If you’ve got kids or a spouse, you probably don’t get much personal TV time. I get it…too often, it’s easier to let your screaming kids watch Octonauts on Netflix than trying to wrangle them into a chair to eat. 

Or maybe it’s your SO who has been binging Criminal Minds, but you can’t seem to fall asleep if you watch that show (literally, ANYONE could be a killer, who’s gonna sleep after realizing that?), so you always end up cleaning the house or making lunches or just going to bed early.

Make some popcorn. Load up on butter and salt. Maybe even get some candy. Then sit down with your favorite blanket or pillow (or both), snuggle in, and watch that movie you’ve been wanting to watch for months. Laugh heartily. Let out some tears. Forget about everything but the storyline in the movie, and for a few hours, just let yourself go. It’s okay! Some indulging in another world, another life is good for you. 

Something about watching a movie is relaxing and therapeutic. For two hours, you can forget about all the problems and stresses of your own life, and instead sink into the fictional world of the movie. No worrying about dishes or laundry. No worrying about your kids. No worrying about your job (it’ll be waiting for ya in the morning, girl–don’t let it claim your evening too). 

Just create some space for yourself to indulge in your favorite kind of movie: sappy, hilarious, horror (hey, maybe you do enjoy the serial killer genre), guilty pleasure. Or how about your old favorite movie that you’ve seen a thousand times? The one that makes you feel good or takes you back to a specific time in your life. The one you know all the words to, but laugh anyway. Some experts say that can be even better for you actually, because you spend less mental energy while watching it. The point is to take a break for yourself, girl, so pull out that worn DVD (or how about the VCR from the basement) and pop in your fave movie, all by yourself. It’s worth it.