Binge-Watching ‘Friends’ Will Help Ease Your Anxiety
It’ll be there for you
NBC
There are a few iconic shows and films that will stay in our hearts forever and one of those is the 90’s phenomenon, Friends.
Friends gave us so many laughs over the years and it turns out that the lyrics ‘I’ll be there for you’ were more true than we could have ever guessed.
Marc Hekster, clinical psychologist at The Summit Clinic, has revealed that watching Friends can calm you down and help to ease your anxiety!
He revealed to Metro, "Having worked for over a period of 20 years with those experiencing anxiety.
"I can conclude that among other factors, it is the repetitive and relational nature of programs such as Friends and Big Bang Theory that will be doing the trick" when it comes to calming your anxious thoughts.
"Anxiety is in fact the human minds' alarm system, indicating that something is wrong, and usually the result of pent up and unprocessed feelings.
"If [the feelings] can't find a way of being expressed, the alarm system triggers, and it is usually not very pleasant for the person suffering with anxiety."
Marc continued, explaining, "[Friends] is about an experience of repair, of watching the characters in the show repeatedly having worries, which then get repaired and soothed, usually in the context of other relationships in their lives.
"Complex problems are made the focus of each episode and then they are resolved within the relationships which are the essence of the shows. It is pure escapism, excellent, bring it on."
Repetition is healing in its nature - we know the outcome and it’s soothing to be able to depend on that certainty. Much like little kids who resolve their emotions by doing the same thing again and again, it can also help us. It is “at the heart of human development.”
But remember, TV isn’t real life! Life can never be so perfect and that’s what makes it beautiful.
I for one definitely agree that binge-watching your fave shows helps ease the stresses of life and anxiety, even if only for a short time!
My recommendation? The Office.
You’ll be laughing for weeks.
Do YOU find that bingeing on your fave TV shows helps your anxiety?
Let us know in the Facebook comments!
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