Making The Switch

More and more research is telling us what we already know: television is turning us into zombies! Not only does it mentally under stimulate us but it can also lead to depression and anxiety. If you have been laid up with a broken leg before and have binged on TV before, you will know what I mean.

Now don’t get me wrong. The goggle box certainly has its place and it certainly does in my household. We can all enjoy relaxing in different ways on different days. However studies show us people who watch too much television develop a ‘brain fog’, which clouds a person’s ability to think, to interact well with others and even accomplish simple tasks.

It isn’t only adults, children are highly susceptible to the pull that the television has and a few hours a day can severely damage children’s developing brains lowering their ‘theory of mind’; impacting their ability to participate in social relationships and to recognize their own and another person’s beliefs and desires.

However, help is at hand! Choosing a craft hobby such as diamond painting is a mess free and affordable way to provide us with health benefits, creativity benefits and even social benefits. Adults and children alike can master a diamond painting, honing our finger and hand dexterity whilst switching off from the television and switching on our brains.

It has been proven that television can cause anxiety and depression, alongside other negative effects on your health such as diabetes and heart disease. Rather than the isolating effect that television provides in the family room, try diamond painting with some friends or family members. Pursuing a hobby for an hour a day has been proven to help eliminate depression and sadness. Because diamond painting can be done by anyone of any age and takes few resources to accomplish, it’s a perfect hobby to share with others. If you are lonely, a hobby brings you in contact with people who have similar interests. Craft clubs and groups open the doors to meet new friends.

Try diamond painting and listening to the radio, a podcast, your favorite CD or an audiobook. It is a great opportunity to engage your brain in two different ways whilst creating a healthy and stimulating environment. You can diamond paint whilst talking and connecting with your partner, or simply sitting together in silence can be just as precious. By sharing in the little moments, you create memories that last a lifetime.

There is certainly something to be said for switching off the TV and tuning into yourself and those around you through a craft like diamond painting. With anxiety, depression and other health conditions on the rise, we do need to look at our habits more closely to see if we can make wholesome changes for ourselves and our children.

Enjoying television doesn’t need to be isolating and depressing. Enjoy movie-marathons and diamond paint with your best friend. Let your children multitask by watching their favorite shows whilst diamond painting at the same time, or choose educational documentary style shows that broaden our minds and keep us interested in the world around us.