The Ultimate Pop Culture Holiday Survival Kit
Healthy Escapism for the Holidays: Movies, Music, and More!
Welcome to The Media Room—where we dive into the themes behind the movies, shows, and media we love.
Holiday gift guides are great, but sometimes the most joyous moments come from things money can't buy—simple acts of self-care. Experiences can be just as meaningful as physical gifts. Whether you're watching a movie with family, treating yourself to a solo movie date, baking holiday cookies, or joining in Christmas carols, these moments of healthy escapism boost our mood and create memories rooted in joy and gratitude.
Healthy Escapism: Your Holiday Mental Health Superpower
Healthy escapism means engaging in activities that help take your mind off reality, life stressors, and challenges. The holiday season stirs up many emotions, and it's a time when we can acknowledge their duality. We can simultaneously experience joy and sorrow, happiness and grief, love and pain. Healthy escapism allows us to honor all these emotions while preventing them from weighing us down or disrupting our mental well-being.
The holidays offer a natural escape from the daily grind of work, school, and other responsibilities. During this time, schools close until the New Year, work meetings move to January, and we shift our focus to unwinding—enamored by festive decorations and savoring seasonal treats like mint and pumpkin spice lattes.
While this break may be brief before we return to our usual rhythm of productivity in the new year, why not give yourself the gift of pre-care—tending to your well-being before taking on new work and responsibilities?
The Gift of Play: Embracing Joy Through Art and Entertainment
A holiday survival kit is all about finding joy and practicing pre-care. Rather than finding more gifts to wrap and place under the Christmas tree, it's about giving yourself the gift of experiences, creating new memories, and regulating your nervous system through the power of art and entertainment. Studies have shown that viewing or creating art can activate the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which are associated with pleasure, motivation, connection, and stress reduction. So the next time you feel guilty binge-watching a new TV series, remember that depending on what you’re consuming, it can be an act of self-care.
Whether you plan to spend the holiday alone or around family, I'm here to help you create your own dopamine menu and holiday survival kit—and it won’t cost you a dime! Let's navigate the season together with a remote in one hand, a playlist queued up, and a mug of something warm (I'll be having hot chocolate, what about you?).
For When You Need to Escape Family Drama
Not every family gathering feels like a Hallmark movie. When you need to step away from the chaos, here’s what to queue up:
TV Show: Only Murders in the Building(Hulu) — Solve fictional mysteries while dodging real-life ones.
Movie: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) — A stylish whodunit to remind you that all families have skeletons (literally, in this case).
Music: Jhene Aiko’s Blue Dream — Chill and introspective for when you need to zone out.
For Cozy Vibes
Find your chill with these heartwarming picks:
TV Special: The Great British Bake Off Holiday Edition(Netflix) — Nothing says cozy like British people baking cakes under pressure.
Movie: When Harry Met Sally(HBO Max) — Is it a holiday movie? Debatable. Is it a cozy classic? Absolutely.
Music: A nostalgic playlist featuring Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (because, let's be real, Christmas is officially Mariah's holiday, and she graciously shares it with us) paired with the timeless Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song.”
For a Laugh
Feeling holiday stress? Lighten the mood and laugh your a** off with these picks:
Movie: Lady Bird (HBO Max)—Will you have moments of sadness? Yes, but you will also have a good laugh.
TV Show Episodes:
Insecure: Season 1, Episode 1 (“Insecure as F**k”)
The Office: Season 2, Episode 10 (“Christmas Party”)
Music: Happy by Pharrell — A mood-boosting anthem and a bop at the same time.
For Big Feels
Because sometimes, crying is self-care, too:
Movie: A Man Named Otto (Netflix) — About grief, loss, and finding meaning again when life feels hard.
TV Moment: The Last of Us (Episode 3) — Warning: you will cry a river, a lake, and an ocean – tears are basically guaranteed.
Music: Natasha Bedingfield’s, I Bruise Easily — Crying is better with poetic lyrics.
For Feeling Inspired to Take on 2025
Power through the year-end slump with these inspiring and motivational pick me up’s:
Movie: The Pursuit of Happyness — This one’s a little emotional, but it’s a reminder of resilience and owning our struggles.
Music: Beyoncé’s Renaissance album — Start with “I’m That Girl” and thank me later.
Documentary: Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé(Netflix) — Because this special never gets old… runs to the couch singing, “I be getting to the money, everybody mad.”
Bonus Section: Free Pop Culture Gifts That Keep on Giving
You don’t need to spend money to make the holidays special. Try these no-cost ways to make pop culture work for you:
Rewatch Nostalgic Holiday Episodes: From The Office’s "Christmas Party" to Gossip Girl’s “Roman Holiday.”
Host a Pop Culture Trivia Night: Use iconic moments from the year to quiz family or friends.
Create a Collaborative Holiday Playlist: Ask loved ones to add their favorite tracks for a mix of tastes and memories.
Bake Treats Inspired by Pop Culture: Whip up holiday cookies or a treat that is inspired by a show or your favorite character, like Harry Potter-style treacle tarts.
Cook Together Using Celebrity Recipes: Find recipes from your favorite celebrities online and recreate them at home. Taylor Swift’s chai sugar cookies are a fan favorite!
Read a Novel for Healthy Escapism: Borrow a trending book from the library, like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or a holiday-themed romance novel.
Host a DIY Hot Chocolate Bar: Add marshmallows, candy canes, whipped cream, and other mix-ins while playing holiday movie soundtracks in the background.
Turn Your Kitchen Into a Bake-Off Studio: Channel The Great British Bake-Off vibes with a fun and friendly baking challenge using ingredients you already have.
Whether you’re snuggled up solo or dodging the holiday chaos, let this guide remind you that the magic of the season is wherever you choose to create it.
Share What’s on Your Mind
What show or movie will you be watching this holiday season? Have a favorite song? Leave a comment and stay tuned for this week’s Reflect & Release writing prompts (which are going out on Wednesday for this week)!