Turn on the TV when there’s something you want to watch. And if you’ve got nothing better to watch, turn it off. If your butt reminds glued to the couch, pick up a magazine and read. Pick up a book and read. Write in your journal. Daydream. Better yet, get up, get some fresh air, go for a walk. Make conversation with your housemates.

Watching TV may be a good way to “empty one’s mind.” I zone out in front of the TV lots of times. But I’ve also realized that I’ve been wasting a lot of time just staring at the screen… and wasting electricity in the process too.

Turn the TV off and see what productive things you come up with. Will you whip up a meal instead of channel surfing? Will you finish that book that’s been at the bottom of your to-be-read pile? Will you spend a quiet moment with yourself? Turn the TV off and see what other things go “on” during that movement. Who knows what you might discover?