Next time someone judgmentally suggests you spend too much time watching sports, or criticizes the depth of your fandom, send them this article. Because, as it turns out, watching sports can legitimately boost your well-being in a handful of ways.
Mental health therapist Annie Tasse said she “encourages clients struggling with loneliness and depression to seek out experiences that foster connection and engagement. Attending sporting events can be surprisingly therapeutic.”
Your dopamine levels can increase.
Watching your team or athlete go head-to-head in a competitive yet enjoyable game can be extremely beneficial to your overall well-being in a variety of ways — including increasing your dopamine, which is known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter in the brain and is released during pleasurable activities.
He continued, “The brain’s reward pathway is activated, leading to increased levels of dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, GABA [gamma-aminobutyric acid], and subsequently, a higher level of pleasure and joy.”
It reinforces positive psychological behaviors.
“Psychologically, the more we are exposed to something or see something, the more our brain interprets that experience as our reality,” said board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Arman Taghizadeh. Seeing people work together to win a singular match, tournament or championship game is the perfect opportunity to see what can happen when everyone is focused on a common goal.
Watching sports can “also demonstrate how to overcome adversity and still achieve greatness if you keep going and believe in yourself,” Taghizadeh said. “As a fan, we can also witness how amazing the human body is and how much we can accomplish when we work hard.”
In addition to this, witnessing sportsmanship can easily translate and apply to life outside of sports. Being a team player and coming into a situation with a positive and understanding attitude can benefit your overall well-being at school, at work and even in your home life.
Watching sports instills a feeling of community.
Feeling like you belong is something many people strive for in general. “Being surrounded by others while demonstrating pride in one’s city, country or region certainly instills feelings of community, support and even happiness,” Taghizadeh explained.
Watching sports, whether in person, at a bar, or in your own home can also help build or strengthen friendships. Relationships can also originate out of this, especially if you’re attending sporting events consistently. This can create a sort of support system that can help with depressive symptoms or isolation.
Sports can serve as a healthy distraction.
Sports fans know the feeling of stressful and anxiety-ridden moments while watching a game. However, outside of sports, someone who is struggling with anxiety, stress or depression may find sports-fanning to be a much-needed outlet, as this can “shift attention to something that creates opportunities to connect with others, cheer, initiate human contact through high-fives, hugs, etc.,” Taghizadeh said. “All these experiences can facilitate the brain to release neurochemicals that boost mood, lower anxiety, and foster feelings of connectedness.”
If loneliness is something you struggle with, the social atmosphere, whether attending alone or with friends, “can gently reintroduce positive social interaction,” Tasse said. “Even small moments of joy, like celebrating a goal or giving the person next to you a high-five, can trigger emotional uplift and help remind us that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves — community.”
