don’t get me wrong, i love grey’s anatomy – but THIS is when i LOVED grey’s anatomy pic.twitter.com/Z53zaGO2Ob

— Grey’s Anatomy Fans (@The_GreyMethod) May 9, 2022

{*Did you know you can write on Elephant? Here’s how—big changes: How to Write & Make Money or at least Be of Benefit on Elephant. ~ Waylon}
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I’ve been saying this for at least the past eight years or so, but the world feels crazy stressful these days.

Every day it feels like we’re living through something historic—and not the good kind of historic.

Political violence. Genocide. Hateful rhetoric. Mass shootings. Loss of our basic human rights. Rising prices for everything. And 24-hour access to all of it via social media and talking-head newsroom commentary.

And this is before we factor in our personal stressors.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think we were meant to live like this on a daily basis.

As someone who went to school for journalism, I believe in staying aware of what’s going on in the world. I’m not a “bury my head in the sand” and “avoid the news simply because it’s negative” kind of person. It’s my responsibility as someone who cares about myself, others, and the world at large to know what’s going on, to educate myself, to get the full story so I can make an informed decision.

I’m also not a “positive vibes only” kind of person. I deal with anxiety, so I’m honestly a “shaky vibes depending on the circumstances” kind of person. And yet, I also believe in balance.

Part of finding balance is exposing ourselves to things that make us uncomfortable, that trigger us, that cause us pain and suffering, and being willing to sit with those feelings. The flip side is that we must also then find ways to comfort ourselves, to connect with things that heal us and calm us and encourage us to keep moving forward. To find our coping mechanisms when the world feels out of control.

And one of my favorite coping mechanisms is watching what I refer to as my emotional support movies and TV shows.

You know what I’m talking about. The movies or shows that you will rewatch over and over again, even though you’ve seen them hundreds of times. The ones you can recite without even thinking about it. The ones that make you laugh or cry at the same parts every single time.

There have been tons of studies done in the past few years about why we revisit the same movies and shows, even when we have so many new options available to us with a simple click.

According to research, rewatching our favorite movies and shows can, in part:

>> Help us feel less lonely
>> Restore feelings of self-control
>> Allow us to re-energize after a stressful day
>> Lower our risk of distress and disappointment

I’ve found all of these to be true in my own life. When my anxiety is running high or I don’t want to make one more decision in my daily life, I turn on the TV and immediately press play on one of two things that I know will calm me: “Titanic” or “Grey’s Anatomy.”

While both could be considered stressful forms of entertainment, especially if you’ve never seen them, I’ve watched them so many times that although they deal with tragedy and death and loss, my brain knows what to anticipate and there is a sense of comfort in that. I also know that I can zone out and do other tasks while they’re on and jump back in 10 minutes later without having missed anything.

It’s wild how our brains work, right?

A few days ago, as our non-stop news cycle was replaying the video of a shooter at the Trump rally, I honestly just couldn’t take watching the same footage and hearing the same commentary anymore. So much of it felt hollow and hypocritical, so I turned to our Elephant readers to connect.

I posted this question, “What’s your emotional support movie or TV show? The one you watch when you need comfort or a mental health break.” And then I spent the next few hours reading and responding to comments, and finding a sense of authentic community with people who are all looking for the same kind of comfort.

Here are some of their responses. You might find your emotional comfort movie or show among the list, or maybe you’ll discover a new show that will one day be the one you watch on repeat when the world feels upside down:

1. “Easy, and I’m not alone in saying Ted Lasso.”

2. “Friends. It’s helped me through some tough times.”

3. “Gilmore Girls or Golden Girls…my feel good series.”

4. “Glee, for sure.”

5. “Love Actually and Notting Hill.”

6. “Eat, Pray, Love.”

7. “Anything Star Wars or Star Trek.”

8. “Steel Magnolias.”

9. “Anything Harry Potter.”

10. “American Graffiti…been watching it nearly every night for 3 weeks now.”

11. “When Harry Met Sally. Always make me laugh and my heart lighter.”

12. “Call the Midwives.”

13. “The Office.”

14. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

15. “Schitt’s Creek. Always brings a giggle!”

16. “Law and Order, weird but yes.”

17. “The West Wing, seasons 1-4. My ‘political Teddy Bear.'”

18. “Terms of Endearment. It’s so sad but very beautiful. Life is complicated and then you die.”

19. “The Walking Dead.”

20. “Legally Blonde or Miss Congeniality.”

21. “The Great British Baking Show.”

22. “Seinfeld. I watch it every night before I fall asleep.”

23. “Modern Family.”

24. “Hallmark Christmas movies.”

25. “Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing.”

26. “Downton Abbey.”

27. “Lord of the Rings, all of them.”

28. “Amelie.”

29. “The Big Chill. It’s my favorite.”

30. “It varies, but Frasier is pretty consistent for me.”

31. “Practical Magic.”

32. “The Good Place.”

33. “Arrested Development. It’s so ridiculous I can’t help but laugh.”

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Share your picks in the comments!

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