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There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t love an old-school Christmas movie, right? And while we can already enjoy Home Alone, which is always on the air every year, it also turns out to be super good for your mental health. Our colleagues at Marie Claire will tell you exactly why.
Christmas movies
Suffering from Christmas stress? Then it might help to put on a Christmas movie. Various studies have shown that Christmas films evoke emotions that can help us de-stress.
In addition, research shows that watching Christmas films releases a ‘feel-good hormone’, which can produce a feeling of happiness. “I think anything that takes us out of our normal habit stimulates our senses. Our senses then measure whether it is pleasant or not. A Christmas celebration will produce dopamine, a feel-good hormone,” said a psychologist.
Simple and moralistic
Psychologist Danielle Forshee also explains why we become happier when we watch Christmas films. “When we witness a character experiencing pain, happiness, loss, or any other emotion, our brain recognizes it and we immediately start feeling that same emotion. Like it’s real,” Forshee said.
Therapist Kati Morton also told Huffpost that because of the happy endings in Christmas movies, we are quickly attracted to the easy solutions. “This is because it sometimes seems like our daily lives often contain more questions than answers,” she says.
Behavioral scientist Pamela Rutledge explains that classic – predictable – Christmas movies can provide a break from reality for some people. “The human brain likes patterns, and the predictability is cognitively rewarding,” she explains. “Those predictable storylines provide comfort by presenting life as simple and moralistic.”
Strengthen relationships
With this in mind, it is therefore not surprising that Christmas films can strengthen relationships. Everyone in your inner circle will feel you grow closer while watching a Christmas movie. This is mainly due to the emphasis placed on that family feeling. So that means binging!
Source: Marie Claire, The List, Do You Remember | Image: The Princess Switch
