If you want to boost mood quickly, the easiest way is to put on a cozy, happy movie. It works surprisingly well as an emotional pick-me-up. Here's the why and the how.
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Okay, so you've had one of those days.
You're tired. Your mood is lower than low. Suddenly the only thing you want for comfort is a giant cup of your favorite ice cream.
Sounds like a really good plan.
But… you grab chopsticks.
I mean, you could eat ice cream with chopsticks. But it would take foreveeerrrr. And probably test your patience. And those sticky fingers won't help improve your mood.
The point is: you have the best ice cream in the world - just the wrong tool.
A spoon, on the other hand, would instantly boost your mood (by spooning the ice cream, that is :).
And that's exactly how it works with emotions, too. When a bad mood hits - Monday grumpies, winter blues, a long week, a silly argument, you name it - you want the right tool to quickly improve your mood, not make things harder.
Go-To Mood Boosters (and Why They Sometimes Fail)
We all have our go-to mood fixes. What's yours?
- Call a friend and vent (honestly, a classic).
- Eat your weight in ice cream (or pizza, fries, potato chips, ..., ..., [fill in blanks with your favorite emergency comfort food])
- Go for a long walk or jog (amazing… unless it's raining, pitch black outside, or you're fighting a cold).
- Pour a glass of wine (we've all been there, but… maeh).
- Snap at the people we love (zero-stars, do not recommend).
Some of these can help. Others… don't. And most of them require effort - or other people - which is what you might not have when you're running low.
So, introducing to you my absolute favorite low-effort, high-impact trick:
👉 Watching a feel-good movie.
It's just so, so simple. And fun. And it usually works. But apparently most people don't know about it or don't use it.
Wait? Not Everyone "Uses" Movies?
I recently asked around:
"Do you ever watch a happy movie when you're trying to improve your mood?"
Shrugging.
A few raised eyebrows.
One person laughed.
Most people choose movies for excitement - action, thriller, crime - not for how they'll feel afterward.
This shocked me, because I've been using movies as a mood tool my whole adult life. Like a cozy emotional self-care.
My little "research" was triggered by an article titled Tips from Someone with 50 Years of Social Distancing Experience. One tip was to watch feel-good movies to fight loneliness and lift your spirits.
And I thought:
Wait… not everyone does this??
Because honestly, to me, a good, warm, happy movie is like the spoon for your emotional ice cream.
For 90 to 120 minutes, you forget your own world and emerge yourself into - preferrebly - happier one. Your worries quiet down. And ideally, by the end of the movie there's a smile on your face and your chest feels lighter.
When Movies Can Lift Your Mood
Movies have an incredible power to instantly boost your mood, and this requires almost zero effort.
They can help when you feel:
- lonely
- sad or unhappy
- uninspired
- anxious
- overwhelmed
- bored
- or just generally blah
A good feel-good movie doesn't demand anything from you. It simply hands you comfort, hope, warmth, and entertainment. Just perfect!
Important Note:
Watching a feel-good movie is a lovely little pick-me-up, but it's not a fix for feeling down for weeks on end. If your mood has been low or heavy for a while, or if it's affecting your daily life, please reach out to someone you trust or a mental health professional. Movies are a lovely mood boost, but they can't replace care.
Your 66+ Go-To Happy Movies
Is there a movie that always makes you feel better? Tell me in the comments, I always love hearing which films lift other people up.
Here are my 66+ feel-good movies that help boost my mood whenever I need a quick emotional reset. Maybe there's something in there for you too.
Want more fun mood boosters?
Click the buttons below to ask AI how for recommendations.
Wishing you planty of happy moments,
Ramona
♥
Ovidiu says
A very good list! I have seen about a half of them, i will be glad to look for the ones i haven't seen. Always search for new ones,so it's a good strategy to follow recommendations. Movies, a big subject. A good movie enriches your life. Have you ever felt that after watching a movie that you really liked you feel different for 2-3 days? It is like that movie brings a flavor to your life. I also wondered what makes a person to like a movie? For me it's the message and the atmosphere. We have desires, we dream to express them. Movies can put dreams into visual form, we can find there something that we want to happen in our lives. Also to explore places and stories. Big question: how is the movie of our life? In that we are actor, director, producer:)
It is so good that you put them by time they were released.
I would add 4 movies I would recommend also for good mood:
A piece of my heart (2005)
Je suis timide... mais je me soigne(1978)
He said, she said (1991)
A knight's tale 2001
Thanks for sharing those you consider valuable!
Ramona Winkler says
Thank you for the lovely comment and the movie recs. I know two of them and will happily watch the other two.