What makes a comfort watch?

As delicious as I find prestige television such as Succession or The White Lotus, more often than not I find myself reaching for comfort in the familiar or trivial instead. Whether it’s distracting myself to the point of sleepiness with a favorite show before bed or snatching a fun moment with a YouTube video during lunch, I know I’m not alone in using comfort watches as a method of self-soothing.

Something about this genre of media serves to regulate our nervous systems and instill a feeling of “everything’s gonna be okay.” So what exactly makes a movie or show this comforting? I think the answers we give are probably as unique as we are. So here’s a tour through mine.

First, I think any media that harkens back to childhood tends to elicit feelings of warmth and safety, even if our upbringings were far from that. Every child learns to self-sooth in one way or another, so those stories will always hold a special power. For me, it’s the 90s rom-coms I watched on repeat with my mother, cross-stitching projects settled in our laps. You’ve Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, The Holiday, While You Were Sleeping. I have each of these films lovingly memorized and the protagonists feel as close as family, even seeming to evolve as their stories have been colored by my own life experience.

The cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Based on my conversations with others, it seems familiarity and predictability are another hallmark of comfort watches. Whether it’s a sitcom we’re rewatching for the millionth time or a workplace procedural where complex problems are solved by competent experts within the space of one episode, we seem to crave the safety of routine. In a scary, overwhelming, and unpredictable world, it makes sense that we would opt for no surprises in our choice of wind-down media. New Girl, Schitt’s Creek, and Star Trek (Deep Space Nine or The Next Generation) are my picks for this category.

For especially busy days, all we need is a bit of distraction or low-stakes entertainment. Trashy reality TV can be a nice diversion from our mundane stressors and persistent decision fatigue. Love Island has been a welcome obsession for me the past few months, making me feel grateful for my comparatively drama-free life while passionately rooting for the couples I support. The Great British Bake Off warms my soul because I love seeing people engage in their passions and their lives must be going pretty well if the most stressful part is worrying if their dough will rise in time.

Rushed lunches are less lonely with online faves filling the silence. YouTube channels and personalities such as Watcher Entertainment, Kitchen & Jorn, Dan & Phil, Caryn & Connie Gaming, and Sohla El-Waylly are all making educational and/or just-for-fun content with a silliness and authenticity that makes me feel like I’m goofing off with friends. I’ve also recently delved into the world of Dropout TV with its endearing cast of nerdy comedians and talented improv artists.

Finally, sometimes what I need most is a visual and auditory detox from our overstimulating digital world. Charming 2D animation such as Hilda, Bee and PuppyCat, or We Bare Bears are often what I seek out when I need an extra dose of grounding. Gentle storylines, innocent humor, and atmospheric soundtracks effectively turn down the volume on my noisy nervous system.

I’m sure other examples will rush to mind the moment I send off this dispatch, but for the sake of time I’ll end it here. I’d love to know what stories and characters bring you comfort in these harrowing times. And a special thank you to all the hardworking people who have devoted their careers to creating these life-affirming stories that bring us so much joy and calm.