I have sworn off TV multiple times in the past, but invariably relapsed. My longest stretch was several months and that was a couple of years ago. My focus last year was harm reduction – carefully controlling when and how much I watched. With a few notable exceptions, I felt like I was managing gracefully.

However, since I fractured my foot the end of last year and have been in a boot most of this year, my commitment has weakened considerably. Although I did find alternative ways to exercise, and successfully completed an exercise monthly challenge, it didn’t provide the same benefits. Running, biking, hot yoga, and meditation were my 4 principal ways of coping with stress or uncomfortable emotions. Three of these I cannot do currently. I still meditate every day, but mostly indoors.

All of this led to some very bad tendencies resurfacing with regards to my viewing habits. I need to be more committed to finding other coping mechanisms. My goal this month is to formally work towards TV abstinence, but without expecting any increase in “productive” behavior. The goal is simply to replace it with more skillful activities.

Here are the particulars:

• Listen to fiction audiobook thrillers – I want to have one playing every time I drive to work. That way, I already have engagement in something I can use when I feel the urge to watch. The purpose this month is not to get more stuff done in a day because I watch less, but simply to replace whatever time I would have spent watching with alternative enjoyable habits.
• Taper bedtime viewing from 15-minute increments down to zero – I accomplished this during my month of sleep optimization, but regressed recently. I want to decrease the amount by 30 seconds each day, but allow the possibility of more increments after at least 2 minutes of sleep posture and bedtime audio. I have found that contingency especially powerful in the past.
• Make it a priority to download new audio each day for bedtime usage – This makes it easier to choose going to bed over watching a video, if I feel the urge. Also, I almost always fall asleep faster if something is playing than if there is silence.
• Decrease by 1 minute the amount of TV I consume during free time – Currently, I give myself 30 minutes to indulge at the end of the day (8PM), usually while eating a bowl of yogurt. I don’t want to decrease the overall amount of FT, just how much of it I spend watching shows. Reading, socializing, and blogging are all great alternatives.
• Join an addiction support group – I have attended addiction support groups sporadically at various times in the past. One I really appreciated was a Buddhist-flavored group that meets in Tyler. Sadly, it is not hybrid, but there are groups that are, assuming I cannot locate a suitable in-person possibility that is local.
• Experiment with mindful self pleasure – Though I have never been addicted to various visual or auditory aids in this regard, I do partake occasionally. Recently, I’ve found that this can sometimes precipitate a TV binge, so it has to go as well.

In addition to the above, I want to have conversations as I am able with family and friends to see if there are any fellow process addiction sufferers out there to create a personal support group for when the month is over. Unlike many challenges, which are meant to be temporary, my intention is that this will become permanent. I am already 6 days in and doing well.

Namaste.