Day 1 of NPR deprivation

Well, I made it through the morning with no npr. Actually, I found myself switching it on without thinking when I began routine activities such as getting dressed after my shower, washing dishes, and housework. I quickly turned it off each time. But I can see that i use npr as a way to occupy my brain when I am doing something tedious or mindless. The content is interesting enough to make whatever I am doing less boring. I don't think about it. On the other hand, I have noticed already that these tedious tasks are completed much more quickly without the radio. Clearly I am distracted by the content, even if I think it is just " background". The other thing I've noticed so far is that these basically solitary activities seem much more solitary without the radio, which is in keeping with a lot of commentary about the functions of radio that I have read.
I have not yet found that I am using different media to fill in for npr. I did not use my ipod or a CD player to accompany my activities-yet. I'll see later when I am grading papers and such.