Which side of this streaming debate do you fall on: weekly releases or binge-watching? I don’t care if I’m called a dinosaur. I prefer weekly releases when it comes to television. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for binge-watching. I’ve knocked out seasons of television before in one sitting. It happens.

If I have the choice, I want to enjoy my television over the course of multiple days or weeks. When you have a show that releases episodes weekly, it’s easy. You simply wait for the episode to drop, and you watch it. Where it gets tricky is when a show releases all episodes at once. Then, it takes some strategy.

You don’t have to ditch the binge model entirely. I’m OK if you watch a few episodes at a time. Here are three strategies to change your binge-watching habits.

Save it for the weekend

Have the willpower to split it up

As someone whose job requires me to watch television, I understand the importance of finishing shows at a brisk pace. You have to keep up with the internet. Frankly, spoiler culture has gotten out of hand. If eight episodes are released on a Friday morning, social media will be reposting clips by Friday afternoon. It’s not OK, and unfortunately, I can’t do anything about it. My advice would be to either stay off the internet or mute terms related to the show so you don’t see spoilers on your timeline.

What can you do if an eight-episode show drops on a Friday? Your first instinct might be to hustle home from work and spend your Friday night completing an entire season. Well, this is where you need some willpower. I suggest splitting episodes into smaller groups. You don’t have to watch all episodes at once, but you should stop after three episodes.

Here’s what I would do if I wanted to finish eight episodes by Sunday night. Let’s also say I’m watching a drama, so episodes run from 45 minutes to an hour. I would watch two on Friday night, three on Saturday, and three on Sunday evening. That way, you can go into work on Monday and participate in some water cooler talk about the show you just watched.

By splitting these episodes into three blocks, you’re maximizing your attention span. I’m sure many of you pull out your phones multiple times throughout an episode. Now imagine if you sat down and did that for an entire binge-watching session. That’s a lot of time spent on your phone. Are you truly giving a show your undivided attention if your phone is out for half of it?

For me, I’m less inclined to pull my phone out if I know I’m only watching two to three episodes at a time. I’ll give the show my attention for two to three hours, and I’ll hit the internet after for episode recaps and online chatter about what I just watched.

The after-work strategy

Treat yourself to some TV after a hard day’s work

I’m a firm believer in treating oneself after work. From delicious food and satisfying drinks to extra sleep and comfortable lounging, everyone deserves to reward themselves at the end of a long day. For a lot of us, including myself, the best way to unwind is to watch a few episodes of a TV show. It’s an ideal form of escapism.

Let’s say a 10-episode season has dropped on your favorite streaming service. You’re eager to finish it all at once, and rightfully so. I’m asking you to pump the brakes and try the “after-work strategy.” While I’d prefer you to space the episodes out over a few weeks, I’m not requiring it. Instead, at least spread it out over the course of a few workdays.

Credit: Warrick Page/HBO Max

Mondays are not fun — let’s be honest. It’s hard for some of us to adjust to the first day after the weekend. What if you had something to look forward to after work? Here’s where the new season of TV comes in handy. Watch the first two episodes of the new season on a Monday night after coming home from work. It’s the perfect little treat to cap off a tough day. Continue the pattern for the rest of the week — watch two episodes per night from Tuesday through Thursday.

Then, you can save the final two episodes for whenever you have some free time on the weekend. And just like that, you’re done with the season in a week’s time. You made it through another week of work, and you completed a new show. That sounds like a successful week to me.

Subscription with ads

Yes, $8/month

Simultaneous streams

Two or four

Streaming your shows while traveling

This is the ideal time to watch your shows

Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek | Julia Anisimova/Shutterstock

I don’t want you to binge-watch shows often, but if you’re going to go down that road, streaming while traveling is the ideal scenario. Summer is one of the most popular times to go on vacation. Some of that travel requires long days at the airport and on a plane. Once you’re in the air, you can’t go anywhere. This is the exact scenario when you should knock out multiple episodes in a row.

I find that saving a show that you’ve always wanted to watch for vacation is the way to go. What do I mean by that? If you have that show to watch but never had time to start, save it for your next plane ride. The conversation around the show has likely passed. Now, you don’t have to worry about spoilers.

Credit: Aaron Epstein/Prime

You can choose to finish a Netflix series or Prime Video show on one long plane ride. You could also split it up across multiple days of your vacation and save the final stretch of episodes for the plane ride back. Either way, you’re going to have a lot of free time during a trip. Take advantage of it.

Subscription with ads

Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month

Simultaneous streams

3

What should you watch?

You have your strategies. Now, you need something to watch. Some new shows that might pique your interest include Every Year After on Prime Video and Sweet Magnolias season 5 on Netflix. Plus, head to Netflix if you’re searching for a rom-com because Office Romance is now available to stream.