The Office is a great alternative to therapy

Elemental

The beloved comedy succeeds where therapy fails, especially for younger generations, says Casey Kleczek. "What The Office provides is background noise," says Kleczek. "It’s how we debrief emotional periods of our lives: the breakups, the deadlines, the post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s how we avoid thinking. The show is a healing balm that stitches us together after each day’s undoing and lulls us to sleep." Kleczek adds: "Isolating oneself with a screen exerts less energy than engaging in a distress-based conversation. But ease of use isn’t the only reason watching The Office is appealing to young adults. It’s a coping strategy disguised as a well-deserved leisure activity. It’s not therapy. So as long as you keep watching it under the guise of relaxation, you don’t have to tell yourself you’re failing to cope, that your life is too demanding. You’re still succeeding at 'having it all.' You’re achieving perfection at everything, even self-care."