When is too much TV too much TV?
Over the past several months I watched all 16 seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Every night I'd sit down and watch one or two. Sometimes three. When the airplane crash happened I watched all of those in succession, I couldn’t stop. Lexi died at the crash site, then McSteamy who couldn't emerge from his coma. When Derek died I binged all of those in one sitting as well, in total angst over the bad decisions made by that inferior hospital.
I realized as I watched, the long-time viewers of the series would have to wait each week to see what was going to happen next. I loved the immediate satisfaction of having them all available, until I completed season 16. Now I’m all caught up and I have to watch one episode each week like the rest of the world.
As I got into the more recent seasons, I realized I was missing a some significant events here and there, and learned from a fellow fan that Station 19, a spin-off, created many “crossover events” between the two shows. For example, when Andrew DeLuca was tragically murdered, I missed the entire event. How was he suddenly in the hospital, dying from critical injuries, and I failed to see what happened? I’ve been known to doze off a bit here and there, but this was big. That’s about the time I was on my daily walk with my friends Hope and Michele, and I started asking them about it because they’ve been big fans for a long time. They both got that “cat that just ate the canary” look on their faces. They were not about to disclose any spoilers. They just said you have to start watching Station 19 from the beginning.
Why does this matter, you’re asking yourself as you read this, because if you’re not a Grey’s fan, I may have almost lost you by now. What does all of this mean? I’ve always enjoyed watching TV but I sometimes didn’t allow myself the luxury, as I didnt put myself in the “couch potato” category. I’m much too driven, ambitious, I have far better, more productive things to do with my time, than to mindlessly gaze into that “window on the world”. But I’m here to tell you I’ve learned something, especially during the pandemic. Watching TV may be good for you. It makes you sit in one place. You have to focus, it’s relaxing. You can “turn off” your brain and go into someone else’s world for a bit. Perhaps watch a foreign film, or a documentary series and learn something new. Or a fantasy show, something not realistic at all. There are more and more options on so many different platforms.
I no longer feel guilty for relaxing in front of a good TV show in the evening. I enjoy winding down after I’ve had a productive day. My typical day includes walking from 3 to 5 miles, writing, coaching clients, recipe development, prep for my weekly video cooking series, and who knows what else! I enjoy watching Jeopardy, and if I know the answer to the final jeopardy question, I text my friend Hope, because I know she’s probably watching too. TV is part of my nighttime wind-down routine.
Experts say that if you’re spending the majority of your day in front of a screen for work, then more than 2 hours of screen time outside of work is too much. Rather, it should be time spent doing physical activity. While it sounds simple, “just the right” amount depends on what type of screen a person is looking at, why they’re looking at it, and—maybe most importantly—what they’re forgoing in order to spend time on screens. Agreed. We health coaches talk about limiting screen time, especially an hour or two before bed, in order to activate melatonin and begin the sleep cycle. You have to evaluate how much time you spend in front of a screen each day, and what are you doing there? If it’s your job, is it causing stress? Perhaps all day is enough for you. Do you prefer being a couch potato all afternoon rather than going outside and getting a little movement in? Are you resorting to the screens at 2AM when you can’t sleep? Evaluate for yourself how and why you’re in front of the screen, the amount of screen time you can tolerate before it starts to affect you in other areas of your life. And if it works for you, watch some TV. Relax. Learn something new.
