When 'comfort shows' act as a calming balm

Do you often end up cozying up to 'feel good' television—going back to content you've watched countless times before? Well, you're not alone, & the good news is, it might even be good for you

- GARIMA SADHWANI

You are completely familiar with the storyline, and you know the characters inside out, but you keep going back to your beloved television series nevertheless, even if it means watching it for the nth time. If this 'screen-time behaviour' is something that's bothering you, well, you're not alone—and if experts are to be believed, it might even be good for your mental health.

Such a series (or a book, podcast, music, or film, for that matter) is what experts call a 'comfort show' and, as the name suggests, could be anything that wraps you in a feeling of (you guessed it) comfort and helps you relax. Research shows that an increasing number of people are relying on their comfort shows to wind down after a long day, or at times when they are feeling anxious or stressed.

There are way too many dramas that fall in this category—Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Office, New Girl, Schitt's Creek, Gossip Girls, Two Broke Girls, How I Met Your Mother, and Community, among others.

Dr Aparna Ramakrishnan, consultant, psychiatry, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, says, "Comfort shows provide us comfort for a reason. They are funny and wholesome, sure. But there's also a sense of familiarity, a 'feel good' factor, and the hope of escapism from our daily drudgery."

Warmth & happiness A huge factor in why we go back to certain shows is the feeling of warmth and happiness that surrounds them. Says Dr Ramakrishnan, "We have long days at work and so much uncertainty in our daily lives that the predictability of these shows helps us feel calmer and mirrors a sense of routine and grounding."