Watching inspiring videos can reduce stress like meditation

Stress is everywhere today. It hides in deadlines, traffic, and even phone notifications. For most people, peace feels like a long weekend that never comes.

But a new study from the American Psychological Association offers an easy solution: watching short, inspiring videos might calm the mind as much as meditation.

Inspiring videos ease stress

The APA’s Stress in America survey shows how worry keeps climbing. Many Americans, especially those between 18 and 44, feel significant stress every single day.

The reasons range from work to world events. Relief methods like exercise or meditation can help, but few people have time or energy for them.

“Though there are many effective ways to deal with stress, people often feel too busy or overwhelmed to enact these strategies,” said Dr. Robin Nabi from the University of California Santa Barbara.

“What we found is that even a few minutes of watching content that makes people feel hopeful can put a dent in that stress. It’s a short, simple and even enjoyable break – and it can make a meaningful difference in helping people feel more optimistic and able to handle what’s in front of them.”

Positive media, positive mind

The research appeared in Psychology of Popular Media. It questions the idea that screens always harm mental health.

“So many of us are told that when we’re stressed, we should avoid media,” Nabi said. “In fact, we as a society tend to look at media use through a very negative lens.”

“But media use is one of the most common ways that people try to cope with stress, and it has the capacity to provide benefits, particularly when it comes to relaxation.”

That idea changes how we think about our daily scroll. Maybe screens are not the enemy, but the content we choose matters. A short video showing kindness or courage can lift spirits faster than expected.

Testing what videos limit stress

Nabi’s team ran a four-week online experiment with more than 1,000 adults in the U.S. The timing wasn’t random – it happened between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when people often feel stretched thin.

Participants first reported their stress levels. Then researchers placed them in five groups. One group watched inspirational videos for five minutes a day. Another watched comedy.

A third group engaged in guided meditation, while a fourth scrolled on their phones, while a fifth got no instructions.

After each session, everyone described how they felt. The team checked in again a week later, and then one more time. That helped show whether any emotional lift lasted beyond the moment.

Hope changes everything

People who watched inspiring videos or meditated reported more hope. That feeling didn’t vanish overnight. It stayed, lowering stress even ten days later. Laughter from comedy clips or random scrolling didn’t offer the same benefit.

“Hope isn’t just uplifting in the moment. It can also motivate people to deal with the challenges in their lives,” said Nabi.

“When people see others overcoming adversity, as they did in our inspiring videos, it can spark the belief that they, too, can persevere, survive and thrive. That sense of possibility helps counteract stress and can have enduring benefits beyond the simple moment of viewing.”

Hope gave viewers something to hold on to – a spark that said things could improve. That small shift in mindset made a real difference.

Videos are simple ways to reset

This research hints at something simple yet powerful. People who struggle to meditate can still pause and watch a clip that inspires them. It doesn’t need planning or equipment, only intention. Choosing a video that brings out warmth or courage can reset a stressful day.

“If we actively choose to incorporate a little more inspiring content in our lives – to feel a little more hope – it can possibly help us reduce stress,” said Nabi.

“This is not to say that this sort of media consumption should replace meditation or other well-supported strategies to deal with stress. But rather, this is one more tool we can add to our toolbox to handle the stress that so many of us feel.”

Inspiring videos for reduced stress

Nabi calls this a “media prescription.” Instead of banning screens, we can use them thoughtfully. A few minutes of positive media can work like a mental reset. It’s easy, quick, and within reach for anyone with a phone.

Stress will not vanish overnight. But choosing content that restores hope might quiet the noise inside. Maybe calm isn’t somewhere far away – it’s right on the screen, waiting for us to press play.

The study is published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media.

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