This post is a collaboration with TV Licensing (a trademark of the BBC), but all thoughts and experiences are my own.
If you've seen any of my What I've Been Watching blog posts, you will know how much I enjoy sitting back and watching a great TV show. Whether it's live TV or catching up on demand on the likes of BBC iPlayer, I always like to carve out time to relax and unwind. And today I'm sharing some of my favourite ways to do exactly that.
While I'm counting down the days until the festive break when I can close my work laptop and cosy up with a tub of chocolates and watch the brilliant Christmas specials and Christmas day films on TV, there are a few ways that I like to spend quality time with my family, as well as taking some time for myself.
Lunchtime catchups
As someone who works from home, it can be tricky to fully switch off from work during my lunch hour, but catching up with a great bit of TV is one of the best ways to do that. I find that something fun and entertaining is best, as I can dip in and out of it over a few lunchtimes. And it's also when I typically get a chance to catch up with shows like Celebrity Masterchef, the Great British Sewing Bee and Survivor UK. Give me a good competition show, and I'll be seated to watch it at lunchtime.
Unwinding after work
Once I've closed my laptop and put dinner on, I tend to gravitate towards some of my absolute favourite TV shows to watch in the evening. Think The Traitors – both the UK and the US versions – Race Across the World and Ru Paul's Drag Race UK. Friday night is Drag Race UK night in our house at the moment and it gets me through a long day at work.
Family game night
So, in our household, we are big fans of quizzes and game shows, and we tend to dedicate one evening a week to playing our very favourite; Only Connect. If you've never tried it before, it can look a bit intimidating but once you do you'll quickly find yourself shouting answers at the screen. My mum even takes a tally of our points each week to see how we've done compared to previous weeks. Other favourites include the new celebrity specials of The Weakest Link, Alan Carr's Picture Slam and of course, Pointless.
Relaxing on Sunday mornings
While I've now gotten into the habit of booking a reformer Pilates class every Saturday morning and doing any errands such as taking back library books, returning online orders or picking up something special for dinner that night, I like to take Sunday at a much slower pace. It's the only day of the week that I make sure to have a long lie. And when I do get up, something baking or food-related works well.
Who else has been watching the latest series of the Great British Bake Off? I'm basically rooting for all the bakers this year, which is very unlike me. Normally I have a standout favourite but they're all so brilliant.
Checking shows off my watch list before bed
I try my hardest not to spend hours scrolling on my phone before bedtime, which typically means reading a few chapters of a book before getting into bed and catching up with some of the TV shows that everyone has been talking about. And as the nights close in, this is such a nice way to end the day.
Some of my favourite genres in recent months have been rom-coms and crime dramas. But whatever I'm watching, it's all about taking the time to relax or catch up with family, while we watch our favourite shows.
What are your TV watching habits like? Are you a fan of any of the shows that I've mentioned? Or do you have any recommendations based on what you've been watching recently?
Your TV Licence lets you enjoy a huge range of live TV. It covers you for:
• All TV channels, like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Dave and international channels – but you don’t need a licence if you only watch non-BBC channels on-demand
• Pay TV services, like Sky, Virgin Media, and BT – but these are platforms that could have both live and on-demand services
• Live TV on streaming services, like YouTube and Amazon Prime Video
• Everything on BBC iPlayer. This includes recording and downloading. On any device.
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