Kicking the 'Flix: Pt. 2

So it’s been two weeks since I decided I needed to get my butt off my couch and away from Netflix and I am so proud of my results!

So let me brag to you about how well I’ve done:

In the past two weeks I estimate I’ve watched about 6 hours of Netflix. That is less than an hour a day. Heck, it’s less than a half hour per day!

This is a huge shift from my past indulgence of anywhere from 1-5 hours of Netflix a day (with more on weekends, I’m almost ashamed to admit).

Netflix had become a go-to for filling my time when I felt stressed, bored, or lonely.

So how did I make this happen?

Two strategies made a huge difference in how I approached my Netflixing. 

1. Notice when I’m binging

2. Habit-pairing with a good habit

First off I needed to become aware of when I felt the urge to sit down and flip on the T.V. by paying attention. I started noticing that there were a few situations where I always wanted to turn on the ‘flix. The most obvious trigger was eating. Every time I sat down for a meal alone I felt the pull of the couch and thought to myself “well I’ll just watch one episode of Outlander while I’m eating my lunch.” 

I also tended to gravitate towards the screen when I just arrived home from work. I’d walk into the house and think “Great! I just got some work done! Time to reward myself with Netflix!”

Once I was aware of the situations that triggered me to want to watch, I was able to consciously choose different activities. I started watching online training videos for the Spirit Junkie Master Class while I was eating lunch. When I got home I took a few moments to meditate, or enjoy a cup of tea to wind down, or take the dogs for a walk. 

I’m still working on developing a list of “things I can do instead of Netflix”, but having a few go-to items on that list has already been a big help. 

Watching with friends or loved ones is more fulfilling than binging on shows by myself.

The second major key was making Netflix a reward for another habit I wanted to cultivate. I have been feeling a bit anti-social since I made the jump to self-employment. I miss seeing friends and colleagues every day. So I told myself that I’m only allowed to watch Netflix as a social activity. So I spent more time with my husband watching Community (which is technically on Hulu, but “Kicking the ‘Lu” sounds weird) and invited a good friend over to watch an episode of Outlander with some wine and cheese. 

I have to say I’ve really enjoyed the shift! Spending time with friends and food makes watching my favorite shows even more special, and when I had an at-home movie night with my husband and some Chinese take-out it felt like a real treat. 

I did lapse one night and watch one episode of Outlander by myself, but only when I knew I had nothing else very pressing on the docket for the night. But hey, it’s all about progress. Not perfection. And I’ve made some pretty great progress so far!

Kicking My Netflix Addiction

I always seem to perceive life as a series of lessons and chances to improve. It’s not that I’m not happy with myself or grateful for what I have, because I am. But I also notice areas in which I need to grow and shift in order to be able to complete the work I was put here to do. 

Normally, though, I don’t realize something needs to change until it becomes a big enough issue that either I recognize it’s holding me back or (this is more common) someone I care points it out to me. Lucky for me, my husband recently pointed out to me that I may have a slight addiction. 

To Grey’s Anatomy.

For the next 40 days I’ll be working on shifting my Netflix habit so something more in line with my goals.

He’s not wrong, but I don’t think he saw the whole issue. I do love Grey’s Anatomy (I mean, it’s a great show, come on!) but I have a problem with streaming video in general. Specifically TV shows. Specifically, ones that have strong character development and dramatic storylines. This was not much of an issue when I was younger and tv shows only came out once a week, but it has become a huge drain to my time, energy and relationships now that Netflix is in my home and Hulu is on my phone. 

This first came up when my husband and I got home from a date night and he went to change his shirt and I immediately plopped on the couch and started watching an episode of Grey’s. I didn’t even think about it. I’m not sure I made a conscious choice to do this. But I did. 

Another day that week I had come home for lunch and turned on the T.V. and put on Netflix so that I could watch “just one episode” while I was eating lunch. By the time my husband got home, I had barely left the couch and was 5 episodes into a new season of one of my favorite shows. Episodes on Netflix are like Pringles: Once I pop I literally CANNOT seem to stop. 

Habit shifting isn’t as hard as it seems. Right?

I banned myself from Grey’s Anatomy for the time being, but Monday, I thought I would try just one episode of Outlander which just arrived on Netflix. I am now nearly done with season one. 

It appears that, where Netflix is concerned, I have no self-control. 

I’m not really making conscious choices about what I want to do. This has entered the realm of habit. 

It happens without me even having to think about it. 

This afternoon I noticed the habit at work. My plan was to come home, eat lunch, and get some work done. As I was unlocking the door, though, my mind popped straight to Netflix and tried to tell me that it would be fine to watch just one episode of Outlander. Luckily I caught this thought and was able to start noticing my habit and my patterns. 

So tomorrow (because tonight I will be finally watching the season 3 finale of Stranger Things) I am going to start working on kicking this habit. 

If you have a habit you’re looking to kick, feel free to join in! I’ll take you through a different step each week until I’m sure the habit has been replaced. Let me know in comments what habit you’re hoping to shift!