“I’ve seen this movie before.”

Perhaps you’ve heard that line said with a bit of snark? I have personally said it to indicate that I know how a situation ends, meaning I was choosing to put my attention and focus elsewhere.

However, sitting down with an old movie may be just what we need right now. We know how it ends. We know who survives, who the heroes are, and if justice prevails. No suspense, no mystery, and no unpleasant surprises.

You deserve two hours of entertainment, watching a story unfold while you know how it will end. Real-life is handing us enough open-ended mysteries and surprises this year.

When we feel anxious or unsettled, our imagination tends to hyper-focus on what-if scenarios and things we cannot control. Sometimes those what-if scenarios are easily dismissed by our rational brains, and yet the physiological symptoms are genuine.

I can speak from personal experience that expert tips like “realize your brain is playing tricks on you” are much easier said than done.

I also struggle to sit still long enough to meditate. I either fall asleep, or my mind goes down deeper rabbit holes. Instead, I re-center and stabilize by spending time with something familiar. That may be a favorite movie, book, or an old TV show. I recently went through my high school yearbook with my daughter, which was undoubtedly settling and fun for me. 90’s hairstyles may have caused unintended anxiety for her!

Diving into something familiar may help you side-step the element of surprise and the worrisome unknown for at least two hours. That is long enough to bring down blood pressure and refocus the mind.

So, what is your go-to movie you have seen before?