Today is Thursday. In my house, that means no TV this evening.

About a year into our marriage, my husband and I started doing no-TV nights. Every week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we don’t watch shows, movies, or YouTube. It’s such a simple thing, but it makes such a difference.

We started this tradition because we are really bad about sitting down on the couch after work…and then barely getting up again. Our house isn’t disgusting my any means (I hope my guests agree), but we do sometimes let the laundry, the dishes, and the sweeping pile up. He and I are fairly equitable about doing chores – and fairly equitable about ignoring them.

In our first apartment together, we ended up in a cycle where most of the cleaning got done on Saturday. We lived in a small duplex, so it cut into our weekend a bit, but was manageable. Once we bought our house, though, that system became too much. What began as a way to make ourselves do maintenance chores throughout the week turned into a way to add much more value to our lives than just a clean house.

When my house is clean, I am so much happier. My husband will attest to how much my mood matches the clutter level. Cleaning is like working out – you never regret doing even just a few minutes. So since no TV nights mean more cleaning, it means I stay more upbeat. My husband is more even-keeled emotionally than I am, so me staying upbeat more means our mood levels match more often, which is awesome.

Cleaning more also means cooking more. My husband and I both enjoy trying new recipes, and removing the obstacle of having to clean the kitchen before I cook makes me more likely to cook instead of get takeout. When our kitchen table is clean, we’re more likely to sit down and talk together instead of watching a show in the living room. And when we do that, we end up making more plans for fun outings and home improvement projects. We also stay more on top of stuff like vet appointments and retirement funds.

We don’t spend every no-TV night just cleaning, though. When we don’t watch TV, we also spend more time on other hobbies. For me that means reading, blogging, yoga, and playing with my wonderful pets. I also make it more of a point to check in with my family and friends. TV is great – don’t get me wrong. But when it becomes a habit more than anything else, we really benefit from keeping it off every now and then.

Do you do anything similar to a no-TV night?

NaNoPoblano 2020: 5/30