Thirty Things You Could Accomplish If You Gave Up TV for Lent

While discovering free and cheap ways to watch TV is a good thing, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. In 2017, the average American spent almost four hours a day watching television!

That’s a HUGE amount of time to spend staring at a TV screen! What could you accomplish with that time? When you look back on your life, will you wish you did something else with that time?

Giving Up TV for Lent

This year, Lent runs from Wednesday, March 2nd to Thursday, April 14th, 2022. That’s 40 days x 4 hours = 160 hours that you could be doing something besides watching TV. Why not consider doing something else with that time?

I’m not necessarily talking about any religious reasons here. But, just like New Year’s Day is a time for folks to commit to new resolutions, Lent might be the ideal time for folks to give something up because other people are doing it too.

Or, if giving up TV completely is too much for you, how about giving up only on weekdays?  Or, just on weekends?  Or, just give up one of your streaming services, like Netflix?

Some Things You Could Do Instead of Watching TV

Here are some things to do if you decide to give up TV during Lent:

1. Volunteer for a cause that you believe in
2. Read all of those books that you bought but haven’t had a chance to read yet
3. Start learning a new language
4. Practice playing (or start learning) a musical instrument
5. Get in shape (walk around the block, ride a bike, do yoga, lift weights, go to the gym)
6. Catch up with your parents, siblings, cousins, other family, and friends
7. Play with your kids or help them with their homework
8. Start a side business or create a source of passive income!
9. Do those household repairs that you’ve been putting off.
10. Take partner dance lessons
11. Start a blog
12. Plan a dream vacation
13. Go to a church (or synagogue) group
14. De-clutter your home!
15. Paint your walls an exciting new color
16. Redecorate your home; re-arrange your furniture
17. Sell your unused items on eBay and make some extra cash
18. Take an evening adult education class at your local college
19. Create art/crafts, or do scrapbooking
20. Scan all of your old photos so they’ll be saved for posterity
21. Become a mentor 
22. Do photography
23. Attend Meetup.com groups
24. Clean out your garage, tool shed, or storage unit
25. Take a cooking class
26. Join a local sports league (soccer, volleyball, hockey)
27. Do your taxes
28. Take an online course
29. Create a video to share on YouTube; a how-to video or something educational, funny, or otherwise entertaining.
30. Help someone you know who is lonely or in need. Bring them a meal, or just offer companionship.

I’m sure you have plenty of things that you can think of!

So, do you think you could give up TV for Lent? What would you like to accomplish during that time? Please comment below! – Brian