How to stop watching TV shows so I can read books and do meaningful work?

[tatsumaru]

I am addicted to TV shows. Whenever I have some free time that I can use to develop my life, read cool books and do meaningful work I default to either watching TV shows or napping. One of the main reasons is that I suffer from insomnia and chronic fatigue, and so I maintain a pretty low-energy status and I think because of it my brain defaults to energy conserving activities. In fact when I sleep better I read more and have better impulse control. Yet I think that's only 50% of the problem. I think there are the other 50% which are just pure addiction. The reason is that TV shows are a type of mental masturbation that tricks the brain into believing that your life is interesting because the story in the show is interesting. You get instant gratification - just press play and your brain gets positive feedback. I have a bunch of cool projects I want to work on and dozens of books that I've been meaning to read, but I just can't motivate myself to start doing it. Even when I read I take too many breaks to either watch TV shows or something stupid.

There's one more big problem too - because I am an introvert and also because of my health issues I practically don't have any social life and I don't have any friends at all and I almost never go out. TV shows fool my brain into believing that I am not completely alone. So when I read books or work on projects that feeling of loneliness starts to creep in and to distract me from my work so I start watching TV shows to suppress it again.

What can I do? I just want to read my books and do meaningful work  so I can make progress with my goals. Thank you.

[saif2]

take walks in nature

 get some healthy distance

what do you do for a living?

 

[Bojan V]

You should give your Tv to someone else. Or just break it with a hammer.

About the emotional issues... I can't recommend enough the shadow work.

The other thing is you should try to walk in the nature.

[TripleFly]

Exhaust it. Do it more. Do it more. When you have suffered enough you will naturally want to stop. 

Take a walk, take up Yoga, take up meditation, take up breathwork. Talk up some friend. Head to the beach. Read a book. Talk to your parents. Learn a new language/instrument/hobby. 

[mandyjw]

Pick your absolute favorite show. Make time for it. Drop the guilt. Pick the book you absolutely want to read the most. Make time for it. Find a zoom meeting or a group for something you're really interested in, make time for it.