What I’m Watching, Reading and Rewatching When the World Is Too Much

Some nights my brain needs something challenging and thought-provoking. Most nights, honestly, it needs something soft to land on.

This is my running guide to culture for both kinds of night. No reviews, no star ratings. Just what I reach for and why.

The comfort rewatch

There is a very specific joy in rewatching something you already know by heart. No surprises, no stress, just characters you love doing exactly what you expect them to do.

Psychologists have suggested that familiar stories can be soothing precisely because we know how they end. In a world where nothing feels predictable, knowing everyone gets their happy ending is a gift.

My rule: no guilt about rewatching. You’re not “wasting” time. You’re resting.

Books, but make it gentle

I go through reading phases. Some months I’m devouring literary fiction that leaves me staring at the ceiling. Other months, I want a cosy mystery or a romance where the worst thing that happens is a misunderstanding at a bakery.

Both are reading. Both count. Ignore anyone who tells you otherwise.

If you’ve fallen out of reading, try audiobooks on your commute, or a short story collection you can dip in and out of.

Stories from women everywhere

One thing I’m trying to do more is read, watch and listen beyond my usual corner of the world. Novels from authors in countries I’ve never visited. Films in languages I don’t speak. Music from places I can’t pronounce correctly yet.

It’s one of the cheapest ways to travel, and it makes you a lot more interesting at dinner.

Podcasts for long walks

Podcasts are my walking companions. Some make me laugh out loud in public, which is embarrassing, and some teach me something I end up explaining to everyone I know for a week, which is also embarrassing.

Tell me yours

This space works best as a conversation. I want to know what you’re watching, reading and listening to, especially from your corner of the world.

Drop it in the comments. My watchlist is long, but there’s always room for one more.

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