A surprising new study has found that watching short inspirational videos can be just as effective as meditation for lifting mood and reducing stress.

For the study, 1,000 men and women, ages 18 to 86, watched a three- to five-minute inspiring video, or comedy clips, or practiced daily meditation every day for five days. A control group did nothing different.

Researchers discovered that those who viewed uplifting clips — such as cancer survivor Sean Swarner climbing Mt. Everest, becoming the first person with a terminal illness to reach the summit — experienced higher levels of hope and well-being.

“We found that people felt more hopeful after watching the inspiring videos,” says study author Robin Nabi of UC Santa Barbara. “And that hope predicted lower stress over the next ten days.”

Experts note that media can be a powerful tool for improving mood and coping with life’s challenges — but only if we make conscious choices about what we consume. “We must proactively choose the positive over the negative to reap the benefits,” Nabi explains.

How to Bring More Feel-Good Content Into Your Feed

• Accentuate the positive. Start your day by filling your social media feed with uplifting content. Use hashtags that reflect your interests — whether that’s wildlife, scenic landscapes, or music — to spark joy from the moment you log on.

• Keep a media log. Write down how you feel after watching or reading something. Tracking your reactions helps you identify the content that boosts your well-being — and what drags it down.

• Wipe your feed. Media researcher Allison Eden of Michigan State University recommends periodically clearing out anxiety-provoking or negative content. “It’s a way to digitally detox and start fresh,” she says. You can also take a 24-hour social media break to reset your mindset.

The study, published in Psychology of Popular Media, a journal of the American Psychological Association, suggests that a few minutes of positive viewing each day can help cultivate optimism, reduce stress, and improve overall emotional health.