Sometimes binge watching TV can be productive.

The advent of Netflix original shows revolutionized the way I watch television. No longer do I need to wait from week to week, hypothesizing what will happen next. In high school, I used to pour over Lost message boards, reading theories of what the number sequence represented and what it meant for the future of the show. Now, I can watch an entire season of House of Cards in one fell swoop.

Of course, binge watching isn’t always good. I’ve definitely started watching an episode of West Wing over breakfast and suddenly it’s dinner, I’m through an entire season, and I’ve gotten nothing done.

Yesterday, I was taking a data test as part of the interview process for a potential job, and I needed to focus. So I told myself the new season of House of Cards had not in fact come out that morning and buried myself in work. Bleary-eyed around dinner time, my friend suggested I take a break, get dinner and watch an episode. I was a little worried. What if my lack of self-control gets the better of me and watch the whole series and don’t complete my test?

Instead I realized that taking that mental break was rejuvenating. I had been overthinking the test and desperately needed to step away. This morning I woke up refreshed and ready to edit and press send on my test (and excited to see how the rest of the season turns out!)

Slice of Life is a daily writing challenge during the month of March hosted by Two Writing Teachers. Visit their blog for more information about the challenge and for advice and ideas about how to participate.