Break projects down to their simplest components and move from one step to the next, or you'll simply repeat the steps you've already completed. This leaves room to return to your favorite hobby, whether it's playing poker, shooting pool or robbing convenience stores. Stress hinders your ability to focus, so it's no wonder you're watching other people do things instead of doing something yourself. Staring passively at images is much more soothing than processing words, and when your mind is taxed, it needs to relax. So you'll watch anything, even cooking shows.
Television is one of the greatest stress reducers known to man, second only to skeet shooting.
But at some point you have to ask yourself whether you're watching television to relax or to escape some nagging anxiety. If it's the latter, forcing yourself to read your usual novels instead of staring at the tube won't do you any good, says Daniel Alkon, M.D., of the National Institutes of Health. You need to rebuild your concentration levels. Instead of tackling Tolstoy, start with something simple, like newspaper articles or pro athletes' autobiographies. If you're making more mistakes than usual, don't worry.