Mental health is a greater concern than ever. An estimated 21% of adults in the United States suffered from a mental illness in 2020.
We talk a lot about various things that we can do to tackle the mental health challenges we face. We have mentioned the importance of therapy, which can actually save lives.
However, there are also everyday things we can do to look after our mental health. One thing worth thinking about is watching the right TV shows. Watching the right shows can actually help our mental health.
Watching the Right Shows and Moves Might Improve Your Mental Health
Watching TV shows and movies are often referred to as time-wasting activities or mere hobbies. What most people don’t know is that watching films can be a reliable source of several benefits for your mental health. However, the choice and selection of content is the key, and if you are looking to boost your morale, you must watch the best shows on Netflix.
While an excess of screen time can be detrimental to your health and hurt your sleep, finding a perfect balance between leisure watching and binge-watching is necessary. In a modern-day life filled with hustle and bustle, occupying in the hobbies that keep your work-life stress away is a blessing in disguise.
If you love consuming online video content, you must read this article to find out how watching movies and shows can benefit your mental health.
How is watching movies and shows beneficial for mental health?
Here are some of the benefits that come with watching your favorite movies and TV shows:
Revitalize mood
In case you have been suffering from depression or anxiety disorder, repercussions. Even if you are finding it difficult to find a work-life balance or are stressed about your family and professional commitments, watching a good movie or TV show can alleviate the depressing vibes and boost your overall mood.
As per a study published by BMJ Journals in 2016, cherishing leisure activities like watching TV shows and films could effectively uplift your mood and mitigate depression symptoms.
Relaxation
Entertainment that gives delightful distractions could yield relaxation and rest, as well as offers replenishing qualities, a 2017 research published on Taylor & Francis Online revealed.
Getting relaxation by the means of watching movies and TV shows might be more convenient than it appears. Watching video content can help you eradicate worthless distractions. If you are finding it difficult to get away with your after-hours office tasks or other routine stressors, you can keep everything aside and start watching a movie or a TV show as per your taste.
Romantic comedies, musical dramas, and other relieving genres could be an ideal distraction needed by you to relax following a hectic day.
Enhanced Motivation
Movies and TV shows can be an authentic source of motivation and morale boosting in several ways. Giving yourself a necessary break from the daily work-related stress and keeping your mind fresh is vital. You can do that by watching something motivational that can provide much-needed inspiration and make you more productive.
If a film revolves around an inspirational character or follows someone accomplishing their goals and dreams, it can ultimately give enhance your motivation to follow suit. A 2020 study published on Wiley Online Library found that watching motivational content can also inspire an individual to follow their dreams or chase a new aim.
Strengthen relationships
In case you have been feeling estranged from someone closer to you, be it the love of your life, kid, colleague, or best friend, watching films or TV shows together can bridge the distance between you two and have the capacity to revive your relationship.
Especially, if you two share the same preferences in the types of content, exploring something new to watch can bring you closer. It will strengthen your mutual bond while watching, and you will also feel a sense of harmony and revitalized connection while you and your partner reflect on the details afterward.
Abate stress
A quality comedy movie can give you a good laugh as well as will help you alleviate levels of your stress. A study performed in 2016 found that laughing can be a good exercise to reduce the hormonal levels within the body that causes stress, such as epinephrine and cortisol.
Even if you don’t feel like laughing or are rather sad and grim, try watching a drama with a sentimental story. Crying is also proven to be at service to haul down the level of cortisol in your bloodstream, as revealed in a study published on APA PsycNet in 2020.
Inspirit cultural and social awareness
If you like watching movies that are baked on quite tough topics, it can prove to become an intriguing experience from which you may gain something positive.
Whether you are trying to understand a contemporary social issue better or want to spark a dialogue about an opposite viewpoint, watching TV shows and films with social and cultural plots can help you educate and be well-informed.
What is cinema therapy?
Apart from just being a source of entertainment and diversion from a tough day, watching a TV show or a film can also prove to be a very therapeutic technique. Even video and cinema therapies are used sometimes as an aid in psychotherapy.
According to a 2021 study, therapists may use this therapy technique to disclose a character to you, who might share a related emotional encounter like you. It may also aspire you to see your situations from another perspective, which may suggest a new way to handle things.
A therapist can also choose the cinema in the form of a commercial flick or documentary linked to your hardships. If you are having any ups and downs in your love relationship, your therapist might ask you to watch content having a similar theme.
Also, you might even get some healing exercises to do prior to, in between, or after you have finished watching. The movie, theme, genre, and type will be chosen depending on your situation.
Improve Your Mental Health By Watching the Right Shows and Movies
Engaging yourself in free-time activities, like watching TV shows and movies can render several benefits. It can improve your overall mental health, strengthen relationships, and relieve stress.
Still, watching your favorite video content isn’t a cure or remedy for your serious mental health concerns. You must immediately consult a medical practitioner or a psychiatrist if you are unable to cope with your anxieties and daily life stress.
Medical advice regarding cinema therapy from a professional can help you determine whether it will work with your mental health condition lifestyle or not.