Wednesday Wellbeing

We are conditioned to believe that most “media” is not good for us. Indeed, "scrolling" is often a distraction. Scrolling through negative content, aka “doom-scrolling,” most certainly is bad for our mental and physical health, and for our sense of connection.

However, a new study suggests that if we choose our content carefully, media can actually be a form of medicine.

Your Prescription: Inspirational Media

Study: A 4-week longitudinal experiment published by the American Psychological Association (2025) examines whether brief exposures to positively oriented media can reduce stress as effectively as traditional methods like meditation. The researchers conducted an experiment with 1,001 U.S. adults randomly assigned to various groups, including inspiring content (underdog narratives), guided meditation, and self-selected scrolling.

Key Findings: Short, inspiring media segments were just as effective as guided meditation at reducing stress. The stress-reducing benefit was driven by a sense of hope, and it lasted up to 10 days after the exposure. Notably, this worked regardless of initial stress levels, resilience, or age—though it was especially effective for older adults and those with higher baseline stress.

Conclusion: Inspiring content helps people build psychological resources like hope, which acts as a buffer against daily pressures. These findings validate that strategically selected media is an accessible, effective stress-management tool that rivals established clinical practices.

This Week’s Prescription: Alex Smith’s story

Alex Smith spent 16 years as a pro, but his greatest victory wasn't in a game—it was surviving 17 surgeries and a flesh-eating infection, and overcoming his long-standing anxiety and doubt, thanks to help of coaches and loved ones, to walk back onto the field.

Take the time to watch the entire story (note: imagery of his leg is quite graphic) and see if you emerge more inspired and less stressed.

The Opportunity: 

Identify moments of stress, anxiety, and doubt, and find inspirational media to help you through it. It may be a short video, a favorite movie, or music that brings back memories and a sense of peace. Watch and listen, and see if you feel more inspired and less stressed.

The Ask: 

Do you have any other QBs you think would be interested in being a part of QB Connections? If so, please send them this message, as a way of letting them know you are thinking about them and their wellbeing. They can subscribe to this email newsletter here and they can join the LinkedIn Group here.

The more we grow our QB Connections, the stronger we will be, and the more opportunities we will create for ourselves.

Thank you!