Lazying out on the couch, with Netflix on, and popcorn by the side is a super fun thing to do. And it is 100% ok to do that for a few hours over the weekend but anything more is going to jeopardize your health, work and everything in between. Below are a few guaranteed ways to get out of your little Netflix addiction.
Track your screen time: Most of the time we end up watching back to back episodes, leading to several hours of T.V. without even realizing how long it’s been. Next time you start an episode just write it down somewhere. Do this exercise every single time, and when you calculate the total time of the entire week the numbers will shake you up, maybe enough to reduce your habit, or maybe just enough to freak you out, but that’s ok we have other tricks in the bag to supplement this activity.
Create your own episode cycle: Let me explain, the shows are directed in such a way that every episode is made to end on a cliffhanger, making sure you can’t resist the ‘next’ button. Instead, stop when there is some lull movement in the narrative arc, or at a point when things are all stable and you can pause the show without that ‘oh what’s next ?’ feeling. Pick it up the next time from where you left, do the same thing for a week and that’ll become the habit.
Do not autoplay: Autoplay is a trap. If it is difficult to resist that ‘next’ button, it is almost impossible to cancel the episode which has already started thanks to autoplay. Go and change the settings on your Netflix now. This will give you some control over whether you want to continue or go to sleep instead.
Limit your Netflix territory: Keep your bed reserved for sleep and sex only. The couch is the only place for watching T.V. and snacking onto your junk. That way you will have some discipline in place. And as much as this looks silly, it ain’t. The no screen on the bed theory works amazingly well for most people.
Stop purge-watching: Think about it, watching a show because you enjoy it, is ok, but the idea of watching something just because you started it and need to finish it, is absurd. There are so many important things in life that you’ve started and should be completed rather than this stupid show which you don’t even like.
Do not live stream: You have better control of deciding how much time or how many episodes you plan to see before you actually start to do so. Suppose you want to watch just one hour of T.V every day, download that much and put off the wifi. After getting into the zone, even if you feel like continuing the session, you won’t have any content on your machine to do so.
Earn your screen-time: Make your every episode count. You want to get 30 minutes of T.V time, complete your exercise routine for the day first, you want a little more say one hour, complete your exercise and chore routine before that. These other elements when made compulsory will automatically reduce the disposable amount of time left for you to idle away.
