Twenty things I’d rather do than watch tv
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
— Mary Oliver, “The Summer Day”
A few weeks ago, I was going through a Hard Time. Even though I don’t consider myself a tv watcher, I fell into the habit of turning on the television in the evenings.
It started with a few episodes of The O.C., which I’d missed in its heyday, but morphed into reruns of Schitt’s Creek, which I’d already seen and sought out again as a popular ‘comfort show.’
At the time, maybe this was exactly what I needed – a well-intentioned distraction, something wholesome and light-hearted to help me get through the day – but as time went on, the ritual lost its original meaning for me. I realized I felt empty when I turned on the tv, not relieved. I didn’t really care what was happening in the show anymore; it was just something to do.
Maybe the fading relief is a sign my nervous system has finally calmed down, and I don’t need the coping mechanism anymore. But whatever the root cause, I finally feel like I’m coming back to life. I’m excited to be intentional with my time and get back to – or pick up – activities that bring me joy, comfort, and positive momentum in my life.
With that, here’s a list of twenty things I’d rather do than watch tv.
- Journal & write
- Play a record
- Or: walk to Amoeba to dig through bins – I recently found a used copy of “1989” there for $17, so thank you, universe
- Walk around the Panhandle or down the slow street nearby
- Play piano – “Libertango” is my current obsession
- Practice guitar
- Meditate for 5 minutes
- Go sit at the statue by the Conservatory of Flowers and sun myself like a lizard
- Bake something (in the traveling pan, if I have it)
- Vacuum
- Do a series of sun salutations A and B
- Read a book – “Heartbreak” by Florence Williams has been a recent balm, not to mention surprisingly refreshing and funny
- Put on a load of laundry
- Find something in my apartment to put away – why does adulthood feel like a constant state of fighting entropy?
- Doodle for fun
- Practice drawing (with more intent to actually improve at it)
- Stare into space and daydream
- Do 10 kettlebell swings
- Work on my DIY kits from Ripstop by the Roll
- Call my parents or my sister
I saved this list in my phone’s notes app so I can pull it up anytime I reach for the remote by default. Do I think I’ll do all 20 in a week, or even a month? Not necessarily. And maybe this list evolves and grows over time.
But time is finite, and there’s value in reminding myself these are the activities I’d rather be giving my attention to in my one wild and precious life.