Mindful Streaming Tricks For Binge Watchers Who Want To Experience Hi-Def Offscreen Lives

It’s hard to make time to practice mindfulness.

However, it’s effortless to burn through time watching movies, news programs, and attention-grabbing videos on social media.

Instead of waiting for this dynamic to invert (spoiler: it never will), practice sneaking mindful awareness into your viewing time.

Here are three fascinating techniques to support noticing more when you’re not in front of a screen.

Track editing cuts

Start a one-to-five-minute timer.

Count the number of times the camera cuts to another perspective or scene.

Repeat continuously or periodically.

Decrease the challenge by turning off the sound.

To make it more challenging, try it with films that have long tracking shots or don’t have any obvious cuts (such as 1917, Birdman, and Victoria).

In life, notice when things come to an end (a conversation, a meeting, a meal) and when new things begin (an argument, a song, dessert).

Collect emotional data

Notice when something triggers an emotional reaction. Acknowledge and literally feel it for a few seconds.

Explore whether the reactions feel earned or manipulated.

Psychologist Susan David says, “Emotions are data.”

When we habitually attend to them, they start to reveal important clues.

Detecting real-time emotions while we’re being entertained can help equip us to recognize our feelings, respond to them more effectively, and avoid personal drama.

Look for the hook

When a series grabs your attention, try to get especially curious about the unresolved feeling that emerges at the end of an episode or a season.

With a lot of practice, this one can weaken the subtle yet powerful pressure to change your plans in ways you later regret.