Many of us find comfort in our favorite TV shows because they become meaningful to us. It’s the town or city we fall in love with, the characters we wish were our friends, and the challenges they face that we experience along with them. Our comfort shows take us back to a time we love to revisit. The familiarity of these shows create a priceless experience beyond entertainment.
Bored and switching channels, I came across Fox’s “New Girl”, a sitcom about a girl who just recently broke up with her boyfriend and moves to live in an apartment full of men. This quickly became one of my favorite shows because of the characters’ dynamics, and friendship (and Nick and Jess, the protagonist’s romance).
The nostalgic feeling I get when I rewatch “New Girl” and remember how it took away my boredom is priceless. It was the show that would keep me past my bedtime and have my mama come down and tell me to go to bed. The show reminds me of my elementary school days, even though I finished watching the entire show later in high school. It takes me back to the days when I didn’t have to worry about a paper due Friday.
Recently, it became even more apparent on social media that rewatching shows is all about nostalgia, familiarity, and stress relief. I’ve scrolled past posts about fall being for “Gilmore Girls”, another popular sitcom. Many of my friends have already posted on their stories that as soon as fall comes, their days will be filled with rewatching shows they believe are “fall vibes”.
Nostalgia is ingrained in our holidays and seasons and often particular shows help us express those feelings we like to revisit.
Turning on the TV at the end of the day to a comfort show welcomes us to relax and destress our brains. This stress relief is possible because these shows allow our minds to rest. With our favorite shows, many of us experience an attachment to certain characters and that relationship makes us feel comforted.
Shows can make us feel seen and avoid rejection or regret when trying something new. People are often natural seekers of social interactions, and shows are perfect for meeting that need through attachments of characters and shows.
If you love a show, the story is ingrained in your mind and becomes something you play in the background while completing assignments. It’s easier to go back and rewatch something- getting to know a new show takes effort in sitting down and learning the new information of the plot.
The knowledge of knowing the beginning and end of a story removes the stress of the “unknown” such as losing a character you’ve grown to love. At least with a comfort show, you know that if a character eventually dies, the emotional pain you experience when losing that character is less because you already know it’s coming. Many of my friends prefer to watch their favorite episodes all the time because they know what’s going to happen. With “New Girl”, I love watching episode 24 from season 1 called “See Ya” to revisit some of my favorite character interactions and hilarious moments.
These shows provide us with comfort, which we cannot always receive on short notice from people in our lives. In reality, sometimes you will want to spend time with someone and they will not have the time immediately. Shows are an immediate source of the safety and care we are looking for.
These shows are an effective way to destress us, transport us back in time, and provide us comfort when we need it. The challenges we face can be stressful and spending an hour to relax can help our mental health. So, rewatch your comfort show, and let your mind relax from everyday life by escaping to a wonderful fictional world.
