Go Ahead and Treat Yo' Self: The Best Binge-Worthy Comedy Shows on Netflix

An article came across my timeline the other day that said watching the show Friends actually helped reduce anxiety, according to clinical psychologists. Well, d’uh. I could have told you that.

As a postpartum doula, I can’t tell you how many times I have sat next to an overwhelmed, stressed new mom as she struggled to get her head around her new normal, usually with the TV mindlessly going in the background. There might be difficulty latching baby to the breast. Or maybe she is struggling with lack of sleep. Maybe she’s dealing with how to soothe a fussy baby. But if Friends came on - there was just something about that show that could get new parents laughing, no matter how many tears they had shed just a few moments before.

Comedy is good for what ails us. We all know that.

It doesn’t matter if you are a new parent or not, life can overwhelm you sometimes. You could be struggling with that oh-so-precarious work-life balance. Trust us, it’s a struggle. Or maybe you’re counting down the minutes until your kids go to bed so you can stop playing the role of unpaid referee and keeper of the snacks. We get it.

We all need some down time. And what better way to relax than with these binge-worthy comedies currently running on Netflix. Check out our top favorites, then cozy up with the remote and start binge-ing.

Grace and Frankie

Starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie is about two lifelong rivals whose world gets turned upside down when they learn that their ex-husbands are getting married - to each other. Fonda and Tomlin are comedic gold paired together and this show keeps the laughs coming while also touching on some pretty weighty topics. It’s entering Season 6 this year, so it should keep you busy for awhile.

The Good Place

You can’t go wrong with Kristen Bell, folks. She’s adorable and super funny. And so is The Good Place. Bell plays a self-absorbed, selfish person who mistakenly gets sent to the “Good Place” in her afterlife. Realizing the mistake, she tries to become a better person in order to stay and the lengths she will go to will have you in tears. There’s a clever twist in the series and it will make you want to hit the play button again and again as you delve into the next few seasons.

Schitt’s Creek

Are you missing shows like Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm with all those characters that you just love to hate? Then Schitt’s Creek is definitely in your wheelhouse. After the Rose Family loses everything in a Bernie Madoff-reminiscent Ponzi scheme, they are relegated to the backwater town of Schitt’s Creek, utterly broke and at the mercy of the locals. As the seasons go by, the Roses definitely grow on you and you’ll find yourself rooting for them and every other person in Schitt’s Creek. And you’ll probably find yourself saying, “Eeeww David!” more than you care to admit.

Parks and Recreation

If you’ve never seen Parks and Recreation, it’s time to Treat Yo’ Self! But seriously, you are missing out on one of the funniest shows of the last decade. Amy Poehler is a comedy goddess as the ever-dedicated, do right civil servant, Leslie Knope. She is joined by arguably the funniest cast ever: Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, the staunchly libertarian government worker who despises government; Chris Pratt in his pre-chiseled Guardians of the Galaxy Days as the hilarious Andy Dwyer aka Burt Macklin; Aziz Ansari, Retta, Rob Lowe, and more round out the crew. Check out this show and in no time you will be celebrating Galentine’s Day, mourning Lil Sebastian, and humming the tunes of Mouserat. Trust me.

The Office

Come on, you know The Office had to be on this list. I’m sure just about everyone in the world has seen this show, but in my opinion it just gets better and better with subsequent viewings. So if it’s been awhile or if you are a true die-hard fan, buckle up and get ready for nine seasons of one of the best comedy shows ever. After a couple of hours of binge-watching, Micheal Scott, Jim and Pam, Dwight and Angela, Stanley, Phyllis, and the rest of the crew will feel like family. When it comes to watching, you’ll find it hard to stop.

That’s what she said.