Wednesday 30 May 2012

Stressful sugar

When I watch tv I mainly watch comedy shows and movies, but this evening I was made to watch the apprentice, not my usual viewing and I remembered why.

I find watching this kind of competitive reality television pretty stressful, mainly because I don't enjoy watching other people suffer!

However it reminded me of the little known fact that watching television is actually a stressful activity. You might not think it is as you're lazing on the sofa, but the stimulating nature of television can produce a physiological stress response.

For people who are burnt out it is recommended they avoid tv as much as possible in order to recover, but for anyone in a stressful profession it's important that you don't come home and then spend the whole evening watching tv. Proper down time involves peace and quiet and doesn't involve a screen whether it's a tv or computer.

Lying on the sofa reading a book or magazine is fine, as is taking a bath, going for a walk or just tuning out on the sofa even for just five minutes. Infact I'd recommend you do this first when you get home before switching the tv on.

Once you've spent ten minutes chilling out you'll probably feel re-energized and might want to do something more productive than vegging out infront of the tv!

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