Show yourself some love by watching a movie alone
Experiments reveal that watching a movie alone is as healthy as a light form of cardio
IT’S the weekend and you want to catch a movie at the cinema, but you don’t have anyone to go with.
That’s ok, even good, according to experts who say going to the movies alone is an excellent form of self-care.
Research has shown that the average person needs two hours of alone time every day to escape from work pressures and social media.
This is essential for our mental health and well-being.
According to a survey by Showcase Cinemas, the big screen is increasingly becoming a sanctuary for those looking to indulge in some ‘me’ time.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed (24%) said they enjoy solo visits to the cinema up to three times a year, while 36% said they much prefer going to the cinema alone than with company.
If you think this is a load of nonsense and there cannot possibly be any scientific proof to this idea, think again. There are some very interesting findings in a recent academic experiment.
In the USA, Vue Cinema and UCL’s Faculty of Experimental Psychology tested a group of volunteers with biometric sensors to monitor their bodies during a two-hour film screening.
The findings recorded a noticeable increase in participants’ heart rates, with viewers in the healthy heart zone for 45 minutes.
This is equivalent to a light cardio session.
As the viewers watched the film, their hearts started to beat in unison and skin conductance tests revealed that certain events in the film triggered an increase in emotional arousal levels.
More than half (55%) of the participants believed the experience was therapeutic in an emotional sense and felt uplifted by it, while 45% felt empowered by the experience.
Secondary research suggests that three unique elements of the experience drove the findings – focused activity, shared social focus and the cultural element.
Analysis demonstrates that these elements have proven long-term benefits on our overall brain function, memory, focus and productivity.
So next time you feel like showing yourself some self-love, why not take a trip to the local cinema.
