A new study from the American Psychological Association has found that watching short inspirational videos can be just as effective as meditation in lowering stress.
The research shows that even spending just a few minutes each day watching videos that bring hope can help people feel less anxious and more ready to face life’s challenges.
Stress levels are rising across the United States. Many people, especially between ages 18 and 44, say they feel moderate to extreme stress every day. While experts often recommend meditation, exercise, hobbies, or talking to friends to relieve stress, not everyone has the time or energy to do these things.
Dr. Robin Nabi from the University of California Santa Barbara led the study. She said that many people already turn to media when they are feeling overwhelmed. “Instead of seeing media as something harmful, we should think about how it can help us, especially if the content is positive and hopeful,” Nabi explained.
The study was done during the holiday season, a time when stress is often high. Over 1,000 adults in the U.S. took part in a four-week online experiment. At the start, they filled out a survey to measure their stress levels. Then, for five days, participants were divided into five groups.
One group watched short inspirational videos, another watched funny videos, one followed guided meditations, another scrolled through their phones, and the last group did nothing special.
Each activity lasted about five minutes a day. After each session, participants shared how they felt emotionally. Researchers checked in again the following week and ten days after the activities ended.
The results were clear. People who watched the inspirational videos or did meditation felt more hopeful during the week. This feeling of hope helped lower their stress levels not only right after the sessions but also up to ten days later.
The people who watched funny videos or scrolled their phones felt good in the moment, but those feelings didn’t help reduce stress later on.
According to Dr. Nabi, the most important factor in reducing stress was feeling hope. When people saw stories of others overcoming struggles, it helped them believe they could do the same. That belief made it easier to deal with their own problems.
This study suggests that watching inspiring videos can be a simple and helpful tool to fight stress, especially for people who find it hard to meditate or follow other techniques. While it’s not a replacement for other proven stress-relief methods, it’s another easy option to add to the toolbox.
Dr. Nabi hopes that more people will start choosing media that makes them feel hopeful. “Even a little bit of inspiring content each day might make a big difference in how we handle stress,” she said.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about Middle-aged women with no kids may have this mental issue and findings of scientists find a cause of mental illnesses induced by childhood abuse.
For more about mental health, please read studies about Frequent painkiller use linked to mental health risks in these people and findings of Common depression drugs may offer new treatment for bipolar disorder.
The study is published in Psychology of Popular Media.
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