Experiment #2: We Need Batches! (Day 6: At-Home Entertainment)

Batching at-home entertainment

Like most other people, I often want a decent chunk of time to relax after a long day at work. I want it to be free of work distractions, the same way that I want work to be free of social and personal distractions. Truly though, distractions are necessary, because they give our brains a momentary chance to switch gears and rest, if only for a few minutes. Right...a few minutes. My recent efforts at batching have already resulted in a few extra hours of free time, to do with as I pleased. I went overboard and spent the last two nights playing the new Mortal Kombat instead of pacing myself. My best advice for batching at-home entertainment is to avoid bingeing on it when you don't know what else to do with your time. Planning ahead will help.

How to avoid media bingeing

It doesn't matter if it is a video game, a favorite television show, or a habit of following every link that someone posts on your Facebook feed; it's easy to binge. Far too easy. So, we can manage this tendency by adhering to a few small guidelines:

1. Plan ahead: Don't try to cram all of your entertainment interests into one afternoon/evening. It will leave you tired and make you feel guilty for neglecting other duties--even if you didn't neglect anything at all. Instead, consider choosing ONE thing each day: an episode or two of your favorite TV show on one night, video games the next, a regular movie night, extra time spent on the internet, etc. You will still get your entertainment fix, without allowing it to control all of your free time.
   
   
2. Set a timer: If you are spending your time on or near a computer, try using one of the many free, online timers available to you. I like E.gg Timer for its simplicity. If you would rather use something more customizable, try Online Stopwatch. Here, you have options for both a stopwatch and a countdown timer, as well as chess timers, egg times, etc. The "Custom" version--you can find the link at the bottom of the front page--even allows you to change the alarm sound. Most 3rd gen. video game consoles also include a family timer which can stop play after a set period of time. Be careful, though. It's far too easy to reset or disable the timer for "just a few more minutes" or "just until I reach the next save point." Of course, you can always use your cellphone's alarm, an digital timer, or your alarm clock, in a pinch. (Just don't forget to reset your alarm clock before you go to bed!)
   
   
3. Change your outlook and go on a media diet: This tip may be the most difficult to accept, but it is worth a try, for everyone. Eliminate the hours spent on media that you don't care about, as well as media that adds more stress than it does entertainment value. Don't buy more games or start watching more Netflix episodes/television shows than you have time to enjoy, right now. Pick a small handful of things that appeal to you, and then accept that your time is too valuable to spend it obsessing over the things that you miss.
   
   
4. Next, automate the things that you can. Set a DVR to record your favorite television shows, and watch them when it is convenient for you, for example.
   
   
5. Finally, find other ways to spend the time that you suddenly have available to you. Take up swing dancing. Learn to play a new instrument and take lessons. Finish that home improvement project that you have been promising to complete for the last two years. Start meditating/exercising/reading/sleeping regularly. Check Meetup.com for events and people that might appeal to your sense of adventure. Volunteer. Above all, do good things!