Have you ever spent half an evening scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max—only to realize you’ve burned all your free time deciding what to watch rather than actually watching anything?
I’ve been there.
There’s something about having so many options that seems to paralyze us.
Before you know it, it’s bedtime, and you’ve accomplished nothing except a new level of indecision fatigue.
If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you might be dealing with a restless mind. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a wandering mind; it can fuel creativity and curiosity.
But it can also hinder you from making quicker, more confident decisions—even over something as simple as movie night.
Here at DM News, we look at behaviors like these through a self-improvement lens.
Below, I’ll walk you through seven traits I’ve noticed in people (myself included) who struggle to pick what to stream. As you read, see which ones hit close to home.
1. You overthink every decision
Overthinking is like a marathon that never ends.
You start with a simple question—“Should I watch that comedy or go with a documentary?”—and five minutes later, you’re dissecting plot summaries, casting choices, audience reviews, and whether watching one over the other might affect your mood or productivity tomorrow.
I’ve mentioned this before but overthinking has a sneaky way of making trivial decisions feel crucial.
It’s almost as if the mind is trying to optimize for perfection.
In reality, we usually waste time trying to find the absolute best option.
No matter how hard we try, there’s almost always something we might second-guess after we commit.
As Tim Ferriss has said, “Being busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.”
When you think about it, analyzing 20 different trailers for the “perfect” watch might feel like you’re being productive or thorough, but all you’re really doing is delaying the moment of action.
If you find yourself frequently falling into that trap, it’s a sign your mind craves a level of control (and reassurance) that rarely exists.
2. You fear missing out on better options
Ever heard the phrase “the grass is always greener on the other side”?
That’s exactly what FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) feels like. You hover over one show but can’t help wondering if there’s something better just around the corner.
Should you watch the new blockbuster release because everyone’s talking about it, or try the lesser-known indie film that might turn out to be surprisingly amazing?
A restless mind tends to inflate this fear of missing out. Instead of feeling excited about the variety, you end up overwhelmed by it.
One moment, you’re leaning toward a feel-good sitcom for a quick laugh. Then you think, “Wait, maybe I should watch that new docuseries everyone’s raving about on social media.” Two minutes later, you stumble on a list of “Top 10 must-watch shows,” and your entire plan goes out the window.
If you don’t make a choice and commit to a decision, you’ll get swept up by whichever show or movie a trending algorithm puts in front of you, never fully satisfied because you’re always wondering what you might be missing.
3. You crave novelty all the time
Another trait of a restless mind is the constant need for something new.
If you’re anything like me, you’re easily drawn to fresh releases or the next big series just for the sake of variety.
When I was traveling in Southeast Asia, I found myself jumping from one local eatery to another, sampling a bit of everything on the menu—but often missing out on the deeper experience of truly savoring a single dish.
It’s the same with streaming services. Rather than enjoying a single season from start to finish, you’re scanning for a new story to dive into every other day.
The root of this behavior often lies in our desire for constant stimulation.
We think new experiences will feed our curiosity, and they do—for a while. But sometimes that craving for novelty prevents us from settling into something enough to reap real enjoyment or learn something meaningful.
In a world overflowing with content, there will always be something new and shiny just around the digital corner.
A restless mind latches onto that promise of novelty, but ironically, it risks skipping out on depth or emotional payoff.
4. You have too many mental tabs open
When you can’t pick a show to save your life, it might be because your brain is juggling too many thoughts at once.
I often joke that I have more mental tabs open than my browser during a research project.
One minute I’m thinking about a movie’s cast, the next I’m worried about a work deadline, then I’m recalling an interesting fact from a behavioral science book I read.
Before I know it, I’m paralyzed by all these swirling thoughts.
A restless mind rarely stays in the present moment. It flits between past regrets, future anxieties, and random bits of trivia. Even a seemingly small decision—like what to watch—turns into a tangled web of “what ifs.”
