The general conception of sitting in front of a TV and watching endless hours of TV shows is that nothing good can come of it; it is purely a waste of time and a source for inactivity and laziness.

Thus, it would seemingly be better for you to get up and go, read, run or just pretty much do something other than sit on the couch.

While engaging in pastimes and activities that keep you on the go are important in being healthy, let’s not completely rule out watching TV altogether. Not just any TV watching either, but more specifically, watching re-runs.

And now shall the crazy looks commence.

Yes, reruns. Watching the episodes of your favorite shows over and over is actually more of a benefit than you would believe. According to Live Science, a study conducted by Jaye Derrick of the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions, watching reruns can “prime a person to tackle a difficult task by helping to restore self-control and willpower.”

In other words, rewatching these shows helps you channel your mental energy into a state that grants a certain level of self-control. In this state, you’ll be able to avoid yelling at a kid who decided to cross the street when it was time for you to turn. It can also help you to become more motivated with executing tasks.

Rerun. Restore. Rejuvenate.

These things may seem miniscule, but acquiring and demonstrating such qualities can be much harder than it appears. Many rely on these attributes throughout their day and just think what could (or could not) happen if you lacked the mental energy and self-control needed to sustain order in your day. I’m pretty sure you would be shocked at the differences.

My guilty pleasures are watching as many episodes as I can of shows like “Seinfeld,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Frasier” (don’t judge) regardless if I’ve seen the episode before. After sitting and watching these shows for hours, I often feel a bit ashamed as I’ve done nothing with my time but watch TV. I try to make up for it by being more “productive” the next day–you know, studying and things of that nature. Now that I know I’m actually doing more good than harm, I don’t feel so bad about watching them.

Rewatching a show is much different than watching an entirely new episode. With a new episode often comes new plots and sometimes new characters. Much of your time is spent wondering what is going to happen next. According to Derrick, reruns do the exact opposite as they allow for you to return to a “familiar fictional world,” without overexerting your energy.

All of this is not to say push everything aside and sit in front of your TV for a zillion hours, but maybe half a zillion isn’t so bad.

So next time you’re watching that episode of “Friends” or “The Boondocks” for the 12th time and someone says something about it, just tell them you’re rejuvenating your mind in preparation of accomplishing a great feat.