I didn’t expect a TV to change my life. Or my mental health. But here we are.
When we got our new TV—a 55-inch QLED monster with colors so sharp they could cut glass. To be honest, I didn’t demand one. But my husband thrives on content and always dreamt of watching it on big screen.
The Honeymoon Phase: Love at First Stream
So, we bought one for our living room. In the initial days, the newness of the TV had us binge watch series until 2 in the night. Our weekends were spent watching 2 to 3 movies back-to-back or an entire 10 episodes series.
I was suddenly found more in the living room than in the kitchen and the study room.
The funniest thing about marriage is it’s very difficult for two people to agree upon one thing. It’s either his wish or no wish at all. Being the good wife, I loved spending time with my husband which meant sitting in front of the TV with complete concentration.
I was not allowed to multi-task either. Not even for uploading a reel on Instagram.
The Addiction I Didn’t Ask For
When I lived with my parents, I was the pampered one. The TV’s remote control would always be in my control and so it never made a big difference for me. I could watch my favourite shows whenever I wanted.
But when I got married and started living with my in-laws, I never watched TV because, of course, the control was in my retired father-in-law’s hands. I don’t even remember sitting in front of the TV for more than an hour.
Things changed when my husband and I bought our own TV in our new home. After he left home, I started watching TV like never before. Like I had always been hungry to have it all to myself. I watched everything that I could which otherwise looked small on my the mobile. I re-watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S on the big screen and it felt so much better.
And before I could know I had become addicted to the television set.
Addiction Disguised as Mental Escape
To add to the misery, every day after my husband went to the office, I would sit in front of the TV and watch anything. Sometimes the TV would be on just for the sake it. Probably it played in the background just to fill in the void.
Sometimes I used it as a tool to mute my inner thoughts. The loneliness that would creep in was easily covered by the videos playing on TV. No matter what is being played. Have I watched it before, or not. It just didn’t matter.
If you’ve read this blog of mine, you’ll know about my mental health in the past few months. So, I thought having those people on the big screen in an empty house would become my companions. But little did I know that I was simply doom scrolling on the TV just as I did on my mobile phone.
Before I could realise this, it was too late. I had wasted a lot of time in front of that newly bought idiot box because I didn’t know where to stop. As a result, all the household chores were procrastinated, and my writing had taken a back seat.
Happy Realisation
I feel ashamed for having behaved so irresponsibly. But the moment I realized my mistake; I stopped watching TV. Now, I spend most of my time at my study table in the bedroom, working on the things I should be focusing on.
I can’t express how happy I am to be back in my routine, working hard to fulfill my dreams. Since the day I got back on track, I’ve almost forgotten that the TV even exists in our house.
Sometimes you might go off track, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find your way back. What truly matters is recognizing when your mental health is gone for a toss and having the determination to correct your course. Every setback is a chance to learn, grow, and come back stronger than before. The important thing is to keep moving forward with purpose and resilience.
I hope you found this blog somewhat useful. If you found it relatable then do let me know in the comment section below.
Until next time, see you!
Take care! Keep thriving!
