10 Productive Things You Can Do While Watching TV

Watching TV has long been demonized as a complete waste of time, but with the right approach you can turn this downtime into productivity. The inconvenient truth that most people won’t admit is that we rarely give our undivided attention to anything, even the TV. In a world with so many entertainment options, multi-tasking has become king.

Even with the most riveting show you are still bombarded with commercials which give you ample time to accomplish tasks that you otherwise would have neglected. The average person spends 3 hours a day in front of the television, which can be detrimental to your health if you don’t make it count. Make your free time work for you with this brilliant list of things you can do while watching TV.

Things You Can Do While Watching TV

1. Exercise – Many people make excuses about why they aren’t exercising, which usually involve some sort of complaint about gyms. Most people would be shocked to know that you don’t need access to a gym to get in a full workout. But look at people who are in prison:

They are stuck eating horrible food, a lot of them have little to no money, & weights have been banned from prisons. But despite this they do body weight exercises everyday & get physiques that people on the outside only dream about. So remember that you have no excuse for not doing yourself the favor of working out. Every time a commercial comes on do a set of pushups, burpees, lunges, air squats, dips or pull ups. The key is repetition; if you keep at it you will see dramatic improvements.

2. Stretch – Another key thing people neglect is stretching. Most of us spend over 8 hours a day sitting, and countless hours looking down at our smartphones. All of this puts immense stress on our bodies, which manifests itself into serious health problems if left uncorrected. Luckily stretching requires little effort so you can easily do them without losing your concentration on your favorite show. You will be amazed at what a big difference 10-30 minutes of stretching can do for your health. Look up some basic stretches to start with & get your body ready to unlock the wonders of yoga. *Pro Tip: You can look up all your new stretches while you are watching TV.

3. Read Your Email – Many people lose over an hour a day checking their emails. It’s not because everyone is super popular & has to attend to a massive amount of emails. The reason they lose so much time is that they haven’t established a schedule. If you check your email every 30 minutes all that time that you think you are saving goes out the window. So set up two times a day to check your emails & stick to it religiously. Don’t worry, you can always cheat on your routine when you watch TV!

4. Check Your Social Media – When it comes to social media to say that we have a lot of options is an understatement. From Facebook to Instagram, we are immersed in a sea of social media adventures. The downside to this social media bonanza is that it eats up a lot of our time. Luckily it doesn’t need our full attention, which makes this a perfect thing to do while watching TV.

5. Give Back Massages – With all the hours we invest into looking down at computer & smartphone screens it’s no secret that our necks & backs need massages. Most of us don’t have the money for a personal masseuse so we need to get creative. Luckily there are plenty of YouTube videos that can help anyone learn how to give a decent massage. Take advantage of your TV time to allow you & your partner to give & receive massages. Not only will you feel healthier, it will also stimulate your relationship.

6. Ironing and Folding the Laundry – What a fun to work something productive watching TV. The basic household chore is to fold and iron the laundry. What you can do is bring your pile of clothes to your TV room and as you watch your favourite show you can alongside iron your clothes, fold your t-shirts, and pair your socks.

75 things you can do while watching TV

7. Painting and Pottery – Be creative while watching TV. Organize your canvas and the palette of colors and get going with drawing, painting, sculpture making or simply pottery making while watching TV. Though your hands might be messy but once your favorite TV channel is on you don’t need to change it with remote often Put some old sheets down, get your hands dirty, and get ready to make some beautiful ceramics to add to your home decor. 

8. Prepare food – Yes if you have TV in your kitchen then you can have this awesome opportunity to be productive while watching TV. As the task of meal prepping is so autonomous for many people but if you are turning on episodes of your TV shows and programs while chopping veggies which makes the time fly by and makes the chore a lot less boring. Also you feel less tired as your brain is absorbed on the scene which just passed by your TV screen.

