This is not just a college student problem. This is also an adult problem, a high school student problem and maybe even a toddler problem. And it's becoming more and more prevalent as we go through this decade - Netflix binges.
I will not share my longest Netflix binge (which may or may not have meant going through one season of "House" a week) nor will I share how many series I have finished on Netflix (somewhere between six and seven series), nor those I started but were unable to finish as I lost interest (between six and seven, again), but I will share several tips that have helped myself and several friends recover from a Netflix binge.
1. Shoot a message to your friends (or just one) to let them know you are alive.
2. Look at a calendar to see how long it's been since you looked away from your TV.
3. Pick up a good book to read to stimulate your mind after hours of mindless shows.
It doesn't have to be Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" - "Amelia Bedelia" works just as well.
4. If this is during your school semester, pick up your syllabus to see if you have any looming exams or big projects you should look over.
5. Eat a pint of ice cream to mourn that gut-wrenching series finale.
6. Or try something healthier and go for a walk around campus or the surrounding town to clear your mind.
You can pick up a small thing of ice cream from a local business (Wegmans or Pittsford Dairy, I'm looking at you). That way you get your ice cream AND some physical activity.
7. Meet up with some friends for a "study date" (really just an excuse for everyone to get together and cry, using toilet paper to dry eyes because everyone forgot to bring tissues).
8. Do your laundry because those few minutes walking to a washer or dryer really add up (or you could take your Netflix streaming device with you while you binge).
9. Sit in bed for the next three days recovering from the emotional distress of your series ending and knowing you can never go back and watch any of the episodes without knowing what happens at the end (see number five).
Or finally...
