One of the most common and easy ways to de-stress for a long chaotic day is by watching television. In fact, psychologists believe that when we are overloaded and stressed, rewatching nostalgic films or TV shows can be restorative for most people, especially people who have anxiety. 

One reason why this happens is because when you rewatch something,  your brain has to do little to no work to understand what’s happening in the plot and in a stressful situation, one thing that makes your brain happy is giving it time to rest. Comfort movies and shows do just that, by giving you something familiar that you know you already enjoy. 

Some very popular comfort movies and shows this year are Encanto,  How To Train Your Dragon, Moon Knight, Pride and Prejudice, Heartstopper, Gilmore Girls, Community, 10 Things I Hate About You,  Our Flag Means Death, and What We Do in the Shadows. 

As most of us know, Encanto is definitely one of the bigger ones on the list. This is mostly because it also involves the comfort of very catchy music. One student who identifies this as their favorite movie is sophomore, Nassir Foster. 

“Encanto is a movie that inspires me to look past my typical responsibilities and focus on new things I can do and try,” said Foster . 

Some television can be a way to reject your usual responsibilities and give yourself something to inspire you to do them. I know one of my favorite ways to get myself in the mood to do school work is to watch Dead Poets Society, Mona Lisa Smile, Kill Your Darlings, or School Ties because they romanticize the idea of studying, along with being stories that are pretty calm and the plots are based primarily on friendships and relationships. 

Given these recommendations, next time you start to feel stressed about school or work (or anything happening in your life), maybe go grab a blanket and your most comfortable pajamas, and watch your favorite film or show.