Mental health resets don’t always look like meditation retreats or week-long digital detoxes. Sometimes, they look like a soft blanket, a quiet night in, and a well-picked Netflix show that doesn’t drain your emotional battery. That’s the thing—television, when chosen with care, can serve as a balm. Not everything is escapism. Some stories stitch broken moments back together. Some just give you permission to breathe.

According to the American Psychological Association, 71% of adults reported feeling significantly stressed at least once in the past month, with screen-based relaxation listed among their top coping strategies. That doesn’t mean watching anything. It means watching with intention.

Below? A curated collection of Netflix series that pair well with tea, silence, and the desire to just… exist without performance.

1. “The Great British Baking Show” — Comfort in Whisked Peaks

There’s something quietly miraculous about a competition show with no villains. No one screams. No one throws shade. Contestants cry over sunken cakes and celebrate each other’s victories. The stakes are cake—and that’s the point. This show has been lauded by The Guardian as “the ultimate serotonin delivery system,” and it lives up to that title.

Whether it’s the cozy countryside setting or the gentle humor of the hosts, this is a series that reminds you it’s okay to slow down. Watch one episode. Or five. Your brain won’t mind either way.

2. “Headspace: Guide to Meditation” — Breathe Along

An animated guide narrated by former monk Andy Puddicombe. Each episode invites you into short, themed meditations: stress, sleep, focus, letting go. It’s not trying to sell you a lifestyle. It simply is. Eight episodes. Ten minutes each. That’s 80 minutes of presence.

Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows mindfulness-based stress reduction can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. If guided breathing and soft narration sound like a good start, Headspace is your easy gateway.

Tip! If you don’t see the movie on your Netflix, you’re facing regional restrictions. To be region-independent, you can use Netflix VPN and connect to one of the servers. VPN allows you to change your location from Panama to the US, etc. with a click of a mouse.

3. “Anne with an E” — Kindness, Red Hair, and Slow-Burning Hope

A reboot of Anne of Green Gables, this series is emotionally layered. Yes, it’s a period drama, but its themes hit modern chords: belonging, trauma, friendship, identity. You don’t just watch Anne. You feel with her. It’s the type of narrative that untangles your own internal threads while you’re distracted by lantern-lit barns and hand-stitched dresses.

It’s honest. Hopeful. Sometimes gut-wrenching. But healing is a spiral, not a straight line—and this show respects that truth.

4. “Feel Good” — Imperfect Love, Real Healing

Written and performed by comedian Mae Martin, Feel Good is raw, queer, and painfully human. It explores addiction recovery, anxiety, love that won’t hold still, and the slow claw out of darkness. It doesn’t romanticize mental health struggles. It just sits beside them, sometimes cracking a joke, sometimes just breathing.

Its blend of humor and honesty has earned it critical acclaim. And for many viewers, especially those feeling isolated, it offers companionship through the screen.

5. “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” — Food as Memory, Silence as Language

Set in a late-night diner in Tokyo, this quiet masterpiece features new characters and stories each episode, all tied to dishes that hold emotional weight. Grief, reconciliation, nostalgia, comfort—all served with miso soup and soft piano music.

Dialogue is minimal. The vibe is slow. Each story feels like a whispered secret shared over steaming bowls of something good. Sometimes, healing starts with watching others find theirs.

Not Feeling Any of Those? Go Light.

When even soft drama feels too heavy, turn to the silly. Nailed It! — people hilariously failing at baking. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — absurdist resilience. The Repair Shop (if available) — gentle British craftspeople restoring heirlooms and hearts alike. You don’t have to cry to reset. Laughter counts too.

The Invisible Weight: Doomscrolling vs. Watching With Care

It’s tempting, when overwhelmed, to binge-watch until 3 a.m. while doomscrolling on another screen. But studies from Harvard Medical School suggest multitasking between screen types (phone + TV) increases stress rather than reduces it. Make a conscious choice: turn off push notifications, choose one show, one screen, one episode.

Give the brain a single thread to follow. That’s what rest can look like, too.

Inhale. Watch. Exhale. Repeat.

Mental health resets aren’t about productivity. They’re about presence. If you feel too tired to talk, to clean, to plan—that’s okay. Just press play on a show that won’t demand anything from you. Let it fill the space without judgment.

Stories can hold us together when we’re quietly falling apart. Just make sure the ones you choose whisper hope. Or laughter. Or silence.

Whichever you need today.