At the beginning of December, my husband Pete and I were presented with a challenge.
We recently started going to a chiropractor and these particular chiropractors are not what I've typically expired - they are energetic, joyful people who love the Lord, practice holistic health, believe in the body's capability to heal itself and the power of good habits in our daily lives. You feel encouraged and excited just stepping into their office! Dr. Mark (husband to Dr. Liz, they run their office together) writes a weekly newsletter that we find on the seat of our pre-adjustment exercise chairs. This particular week, the letter was challenging everyone to work on a goal in spite of it being the Holiday season. He had a list of different goal suggestions such as no sugar, daily movement, and then I read the words that would very shortly make a huge impact on us both personally and in our relationship - the words read "no TV during the week". Immediately, my heart took a little leap.
On the way home from our appointment I brought it to my husband’s attention. In the months previous, we had formed a habit of winding down with a TV show or a movie after our son was in bed, and we would watch something until we fell asleep. Our twice-baked, deep fried parent brains felt like they couldn't latch onto anything else except TV. I remember many nights where I didn't even dare to open a book because I knew would pass out from exhaustion once my eyes hit the page, so instead, I would fix my eyes on our computer and turn something on. When you're dead tired, and your brain feels strung out, it feels good to watch TV. Your brain gets to hop on a little merry-go-round of story and you feel like you get to "check out" for a while. (But I never felt better after watching TV this way?) As we drove home, bouncing this idea of "no TV during the week" around...we felt convicted and became excited. We were ready for the challenge.
Admittedly, the first week of no TV at night was a little difficult. I found myself becoming grouchy for a moment, but as I remembered this was a self-inflicted test of will, I would not allow myself to have bad behavior for the sake of a personal growth challenge. The bad mood stopped there. The first couple of nights it was a little like saying no to a sugar craving, but since we had both picked out books that we were very interested in, we were distracted from the nuisance of the craving.
And suddenly, some powerful things started to happen...
We started gobbling up books, We started doing a nightly bible study together and praying together. Our intimacy increased because we were connecting spiritually and intellectually every evening. I started watercolor painting and sketching. I felt closer to God, my mind was more creative, and I felt so settled when I went to sleep each night. After pouring ourselves out during the day, we started spending our evenings filling ourselves back up.
I remember getting to the weekend and finally watching a movie. It was fun to enjoy it together, but I didn't sleep well that night - I stayed up later than usual watching the movie and I didn't like the way the screen made my face feel when I went to bed. My brain felt wound up and irritated. I thought that was interesting and worth noting in my own personal notes even if it meant we need to start our movie much earlier in the evening instead of ending with it.
No TV during the week has made such a positive impact on us that I felt I had to share our testimony and encourage you if this is sparking excitement or conviction in the season that you’re in currently. It's been since the top of December and I think it's not so much a challenge anymore as it's become a new habit of enrichment for us.
I'd like to take a moment to state that I do not think TV is a bad thing! I think visual story telling is incredible and I am thankful for it! Pete and I love to connect and chat over a good film or show, we always have. I am actually really excited to watch "The Island of The Blue Dolphins" this weekend since I finished the book last week. But without moderation, TV had become a way to “numb out”. If I was too tired to read a book, then I needed to just go to sleep. That is my body signaling to me that it is indeed time to sleep and overriding that signal doesn't set me up for success the next day; it drains me even more as it pushes my body over it's limits. I feel much more tuned-in to that now and if I am "too tired to read" then I certainly need to do myself (and my family at that matter!) a favor and go to sleep.
If this has peaked your interest and you’re considering joining this challenge, I would love to leave you with a few tips to help your transition:
#1. If you’re going to start out with reading as a TV replacement, pick a book that you’re really excited about! This will make it easier that first week to say no to TV.
#2. Explore hobbies you’ve been curious about. I originally started watercoloring because it was in our homeschool curriculum - never in my life have a watercolored or thought that I “could”! I now love watercoloring. Not because I am particularly gifted at it, but because it’s so relaxing to listen to a podcast or music and just paint. I'm not doing it to impress anyone, I'm just doing because I like it; although, my toddler is always impressed when show him my workbook which does make me excited. Childlike wonder is really the sweetest. Here is the watercolor work book that I am loving.
#3. Journal about how it's changing you. I've been taking a moment or two of reflection in my journal each day and I can't help but note the impact it's making on my day. I still sleep until my son wakes up, I actually sleep in his little bed with him the second half of most nights. This is just what naturally transpired and works for us in this sweet and fleeting season of toddlerhood. With that, I have not been able to have a morning routine that involves time by myself before I wake up which has been a big change to navigate in Motherhood. I've actually noticed over these past two months that what I am inputting at night is carrying over to my mornings. I am waking up feeling filled up already and that's made a radical different for me!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this challenge! Do you feel prompted to join? Are you in a season where you have the opportunity to commit to re-filling your cup in the evenings?
Thanks for following along as I’ve shared this today. I love sharing exciting ways that I am being challenged, ways that grow me. Growth is always so exciting - isn't it wonderful how the Lord created us to do so?
"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV
Blessings,
Hannah
Daughter of God, Wife, Mother
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