5 Surprising Things That Happened When My Husband and I Gave Up TV for Jigsaw Puzzles

This is embarrassing to admit, but in one single week my husband and I clock in a total of nearly 12 hours watching television—and we don’t even have cable. Like most people our age, we tackle a show and binge it with the greatest of passion. I can make the usual excuses for this kind of lazy indulgence, like being wiped out at the end of a day or that our brains are fried, but in reality, it’s become a bad habit. TV—especially binge-watching—is so ingrained in us, and we’ve fallen victim to the point of it affecting our relationship.

As Americans, we’re hooked on TV. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that on average, Americans spend most of their free time—2 hours and 47 minutes a day—watching television. In fact, research suggests TV watching can be addictive and have a negative impact on daily life and relationships. Sadly, my husband and I were coming in just under the U.S. average, watching about 2 hours of TV each week night, fewer hours on the weekend when we had something fun planned, then revving it back up on Sunday evenings when the scaries set in. When we calculated the hours spent in front of the tube, it was embarrassing to think we waste nearly half a day per week watching television.

In order to cut down on our TV habit, my husband and I turned to another activity to take its place: a jigsaw puzzle.

Who didn’t love jigsaw puzzles as a kid? Before we had Super Mario Bros. and Netflix, my husband and I both had these as toys as kids—they just completely fell off of our radar when shiny versions of entertainment came out. Call me a total geek, but there’s nothing more satisfying than finding a fit to a piece of your puzzle.

When we worked to put an end to our TV time suck and put together a puzzle, we got a lot more than a couple hours of our lives back.

1. We learned to practice patience.

We bought a 1,000-piece puzzle on Amazon and dumped it on our den table. In a nutshell: It was daunting. The tiny little pieces instantly made me want to chug a glass of wine and it felt like my brain had a auto-shut-off mode to make me immediately give up on a project that is too long to read, too boring to watch, or too complicated to piece together. But once we got the hang of it, the activity became more of a challenge and less of a frustration. Finding a particular piece takes time and patience, which is something we both need more of.

2. We started eating at the dining room table (again).

As newlyweds, we had dinner on our shiny, new wedding registry dishes at the table every night. But these days, we often bring our dinner to the living room coffee table and eat mindlessly—totally zoning out in front of the TV. I get little joy out of whatever I’m eating that way, and it takes all the ceremony out of meal time. Once we swapped puzzles for TV, we started eating at our dining table more often, and not only do we appreciate each other’s company, but the food that we prepared together.

3. We had meaningful (and not-so-meaningful) conversation.

When Nate and I watch one of our “binge-y” shows, we’ll pause it to chat so that we don’t miss anything. TBH, it felt ridiculous that we’re so engrossed in our shows that they take top priority over conversation. The best part of puzzling (which has now become a verb in our household) is that—unlike television watching—you can easily chat during this activity. Some nights we catch up on the day and it’s nothing more than boring chit-chat, and other evenings it’s a chance to hash out pressing issues that are on our minds.

4. It saved us money.

It’s almost embarrassing to admit, but we stayed in on a Saturday night to puzzle. If I were to tell 25-year-old me that now-me was ditching cocktails and dinner to work on a jigsaw puzzle, she would have been embarrassed and disappointed, but Nate and I had serious QT and saved money. Bonus: You can drink cocktails and puzzle at the same time.

5. We worked together as a team.

Sure, it’s not rocket science, but putting together a puzzle requires a bit of teamwork. When I was puzzling over a piece (see what I did there?), Nate helped me to find it and I’d do the same. It’s most definitely a team effort sort of activity that gives you a feeling of accomplishment when you find the right piece—even more so when the entire puzzle is completed.

The puzzle hasn’t completely eradicated our television watching. I binged the new Queer Eye like it was my job and we’ve been (very slowly) watching The Americans, but it feels good to know that our habit has been replaced with something that’s better for our relationship and more fun—even if people think we’ve become total senior citizens.

Anne Roderique-Jones is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in Vogue, Marie Claire, Southern Living, Town & Country, and Condé Nast Traveler. Twitter: @AnnieMarie_ Instagram: @AnnieMarie_