This mental clutter can be exhausting, making it harder to sit still and actually enjoy the show once you finally choose it.
If this resonates, it might help to practice some form of mental decluttering. Even something as simple as journaling for five minutes about your day or creating a short to-do list can help clear some headspace, leaving you with more mental energy to pick a show and relax.
5. You’re a perfectionist in disguise
I used to think perfectionism was all about immaculate handwriting and spotless kitchens.
But it can show up in other ways too, like being overly concerned with picking the “right” or “best” entertainment.
Maybe you’re worried about “wasting” your evening, or you secretly want that viewing experience to be perfect so you can rave about it to friends the next day.
Perfectionism is often rooted in a fear of failure or disappointment.
So, you stall, hoping if you gather just a bit more information—a few more reviews, maybe a quick look at the Rotten Tomatoes score—you’ll nail that perfect pick.
But no matter what you choose, perfection remains an impossible standard. You might enjoy the show overall, but still feel a twinge of regret or wonder if there was something better.
Gary Vaynerchuk once noted, “Ideas are worthless without execution.” The same goes for your entertainment options: it doesn’t matter how many good shows you line up if you never actually hit play.
Chasing perfection leads to inaction. And doing nothing is almost always worse than making a good-enough decision in the moment.
6. You chase multiple interests at once
Some nights, you might not be stuck—rather, you’re genuinely fascinated by a bunch of genres.
Do you go for an old-school sci-fi film, or do you feed your interest in historical dramas?
A restless mind often sees a dozen paths and wants to take them all. This tendency isn’t necessarily bad; it can make you a more curious and well-rounded person.
I’ve personally experienced this when I was switching from digital marketing to writing. My mind lit up at everything from data analytics to creative storytelling.
But eventually, I realized dabbling in too many directions at once made me feel scattered. The same can happen with what you watch. Instead of making a confident choice, you let your interests pull you in a dozen directions, never fully settling on one.
If you resonate with this trait, think about creating a simple watchlist that honors your varied tastes but sets some structure. Maybe pick a genre for each day of the week.
That way, you’re satisfying your curiosity while putting a gentle boundary around your decision process.
7. You rarely slow down to reflect
Last but not least, another hallmark of a restless mind is a lack of genuine downtime for self-reflection.
Even when you finally pick a movie, you might be checking your phone every five minutes or scrolling social media. It’s like your mind refuses to rest on just one thing.
Instead of letting the story pull you in, part of you is already thinking about what you’ll watch next.
Our culture rewards multitasking and hustle, but it can lead to shallow engagement in everything we do. When was the last time you truly got lost in a show or movie without feeling the itch to check notifications?
If your answer is “not sure,” you’re not alone. Many of us have been trained to fill every silence with extra content or side activities.
Taking time to process and reflect on what we’re doing can help quiet that restlessness. If you let yourself be fully present for an hour or two, you might find that your urge to chase another option eases up.
We can only be content with our choices if we’re actually living them in the moment rather than mentally scouting the next possibility.
Putting it all together
If you’ve ever felt called out by your own streaming history, don’t sweat it.
A restless mind isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It often comes with curiosity, creativity, and a love of exploration.
The key is finding balance so you can make decisions more freely—and then enjoy them without the guilt or second-guessing.
So, the next time you’re about to binge-watch your favorite streaming service, see if any of these seven traits pop up.
Are you overthinking? Are you letting fear of missing out ruin the fun? Are you juggling too many interests at once?
Whatever the case, remember this: the perfect show doesn’t exist, and even if it did, you wouldn’t truly appreciate it if your mind wasn’t in the right place.
Embrace your restlessness when it serves you, but try not to let it sabotage the simple joy of kicking back and watching something, anything, that sparks your curiosity.
After all, life’s too short to spend the entire evening stuck in a decision loop.
Sometimes it’s best to just pick something, press play, and let yourself be entertained. And who knows? You might just discover a new favorite—no endless scrolling required.
