The day was long and straining. Those people in your group project annoyed you. You are not getting along with your friend right now. Your workload is piling up. And that headache from yesterday is creeping up again.
Whatever your problems may be, we all have days that really weigh down on us and put us in a not great mental space.
Like many, I open up Netflix, HBO Max or Hulu to forget about my problems.
While distracting yourself from you problems with TV can be healthy to an extent, many people pick shows that will certainly not help.
After a bad day, the last thing you should watch are shows filled with unhealthy behaviors and habits–whether that is emotional, sexual or anything else. Sometimes seeing characters that give into their destructive behaviors will put us in the mindset that the world is terrible. But, sometimes we need to distance ourselves from the bad day instead of giving into negativity.
Although these shows may be your comfort shows, here is a list of some mentally destructive shows to avoid when you are not in a great mental space:
- “Bojack Horseman”
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A post from the Bojack Horseman instagram page I love this show. The characters are complex and interesting. They draw you in and you start to care about what happens to them.
But, you should not be in a bad headspace while watching this show.
While the show comes off as a comedy, the show portrays topics that are not funny at all. Topics like suicide, depression, drug addictions, overdoses, sex addictions, mental disorders and more are regular occurrences throughout the episodes.
The main character, Bojack, is constantly shown giving into his destructive behaviors and intrusive thoughts. And, while that does not mean you will do those actions if you are watching it, it can make you more likely to give in to the more negative aspects of life.
If you are feeling particularly sad or lonely that day, “Bojack Horseman” could make you feel more lonely and sad.
It was my comfort show at some point, but since breaking free, I realized that the show brings a lot of negative feelings out.
- “13 reasons WHY”
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A post from the 13 Reasons Why instagram page While I think that this one is fairly self-explanatory, it is still necessary to say.
If you are feeling lonely or sad, watching a show entirely based on the story of a girl’s sexual assault and eventual suicide can bring about feelings of sadness, isolation, and defeat.
As always, if you find yourself struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please look for help. Recovery is possible.
And, if you are already struggling with these dark thoughts, watching “13 Reasons Why” will most likely not help.
- “gossip girl”
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This one may be surprising for some people. But I believe that “Gossip Girl” should not be your go-to comfort show.
This advice is especially for high schoolers.
Many of us started watching this show at a young age, and it definitely warped our thoughts on age. As a middle schooler or high schooler watching it, it often makes us think that all other teenagers are like the ones in “Gossip Girl”.
Kids start to think that every teen is going out all the time, drinking, clubbing, taking drugs, sleeping with adults and looking like a supermodel. It forces us to grow up a lot faster than we originally intended.
As a college student, watching this show may not have the same affect. But, it can make us feel insecure on a subconscious level.
Personally, my high school experience did not look anything like this show. When everyone in media seem to be grasping for this high school ideal, it can be invalidating or make us look back negatively on our past experiences.
In college, we can feel pressure to party and rage. If high schoolers can do it, college kids have to go harder. But, if you’re having a bad day, this is the last thing you should have to worry about.
When you feel bummed on a lonely night in, you should not have to confront fictional characters that make you feel bad. So, you may want to consider watching a different comfort show.
- “elite”
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Much like “Gossip Girl,” “Elite” also has the concept of aging kids too fast.
What seems to be a bigger problem in “Elite” is hyper-sexualization.
While everyone copes in their own way, this show promotes hyper sexual behavior at a young age. When the characters of the show go through any hardship, they turn to sex. This is not a healthy mindset.
Everyone’s comfortable levels with sex is different. It is a personal decision. But, turning to sex to cope with the problems in your life will not help.
And, if you are having sex with multiple partners, there is always the risk of STIs and pregnancy.
Audiences are not stupid. Just because a character on a show turns to sex in hardship does not mean you will. But, it can promote unhealthy coping mechanisms.
And if you’re going through a rough day, week or month, it may not be the best idea to consume content with unhealthy coping mechanisms.
- “euphoria”
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I know that everyone loves this show. I know that you turn it on after a long day. I know that you think it is distracting you.
But maybe you should think twice about it.
“Euphoria” is the culmination of every other item on this list. The show presents themes of hyper-sexualization, drug abuse, depression and overall dangerous behaviors.
In addition, this content is being pushed from middle schoolers to married, home-owning adults.
This show may not be great if you are not feeling good about your day, life or current mental space. It surrounds you with negativity which can make you feel worse.
When you are sad, do you really want to see Rue overdosing? Do you want to watch Nate abusing Cassie? Do you want to see Kat becoming a porn star?
While you may want to say “yes,” take a moment to consider what you are watching when you are not feeling great. There are hundreds of behaviors and scenes in the show that are overall not positive.
While you may want to watch the show when you are feeling fine, it may not be the best idea when you aren’t. Think twice about what media you are consuming.
These shows may be your go-to comfort shows, but remember that media affects you.
Whether you are watching TikToks, reading books or binging shows, what you are watching will affect your mood and attitude.
So, make sure to take care of your mental health. Take a break from the negativity.
Watch a happy, positive show. It may not be as exciting as Bojack buying a boat in Arizona, Dan Humphrey being the gossip girl or even Rue yelling at her mom. But avoiding these negative shows may make you feel a bit better at the end of the day.