Who knew that watching sad movies can actually make you happy? Well, I knew that, because I watch them all the time! Read on to learn why...
Anytime I recommend a movie to my Mom she asks the same question. "Does it have a happy ending?" She will not watch the movie unless I tell her how it ends. She simply does not want to watch sad movies. Ever! Even though the movie was amazingly directed, or has great acting. I cannot understand that because I love sad movies.
I love to watch sad movies when I'm happy, and even more so when I'm upset. It sounds weird, I know. A couple of months ago after yet another discussion of why I enjoy watching sad movies and getting the same "what is wrong with you?" look from a friend, I decided to do some research on the subject. "Surely I am not some kind of weirdo?" I thought. "I cannot be the only person out there like this!"
It only took a minute of Googling to find that there are actual scientific studies on this subject! These studies show what I've known all along to be true, that watching sad movies actually makes you happy.
"Researchers at Oxford University say that watching traumatic films boosts feelings of group bonding, as well as increasing pain tolerance by upping levels of feel-good, pain-killing chemicals produced in the brain."
So watching sad movies is kind of like a drug...very interesting! But how does it work?
“The argument here is that actually, maybe the emotional wringing you get from tragedy triggers the endorphin system,” said Robin Dunbar, a co-author of the study and professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford.
So basically, when you are sad, your brain sends the opposite hormones to make you feel better. Which results in being you being happy and relieved.
You can read the article here: Here
Watching Sad Movies Helps you Reflect on Your Life
I wrote a prior post about how I get over fights quickly with my Husband. You can read it here. In the post I describe how I used to stay angry for days over a fight but I found that watching sad movies helps put how insignificant the fight was in perspective, and afterwards I am no longer mad.
There's nothing like watching pure tradegy unfold for you to reflect on what is making you sad. When you watch a sad movie, you can get over things quicker, and get back to what's really important!
In an article from Time:
Showing an abridged version of Atonement, the 2007 flick depicting two war-torn lovers who fall victim to casualties of conflict, to an audience of 361 college students, the team monitored responses before, during and after the screening. Students were asked a series of questions measuring their happiness as well as rating the emotions they were feeling throughout the film. The findings conclude that people are suckers for fictional heartbreak because it evokes self-reflection and assessment, and ultimately leads to more positive attitudes about life after the movie ends.
I kind of laughed when I was doing research for this post, because Atonement is one of my go to sad movies to watch when I want to feel better and I mentioned it before!
My Other Go To Sad Movies to Watch
- Meet Joe Black
- Steel Magnolias
- Titanic
- The Time Travelers Wife
- P.S. I Love You
- Never Let Me Go
So...What About You?
I enjoy watching sad movies because it allows me to reflect on my life and my emotions in a controlled setting. So the next time you feel sad about your relationship or about the crypto market, or anything else, try watching a sad movie to make you feel better!
Do you watch sad movies to make you happier? Or do you only enjoy watching happy movies? What are your favorite sad movies to watch? I am always looking for new movies to watch, suggest them in the comment section below! I am always looking to meet new Steemians! I look forward to connecting with you! Steem on!