The Business Case for Watching TV
Did the title of this post catch you off guard? Hear me out….
Done the right way, with the right shows, you can relax in front of the TV and be productive for work.
A show that works great for this, at least for me, is Escape to the Country. This is a BBC One show that American viewers can access through Amazon Prime Video. If you’re familiar with House Hunters on HGTV, it’s like that, but with would-be home buyers scouting properties in the beautiful UK countryside.
When I watch Escape to the Country with my wife, it's more about the visuals and less about the story. I sometimes find myself drifting toward thoughts centered around my business. If I think of something specific I want to check or try, I can pause the show, email myself, and then resume the show.
Think about how this could work for you.
Reality shows, documentaries, cable news — these formats lend themselves to helping your subconscious thoughts turn into active ideas.
While it's important to self-monitor your attention spectrum — from simply drifting away briefly to obsession, where what's on the screen no longer matters — this could be a way for you to increase your productivity, while at the same time avoid feeling guilty about "vegging out."
