I used to tell myself that I was not one of those people who spend their free time watching TV. I was busy working a demanding job as the Director of Product Development in an educational publishing company. I loved my job – it was fast-paced, challenging, and creative, but after working long hours, I would come home exhausted. I would plop down on the couch, and before I knew it, I had spent four hours glued to the TV. Then I would be upset because I didn’t get anything done. I’d go to bed late and wake up tired, and the whole cycle started again. To change my behavior I first had to identify that my TV-watching habit was a soft addiction. Next, I started to say when I was going to watch TV and for how long. At first it was hard to stick to the timing, but then I found myself turning off the TV even before my hour was up! I now spend my evenings making a nice meal for myself, talking a walks around my neighborhood, and reading. Every once in awhile I feel the urge to zone out in front of the TV, but the time I spend doing it is less and less.
–Ela B.