The reasons why people move to Spain vary from one individual to the next but there is usually a common thread which most people quote. The ones that you hear most frequently include better weather; spend more time with the family, to enjoy a healthier outdoors lifestyle. So why is it that people haven’t even unpacked and they are already asking around to find someone to connect them to satellite television. Surely, you didn’t come to live in Spain to pick up where you last left off in Eastenders or Corrie?  Isn’t that the whole point to change your life and escape that cult like following of such time intensive TV watching?

So many people I speak to are tired of all those exhausting fly on the wall documentaries and the general dumbing down of television over the past few years. If that is you then this could be an opportunity to wean yourself off it. Of course, for some who are coping with readjusting to their new life and coping with the upheaval of moving to Spain the television can be a great comfort. But when you have just left a sedentary isolated lifestyle behind, surely you should be going out and getting to know your community. Not only that but when you move to Spain you will have enough to do with applying for Residencia certificates and empadronamiento and so on, television will just delay your settling in progress.

Many people don’t like the sense of being “cut off” from what is going on in the world. Well, even before you have made the move to Spain you can start getting ready for the idea by getting your news via the radio, the internet, or the newspaper. You cannot use the Jeremy Kyle show to justify your need to keep “in touch” with what is going on out there. Leading your new life in Spain means that you will no longer be able to relate to those characters that are depicted on our screens and for those who enjoy watching those Jeremy Kyle shows just to feel superior that you have left all that behind, stop it right now!

If you have recently moved and you find yourself on a tight budget then save on electricity. Everyone knows how expensive it is in Spain so don’t go blowing your budget on having the television on in the background all day. For those who have to make a living and are setting up a business then the time spent watching television every night is encroaching on your valuable potential earning time.

If the thought of the money saved and earned doesn’t convince you then do it for the sake of your health. It will prevent you from living this healthier and more active lifestyle that you associate with the move abroad. If you get into those old habits of picking and snacking in front of the television then its downhill all the way. You could be out in the evening strolling or having a drink by the sea and most importantly communicating with your loved ones and the outside world in general.

Okay, I know that I have been a bit extreme and please don’t think that I am suggesting that you ban the box all together as I appreciate that sometimes after a hard day and yes, you do get those in Spain too, you just need some passive entertainment. However, at least try not to get into the habit of staying in and watching it every night. Don’t stop going out altogether because you are feeling “settled” and cosy indoors. Reflect on some of the reasons why you decided to make the move in the first place. I bet it wasn’t so that you could watch television as much. So are there any circumstances where TV watching is acceptable in Spain? Well, if you want to watch TV as an excuse to improve your Spanish then I can justify the time spent in front of the box. As for me, well I hear Bianca’s back in Eastenders!