Is it okay to rewatch the same comfort series every exam season?
Ananya Reddy11th Sample
1 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
Hi everyone, careful question, I've been thinking about this for a week and feel a bit silly asking.
Every time my unit tests start, I rewatch the same comedy series. The same one, since class 9. This is the fourth time. I don't even laugh as much anymore because I know every joke. I put it on while I colour-code my notes (so I'm only half watching) and then one episode before I sleep.
My worry: is it a harmless comfort thing, or am I avoiding something? My mom says it's a waste of time since "you've already seen it". My friend says her counsellor told her comfort rewatching is fine. I don't know who to believe.
What I've tried: I set a rule of one episode a day, but on bad days it becomes four. I tried switching to a new show and got so stressed by the cliffhangers that I couldn't sleep, so I went back to the old one.
Do you guys do this? Should I stop, cap it, or just stop feeling guilty? If you cap it, how? Unit tests are in two weeks and I'd like a plan rather than another guilt spiral.
10 answers & replies
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[+][–]Ishita GoyalDropperSample· 18d ago
Honestly? Fine. Totally fine. Comfort rewatching is a real thing and a lot of people do it. The issue isn't the show, it's the cap. What worked for me: the show is my closer, not my opener. I study, finish my planned blocks, and then one episode is the reward that ends the day. If I put the show first, it eats the evening. Three rules on a sticky note: (1) after study, not before; (2) one episode, then laptop closed; (3) bad day = a second episode only if the planned blocks are done. You said it becomes four on bad days, so maybe write your bad-day rule in advance so you aren't negotiating at 11 pm with a tired brain. Also the half-watching while colour-coding is totally okay, that's basically background music.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 17d agoAuthor
thank you all, so helpful. i'm going to try: one episode, after study, with a 25 min timer, audio only if i'm already in bed. and write my bad-day rule on a sticky note tonight. will update after unit tests!
[+][–]Harsh Gupta12thSample· 18d ago
I have rewatched Friends 6 times and it has 12 seasons so honestly I have no moral authority here, but also no regrets. Comfort rewatch is basically a warm blanket. Just don't live inside the blanket.
[+][–]Neel Chatterjee12thSample· 18d ago
small fix, Friends has 10 seasons, not 12. (Which does not make your 6 rewatches any less of an issue 😄) To Ananya: I think it's fine. A show you know is low-risk. Your brain doesn't have to track new characters or fear a cliffhanger, which is probably why you couldn't sleep with the new one. That's actually a reason to keep the old one for nights. Just treat it like a tool for winding down, with a start and an end, not a place to hide.
[+][–]Harsh Gupta12thSample· 18d ago
10, 12, whatever, emotional damage is the same 😭 thanks neel.
[+][–]Rahul DubeyDropperSample· 18d ago
Third attempt here, so I've done a lot of rewatching and a lot of guilt. Here's the test I use: how do I feel after? If I finish an episode and feel calmer and ready to sleep, that's comfort. If I finish and feel emptier, and I immediately want another one, that's avoidance. Same show, different job. Be honest with yourself about which one it was tonight. And don't make it a moral thing. Nobody has ever cleared a test because they felt guilty enough about a sitcom.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 18d agoAuthor
this "calmer vs emptier" test is so useful. but what if it's the only thing that actually calms me before sleep on stressful nights? like nothing else works, not music, not reading.
[+][–]Zoya Khan12thSample· 18d ago
Then on those nights it's doing a real job, and I wouldn't take it away. A few things might make it kinder: put it on a timer so it ends in 20 to 30 minutes, lower the brightness, and if you can, try audio with the screen off or very dim. The familiarity is what soothes you, and that doesn't need the picture. If you can, add one tiny wind-down thing before it (washing your face, laying out tomorrow's clothes) so the show isn't carrying all the weight of calming you down.
[+][–]Dev Agarwal12thSample· 18d ago
Think of it as opportunity cost. One episode is around 25 minutes. Four on a bad day is almost two hours. Two bad days in a week is nearly four hours spent on something where you already know the ending. That's not a crime, but you should choose it, not drift into it. If it's worth it for your sleep and mood, keep it. If it's mostly drift, trim it.
[+][–]Pooja Iyer12thSample· 17d ago
i do this with one comedy show and i'm very dramatic about it (i call it "the ceremony" 😂). my mnemonic is REVISE then REWATCH. the show only comes after revision. also if the old one stops being funny, try a different but similar old show, same warmth, fewer memorised jokes.
