects I may want to focus on during the next weeks/months.

When I started preparing dinner, I did feel the urge to turn on the TV. I tend to feel a bit lonely while preparing meals, since the kitchen is separated from the rest of the house. Curiously, after this initially urge I didn't really miss the TV - I was just comfortably busy with the tasks at hand.

Tomorrow will be my first day of work after a week of vacations. It will likely be more difficult to not watch TV in the evening... Let's see how it goes.

See you tomorrow!