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Discover the Power of Inspirational Videos for Stress Relief

Updated: 6 days ago

A Simple Self-Care Strategy


This week, I’m excited to share some surprising research that shows how just a few minutes of inspirational video each day can lower stress for days afterward. Paired with a feel-good daily newsletter, this small practice can have a big impact. If meditation feels hard right now, this might be the simple alternative you need.


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The Research Behind the Relief


Resources: Read the Screen Time Isn't All Bad article from Nice News.


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Transcription: Hi, and welcome to Self-Care for Educators! I’m your host, Dr. Tina Boogren, and this is season six, episode 13. Here we go!


This week’s invitation is a two-for-one. I had two favors last week, so I feel like I owe you a little bonus this week.


First, I invite you to sign up for Nice News. Just head over to nicenews.com. You can subscribe to get this delightful newsletter in your inbox every single day. It makes me so happy! When I open my email, I love scrolling through all the good news. Sometimes I have time to read it all, and sometimes I don’t. But it’s all good news, and don’t we need that right now? So, that’s the first invitation. It’ll take you just two seconds to subscribe!


Now, for the second invitation, I want to share a specific study I read in my Nice News feed this week. I absolutely love it! The title is: Screen Time Isn't All Bad: Inspirational Videos May Help Reduce Stress as Much as Meditation, Study Finds. What? I love that so much! I’ll read it again: Screen Time Isn't All Bad: Inspirational Videos May Help Reduce Stress as Much as Meditation, Study Finds. Whoa!


This study, published by the American Psychological Association, found that watching short inspirational videos over five days helped lower participants' stress levels for up to 10 days afterward. What? The key to this anxiety reduction was feeling hopeful. Feeling hopeful!


I wanted to share this with you because it’s likely that you’re feeling a bit disillusioned right now. This time of year can be particularly challenging. There’s a lot of pressure with the holidays and all the stress that comes with it—good, bad, indifferent, all of it. So, I wanted to bring this strategy to you right now. It felt like a little gift dropped in my inbox this week!


The Study Details


Here’s a bit more from the article. The researchers conducted a four-week online experiment involving about a thousand adults during the interval between Thanksgiving and Christmas—a stressful time for many. After identifying the participants' initial stress levels, they divided them into four groups. Each group received a media prescription:


  1. Watching professionally produced inspiring videos

  2. Watching comedic content

  3. Listening to guided meditations

  4. Scrolling through content of their choice on their mobile device for three to five minutes a day


There was also a control group.


The comedic videos included humor similar to what you’d see in a slapstick skit or on a late-night comedy show. The inspirational media featured stories of people overcoming adversity. For instance, one clip showed a cancer survivor who conquered Mount Everest! The guided meditations consisted of audio samples from videos on the Calm app. The mobile device group was simply instructed to use their smartphones or computers as they normally would when taking a break or trying to relax.


After the five minutes were up each day, participants reported their emotional states and stress levels. The comedic videos, while entertaining, didn’t impact stress. Uh oh! Compared to the control group, those who watched the inspirational or guided meditation videos felt significantly more hopeful, which predicted lower stress levels in the following days. That’s huge! Whew!


The Power of Hope


Hope isn’t just uplifting in the moment. It helps people deal with challenges in their lives. When we see others overcoming adversity, as shown in those inspiring videos, it sparks the belief that we too can persevere, survive, and thrive. That sense of possibility helps counteract stress and can have enduring benefits beyond just the moment of viewing. Incredible, right?


The study’s author noted that we should still meditate or use other evidence-supported anxiety-reducing strategies. But consider this as another tool to add to your toolbox for handling stress. When I’m really stressed or feeling disillusioned, meditating can feel overwhelming. But watching an inspirational video for just two to five minutes a day? That’s something I can do!


Curate Your Own Inspiration


When you check out the article, you’ll find some of the videos they watched. But remember, this is personal for each of us. Think about what inspires you! I love TED Talks or watching commencement speeches. Inspirational public figures giving speeches can also be uplifting.


Maybe spend some time curating videos that resonate with you. Share them with your squad—your teammates, family, or friends. Swap videos and commit to watching just two to five minutes of an inspirational video every day. Find a time that works for you—maybe in the morning, during lunch, or before you leave for the day. See if you can conjure up that feeling of hope and see if it helps you navigate this time of year.


Whether you’re deep in disillusionment or just trying to survive, there are challenges this time of year. Let’s try this tiny little strategy that has solid research behind it and see if it makes a difference. If you’re more of a meditator, maybe you’ll double down on your meditation. Remember, you have choices! You can turn the dial up or down.


I’m going to play with this strategy this week, and I hope you will too! I’m sending you so much love as you move through this week. Feel our hands on your back!


Thank you, thank you, thank you, Adrienne! Thank you for all you do. Thank you, Solution Tree and Marzano Resources, for everything you do. And thank you, listeners, this badass self-care squad! Hang in there! You’ve got this! We’re going to get through this time together, and maybe inspirational videos will be the tiny micro-strategy that makes a huge difference. Let’s give it a shot! It can’t hurt, right? Mmm. I love you guys! I’m cheering for you!



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