Want to know an easy-to-implement “secret” that could dramatically increase your productivity? It’s a very simple concept you may have heard of. It’s called multitasking.
You see, the average person watches television for nearly 3 hours every single day. Imagine if you used that time to simultaneously get other things done. Granted, most of us have our “must-watch” shows that require our undivided attention. But think about how many shows you watch just to mindlessly kill time after a long day’s work. Here are 25 productive things to do while you watch TV.
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1. Check your email.
Grab your computer and get caught up on your email, clean out your inbox, or organize old emails into folders.
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2. Eat a healthy snack.
Ditch the potato chips and try these instead: carrot sticks and hummus, apple slices with peanut butter, kale chips, or baked chickpeas.
3. Do some lunges.
Lunges are one of the best exercises for toning your legs and core muscles. Do them during every commercial break and you’ll get stronger and tighter legs and abs in no time.
4. Prepare a healthy lunch for the following day.
Resist the temptation to grab another burger with fries. Instead, make your own healthy sandwich with a spinach salad while you’re watching TV the night before.
5. Stretch.
Get those tight muscles moving and increase your flexibility by stretching every time you watch TV.
6. Give your pets some love.
If you have a dog or cat, watching TV is one of the best opportunities to bond with your furry friend.
7. Give your significant other a back or foot rub.
Bonus: it will pay dividends down the road.
8. See how long you can balance on one foot.
Work on balance exercises while you watch television to build stronger legs and core.
9. Do push ups.
See how many push ups you can do during each commercial break.
10. Clip coupons.
Save a few bucks and some time that you would’ve spent during the weekend by clipping coupons (or finding some online).
11. Do crunches.
Get those abs and midsection tight and toned by doing crunches while you watch TV.
12. Sew.
You know that old pair of socks with the holes in the bottom or that shirt with the button missing? Kill two birds with one stone by fixing it while you watch TV.
13. Clean your floors.
Grab your vacuum, broom, or mop and get to work. Extra bonus: you’ll burn calories!
14. Use a foam roller.
A foam roller is one of the best (and least expensive) pieces of fitness equipment for getting rid of tight spots and knots throughout your body.
15. Roll a tennis ball or lacrosse ball over the bottom of your foot.
This can help alleviate tightness and tension in your feet.
16. Dust the furniture.
Use your TV time to dust those hard-to-reach spots you haven’t got around to doing in a while.
17. Create your to-do list for the rest of the week.
Most productive people keep a to-do list. Update yours while watching TV to save you time during the week.
18. Open your mail.
Grab that stack of mail on your counter and sort through it while you watch TV.
19. Create your grocery list for the week.
Don’t wait until right before you’re ready to go to the store. Get your grocery list over with during TV time.
20. Pay your bills.
Watching TV is the perfect time to take care of those unpaid bills.
21. Do some deep breathing exercises.
Breathing is one of the best things you can do to manage stress. The cool part is, you can do this productive activity even when your eyes are glued to the television.
22. Lift weights.
Get a pair of light hand or ankle weights and do some exercises like squats, curls, and shoulder presses.
23. Do yoga.
See how long you can hold your favorite yoga poses while you watch TV.
24. Iron your clothes.
Got a stack of wrinkled clothes? Then use your TV time to catch up on your ironing.
25. Fold your clothes.
Doing laundry can be a chore, but switch the loads during commercial breaks and fold your clothes while watching TV to save time.
What are some other productive things you like to do while watching TV?
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“This post first appeared on Life Hack.”
