After a long, stressful day, you could pick something new. Instead, you put on the same comedy you've seen a dozen times. You know every line, and that's exactly the point. If this sounds familiar, you're far from alone. So why do people with anxiety watch the same shows? The short answer: familiar stories can offer predictability, rest and comfort when your mind feels anything but calm. This post explains the likely reasons, when rewatching helps and when it may slide into avoidance.
This post is general information, not a diagnosis or medical advice.
Why rewatching can feel so good when you're anxious
First, an honest note: there's very little direct research on rewatching shows and anxiety. What we can do is look at better-studied ideas, like how anxious minds respond to uncertainty and what nostalgia does for mood, and see how they might fit.
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that feeling anxious is a normal part of life, and that anxiety disorders involve worry or fear that doesn't go away and can get worse over time. When your mind is already working hard, it makes sense to want entertainment that asks very little of it.
Knowing the ending, a break from uncertainty
Many people with anxiety find uncertainty especially hard to sit with. Psychologists call this intolerance of uncertainty. A 2014 review by Einstein in Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice describes it as a tendency to react negatively to uncertain situations, and describes one part of it as a "need for predictability."
A 2016 review by Carleton in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders went further, arguing that fear of the unknown may be a fundamental fear underlying anxiety. That's a proposal, not settled fact, but it helps explain the appeal.
When you rewatch a show, there's no uncertainty at all. You know who gets together, who survives and how every episode ends. For people with anxiety who watch the same shows over and over, that can be a rare break from "what if." Our post on intolerance of uncertainty explores this idea in more depth.
Less effort for a tired brain
New shows ask you to learn characters, follow plot twists and stay alert for surprises. When you're already tired from worrying, that can feel like work.
A familiar show is easier. You can half-watch, chat or relax without missing anything. It's a bit like the difference between reading a new book and listening to a favourite song. One asks you to pay attention, the other lets you rest.
Comfort, nostalgia and familiar company
Familiar shows can also bring back how you felt when you first watched them, maybe a simpler time, a cozy winter or nights with friends. A 2006 study by Wildschut and colleagues in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that nostalgia often comes up in response to low mood and loneliness, and that it can boost positive feelings, self-regard and a sense of connection to others.
Familiar characters can also feel a bit like company, especially on lonely evenings. That's part of why comfort shows for anxiety can feel so soothing: they're predictable, low effort and linked to good memories.
Why it often ramps up during stressful times
Many people notice they reach for familiar shows more during hard stretches, like a busy season at work, a breakup, an illness in the family, grief or a run of upsetting news. That pattern makes sense. When real life is full of unknowns, a story with no surprises can feel like a small, safe island.
It can also be a useful signal. If you catch yourself on your fifth rewatch of the year, it might be worth asking what's been going on lately and whether you need more support than a show can offer.
Is rewatching shows a sign of anxiety?
Not on its own. Lots of people without anxiety rewatch favourite shows because they enjoy them. Rewatching shows and anxiety can go together, but one doesn't mean the other.
What matters more is why you're doing it and how it affects the rest of your life. If rewatching is a pleasant way to unwind, that's great. If you notice you only feel safe with familiar shows, or that everything new feels too overwhelming to try, it may be worth paying attention to.
When comfort shows help, and when they become avoidance
Comfort shows and anxiety can work well together. Rewatching can be a healthy way to rest, wind down before bed or recover after a hard day.
But anything that eases anxiety in the short term can sometimes turn into avoidance. Rewatching the same shows and anxiety might be linked in a less helpful way if:
you watch to avoid tasks, calls or decisions that keep piling up
it's regularly cutting into your sleep
you'd rather stay in with a show than see people you care about, most of the time
trying anything new feels unbearable
you feel worse, not better, after long stretches of watching
If these sound familiar, it's not a reason for guilt. It's useful information about how anxiety may be shaping your choices.
Small experiments to try
You don't need to give up your comfort shows. Instead, try a few small experiments:
Notice the moment. Before you press play, ask: "Am I resting, or am I avoiding something?"
Pair it with connection. Watch a familiar show with a friend or family member.
Set a gentle limit. Decide on two episodes, then do something else.
Try one new thing when you're calm. A new show, book or activity, when you have energy to spare.
Face one small task first. Then use your show as a reward.
Get curious, not critical. If a new show feels stressful, notice what part feels hard. Not knowing the ending? Too much tension? That's useful to understand.
Fear can be fun too
Interestingly, some people with anxiety also enjoy scary movies, which seems like the opposite of comfort viewing. Our post on why people with anxiety like horror movies explains how controlled fear can feel safe in its own way.
How anxiety counselling can help
If anxiety is making it hard to try new things, sleep or keep up with everyday tasks, counselling can help. Our anxiety counselling can help you understand your patterns, build tolerance for uncertainty and gently face what you've been avoiding, at your own pace.
We offer counselling at our Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Ottawa offices, and online anywhere in Ontario.
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
Depending on your plan, insurance may cover up to 100% of the cost. Coverage varies, so check your plan.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Desjardins is the exception: through TELUS eClaims, we can direct bill Desjardins for sessions with an RSW, RP or psychologist, but not for an RP (Qualifying).
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. "My anxiety is making it hard to try new things" is enough.
If you're in crisis: if you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night. Our crisis lines page lists both.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Anxiety disorders
Einstein DA., Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice (2014), Extension of the transdiagnostic model to focus on intolerance of uncertainty
Carleton RN. Fear of the unknown: one fear to rule them all? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2016 (PubMed ID 27067453)
Wildschut T, Sedikides C, Arndt J, Routledge C. Nostalgia: content, triggers, functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2006 (PubMed ID 17059314)