My own relationship with TV has dramatically changed these last few years. Thanks to technology I now have the ability to set aside one evening a week to sit down and watch a few hours of selected TV shows (mostly American imports). I would very rarely sit down in front of the TV and just flick through the channels searching for something to watch, invariably there isn’t anything on that interests me. Instead I choose to sit at my computer, engaging fully with online media, creating content and absorbing information.

The downside of this setup is that I miss out on those opportunistic TV nuggets – those wonderful documentaries on completely random topics that are incredibly interesting but contain sets of knowledge that I would never have actively sought out by myself.

How did David Blaine hold his breath for 17 minutes? Why is sustainable fishing so important? How has cricket changed India? What does open data mean for the web? What’s it like to treat a patient on top of Mount Everest? How can gamers change the world?

These are all questions I’ve had answered without asking them via the Ted Talks video podcast available through iTunes. A new video becomes available approximately every two days and they’re never any longer than about 20 minutes, so they’re perfect for a bus journey or lunchtime viewing. Obviously the Ted website has been uploading new Ted talks for a long time now, the difference with subscribing to the podcast is that you are treated to topics from a massive range of different Ted conferences. Subscribing means you’re stopping yourself from picking and choosing what you’re going to watch, thus you open yourself up to a far richer learning (and entertaining) experience.

Everyone talks about “information overload” and the noise created online, but when you use tools like I do to filter everything (the same way I filter my TV viewing) you miss out on learning about topics outside of your comfort zone. It’s important to step outside of this zone because the more information you have about the world outside of your bubble the greater your ability to understand that world and your impact upon it. It can also inspire your creativity and perhaps pique an interest in you that you never realised you had.

I’m not going to force it though, I think I just need a break, but I get bored far too easily slumped in front of the TV. I’ve just been in need of an alternative form of stimulation, but rather than allow my mind go soft, I’ve been enjoying aural and tactile stimulation instead – through podcasts, photography and putting the pieces together.

Podcasts: Every day I’ve been listening to “Stuff You Should Know” from howstuffworks.com – which are exceptionally easy to process because they make you feel like you’re listening in on someone else’s conversation rather than being lectured to. I can close my eyes and let the words sink in, my brain is softly soaking up what it finds most interesting and finding this aural input a wonderful break from concentrating on words on a computer screen. These 20 minute conversations have covered a wide variety of topics and I’ve been enjoying learning about subjects outside of Psychology and Technology for once.

Photography: I’ve wanted to take up photography as a serious hobby for many years. Now I’m finally starting to action this desire. I’ve taken 100’s of photos in the last few weeks, some of which are on my Flickr. I’m finding this a great source of relaxation, especially when combined with a long walk – Two weeks ago I walked for about 3 hours through the beautiful Portumna Forest Park, it’s been the most relaxed I’ve been all year. We just walked and walked, not looking at our watches, just snapping anything of interest or beauty to us. I can definitely see myself doing this more often.

Putting the Pieces Together: I’ve always enjoyed solving problems and working with my hands, but recently this has also been a great source of frustration for me. There’s always been a ticking clock, a deadline more important and distracting. So one of the first things I found myself doing once college was finished was buying a new desk, because I finally had the time to put the pieces together. (In retrospect, the comfy new desk would have been handy during my studies…) I really enjoyed the simple act of creating something from all the pieces and I’m sitting at this now with a small sense of pride. Following this I couldn’t resist picking up a Chinese 3D wooden puzzle when I saw them in George’s Street Arcade last week; my bookshelf is now home to a Tyrannosaurs Rex.

Both photography and putting the pieces together are simple acts of creation that require a person to conceive them. Without you, it’s just a scene or a set of instructions and pieces sitting idle. They are actions that require some focus and put YOU firmly in control. I find myself calmed by this. I imagine other people would too. Perhaps you’re feeling the impending doom of the recession and/or that you have no control over what happens to you, my suggestion to is that you try to relax by doing something physical that will lead to creation. If you prefer art, paint a picture, put it on your wall and let it remind you that you’re capable of being in control, of being that volatile element in your own environment.

Sometimes, our minds just need a break, and not just from reading.