9. Do your make up – If you are woman then you can do your make up or organize your make up kit as you watch TV. You can get to do steaming, cleansing, toning, moisturizing, wearing a face mask, jade rolling, performing gua sha massage, and if you’re feeling fancy, bringing out the NuFace microcurrent tool that you never have time for. Or you can clean up your make up brushes which were pending for long time. Doing this will not only will you figure out what happens past last week’s cliffhanger, but you’ll also be setting your skin up for a better, cleaner week ahead. 

10. Knitting, Sewing old clothes or do embroidery: For the ladies who never want to miss any episode of their TV shows, they can simply pursue their peaceful simple hobby of knitting and embroidery of do mending of old clothes. You can buy the knitting sets, needles or embroidery frame while watching tv online from your mobile, iPad and begin to be creative.

Is watching TV and working good?

In a survey it was found that 60% of people watching television at work helps them with their concentration. Onsite workers which are 35% of them said it helps them focus. Overall, concentration is the second-highest reason why remote and onsite workers watch the TV while at work. The highest reason behind this behaviour is to pass the time (64%), while the third reason is because it keeps employees occupied during their breaks (43%).

Another 21% of employees, however, said that they take TV breaks because they feel more productive after taking one.

What people love to watch while working?

It is believed that people love watching on streaming services, or watch shows on YouTube. At offices. comedy is the favourite genre of employees looking to catch a break, followed by educational videos, sports, reality programmes, and then news. If not watching TV shows workers said they engage on social media during their work hours. Or they shop online, or running errands and are working on a side job or hustle.

Can you study while watching TV?

Unfortunately no you cannot study while watching TV.  You may get distracted. If you are writing something by simply copying it.. then u may watch movie but if you are learning something then you should not watch. Instead you should study in a calm place where there is no distractions.

What are the side effects of watching TV to much?

In  National Institutes of Health study found that people who spent more than two hours a day on electronic devices scored lower on thinking and language tests. Those with more than seven hours of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, which is related to critical thinking and reasoning.

Whether the whole family sits around staring at their smartphones or you keep the TV on in the background, too much screen time or watching TV is harmful. Here are a few side effects on your health that may be negatively affected by spending too much time watching TV.

• Obesity: Too much time engaging in a sedentary activity, such as playing video games or watching TV, can be a risk factor for obesity. Heart health is also impacted and can lead to a higher risk of diabetes, increased blood pressure or cholesterol.
• Sleep problems:  The light emitted from electronic devices interferes with the brain’s sleep cycle and can prevent getting a good night’s sleep. To sleep more soundly, keep screens out of the bedroom and avoid them for at least an hour before you climb into bed.
• Chronic neck and back pain: Too much screen time can lead to poor posture, causing chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. Instead, take breaks from sitting to walk around, stand or stretch. Make sure your chair provides ample back support and try to keep the device at eye level.
• Depression and anxiety: All the time spent in front of screens can negatively affect your mental and emotional wellbeing. Experts suggest that higher screen time and depression could be connected along with an increase in suicidal behaviors and lower one’s ability to read emotions in general.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding screens for children younger than 18 to 24 months. Children over age 2 should be limited to 1 to 2 hours of screen time per day. Adults should also try to limit their screen time outside of work hours.

Tips to follow while watching TV

• Set aside time to unplug. Choose a time for your whole family to unplug from the phone, TV and computer. When you all agree to put down your devices, it gives your family the chance to spend quality time together.
• Use parental controls if your kids watch TV. There are tools you can use to filter or block unwanted content. You can even set daily screen time limits that can lock your children out of apps after they have reached a set amount of time.
• Be Active and spend time outdoor: These days it’s easy for you to become reliant on electronics for entertainment. Instead, encourage them to get involved in activities that don’t require a screen like playing outside, reading a book or playing a board game.
• Never install TV in your bedroom: You may want to consider making it a rule that electronic devices are not allowed in the bedroom. This also includes tablets and other handheld devices that you may be tempted to use at night, which could interfere with their sleep.