\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n \tRelated story \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tKids Who Got Their First Smartphone at 12 Had 31% Higher Odds of Depression, a Study of 10,588 Children Found\t\t<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n \t \n\tSo if you\u2019ve been feeling guilty about starting the same series again, you can give yourself a break. Wanting something familiar at the end of a stressful day doesn\u2019t make you lazy.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWhen life feels uncertain or overwhelming, returning to a familiar show provides a sense of comfort and predictability that our brains genuinely crave,\u201d Roeske said.<\/p>\n \n\tThat can be a relief if you\u2019re already anxious or easily affected by what you watch. Roeske explained that a familiar show takes away the worry of an unexpected twist. She also described rewatchers as potentially empathetic or sentimental, so the attachment may go beyond the story itself.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cRe-watchers often associate certain TV shows with specific memories, people, or chapters of their lives,\u201d she continued. \u201cReturning to that is a way of reconnecting with something meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOf course, people rewatch shows for all sorts of reasons. Not everyone who returns to the same series is anxious or sentimental.<\/p>\n \n\tWatching the same episodes to unwind is often called \u201ccomfort television<\/a>.\u201d Roeske describes it as a form of \u201cemotional self-regulation.\u201d You recognize that you\u2019re stressed and choose something you know will help you relax.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cSomeone who recognizes they\u2019re stressed, overwhelmed, or emotionally depleted, and intentionally reaches for something they know will comfort them, is demonstrating emotional intelligence,\u201d she told Parade<\/em>.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Hearty Soul<\/a> also describes comfort viewing as a way to cope with stress<\/a>, not just laziness. Knowing what happens next is part of it, but so is spending time with characters you\u2019ve grown attached to.<\/p>\n \n\tShira Gabriel, a University at Buffalo psychology professor, studies how television can help people feel connected. Her work suggests that the company of familiar characters can offer a real sense of belonging.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s actually a very healthy part of maintaining a strong sense of self and sense of connection in the modern world,\u201d Gabriel told TIME<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tIn a 2009 paper published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology<\/em><\/a>, Gabriel and fellow researchers Jaye L. Derrick and Kurt Hugenberg examined whether familiar TV programs could help people feel less rejected. In one experiment, participants who thought about a program they loved after a threat to a close relationship were less vulnerable to drops in self-esteem, negative mood, and feelings of rejection.<\/p>\n \n\tReruns may help when you\u2019re mentally worn out, too. In a separate study<\/a>, Derrick found that people turned to familiar stories after tasks that required self-control. Returning to those stories also helped restore their self-control.<\/p>\n \n\tSo go ahead and start that series again. If it helps you relax<\/a> after a stressful day, that\u2019s a good enough reason.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Tween](\"https:\/\/www.sheknows.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-sheknows-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\n<\/section>\n<\/p>\n\n\t\tWhy Do People Rewatch the Same TV Shows?\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tIs Rewatching Your Favorite Show a Healthy Coping Habit?\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhat Does Research Say About Comfort TV?\t<\/h2>\n