We’re in the heat of midterm season as assignment deadlines, presentations and exams are quickly approaching. Between endless readings, caffeine-fueled study sessions and the constant buzz of academic anxiety, it’s easy to feel like you’re barely keeping it together. In fact, if you’re anything like me, you probably feel like the pressures of university life are eating you alive. So, what can we do to help ourselves breathe a little easier?
For this author, the answer has always been sitcoms.
When the weight of all my responsibilities begins to feel unbearable, I reach for something familiar: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Modern Family, Friends, The Office or my personal favourite, Seinfeld. Within minutes of pressing play, I’m transported into a world where my problems are non-existent, laughter is guaranteed and the stakes never feel higher than a bad date. I know this is a small and silly escape but for me, it works wonders.
At the surface, watching a sitcom to escape from your problems may seem like procrastination disguised as self-care. However, there is real science behind why these shows help us unwind. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins — the “feel-good” chemicals — in your brain, which promote a sense of well-being and may even temporarily relieve the feeling of pain. In other words, a 22-minute episode of Friends might actually be doing more for your mental health than an hour of doom-scrolling on Tik Tok or rereading lecture slides for the 20th time.
Additionally, sitcoms have a structure that is perfect for the frazzled brain of the typical university student. They’re short in length, easy to follow and emotionally predictable. You know the rhythm: the setup, punchline and resolution. No cliff-hangers. No heartbreak. Only humour, comfort and often times a laugh track longing to drown out the noise of your academic panic.
After some regular watching, the characters start to feel like real people that you actually know. There’s comfort in knowing exactly how Michael Scott will put his foot in his mouth or how Phil Dunphy will accidentally embarrass himself. That familiarity is soothing when your academic life feels uncertain.
When I’m overwhelmed by deadlines, watching Friends gives me the sense that maybe everything will work out, even if I’m only a few breakdowns away from dropping a course. Seinfeld makes me laugh at the absurdity of everyday life and never fails to remind me that everything does not have to be taken seriously all the time. The characters in Brooklyn Nine-Nine face chaos with humour, a skill that university students desperately need during midterms.
These shows don’t just make me laugh; they remind me that failure, awkwardness and imperfection are universal. Everyone, including fictional characters, figures life out as they go.
One of my favourite things about sitcoms is the way that they create a sense of belonging. The friendships on screen — whether it’s the gang in Central Perk or the Dunder Mifflin office — show us what we all crave in stressful times: people who stick together through the highs, lows and the ridiculous in-between moments.
When you’re studying alone late at night, those fictional characters feel like company. They remind you that connection, laughter and a shared sense of absurdity are what keep us grounded, even when the real world feels like it’s falling apart.
Many students, myself included, may feel guilty for taking a break. Maybe you too hear a nagging voice whispering in your ear that you should be doing something “productive.” But the truth is, rest is productive. Giving yourself a 20-minute breather to laugh at Jim’s pranks or Gloria’s dramatic monologues is not slacking off, it’s self-preservation.
We cannot pour from an empty cup, and sometimes, the best way to refill your cup is with a good laugh. Sitcoms give you permission to relax: the opportunity to momentarily step outside of your own stress and remember that life, like your favourite sitcom episodes, can be funny, chaotic and still turn out okay.
So, as midterm madness continues to hit and your to-do list starts to look like the script of a horror movie, do yourself a favour: close the textbook, grab a snack or drink and let a sitcom remind you how to laugh again.
Staying sane in university is not about having it all figured out; it’s about finding joy in the moments between the chaos.