(KNSI) — Whether it’s a new Hallmark movie, A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, or It’s a Wonderful Life, watching Christmas movies is good for our mental health.
Psychotherapist Dr. Stacia Alexander says watching favorite Christmas movies can be comforting because we want to “reconnect with those memories that have comforted us over the years. That’s what we really want to get back to and appreciate. A moment of gratitude.”
There’s another reason, too.
“They release those chemicals in our brain that help us to relax and decompress and feel happy. And of course, that’s what we need for proper mental health balance.”
Dr. Alexander is referring to cortisol and dopamine, which produce feelings of pleasure.
She says even with film characters like the Grinch or Scrooge, seeing holiday movies that end positively gives rise to the idea that things in our lives can also turn out positively.
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