Sometimes we just need some mindless television shows to relax after a long day. Reality TV shows allow us that reprieve from our everyday lives. They offer us the ability to feel better about ourselves, be inspired, learn something new, see real lives change and so many other things. While reality television catches a lot of criticism for being staged, overdramatic, unrealistic, etc., I think that there are plenty of reality television shows out there that have positive impacts and simply bring joy to their viewers. All of my favorite guilty pleasure shows are reality TV.

1. Undercover Boss

While "Undercover Boss" does seem like it’s gotten much more dramatic and possibly less realistic over the seasons, I still love watching the interactions these executives have while doing the bottom line jobs that keep their companies running. Every few episodes there will be some form of a disgruntled employee that needs an attitude adjustment, and that’s one of the most entertaining yet honest parts of the show. While watching the boss try to figure out how to react to that type of employee is enjoyable, seeing how passionate other employees are about their jobs is even better. The best part of every show is the last five minutes when the boss rewards their hardworking employees with much-deserved bonuses, raises and vacations, along with sweeping changes in their companies.

2. The Great British Baking Show

Even if you’ve never watched any cooking or baking shows, I would recommend this show to you. Not only do the challenges require incredible baking skill, but the competitors on the show are all wonderfully nice people. I’ve never watched a show where the competitors were so kind and helpful to each other. It was honestly refreshing and simply a joy to watch. You get invested in all of the bakers competing because they just seem like incredible people. Plus who doesn’t love sitting around listening to British accents and watching food be made?

3. Say Yes to the Dress

As much as we don’t like to admit it, most girls do spend time thinking about their future wedding no matter what their relationship status is. Watching "Say Yes to the Dress" is like seeing your Pinterest board come alive. You get to watch real women try on hundreds of gorgeous wedding dresses, and they are all amazing. However, I think my favorite part of the show is listening to the entourage give their feedback on the dresses. There’s always one person that’s not so easy to please. While I’m fairly certain I’m not going to be spending $10,000 on a wedding dress, a girl can dream, right?

4. Shark Tank

I really can’t explain why I love Shark Tank so much, but every time I come home I watch it with my parents. Okay, actually I can; I love the “sharks.” While they are all incredibly admirable and successful people, their personalities are really why I watch the show. The way they interact with each other is hilarious, and as the seasons have progressed it’s just gotten even funnier. All humor aside, I also love that Shark Tank gives normal people the opportunity to completely change their lives, which we're able to witness in the follow-up segments on the companies they’ve invested in. It’s amazing to see how the help of one or two successful businesspeople can help a struggling start-up become successful.

5. My 600-lb Life

This is my ultimate guilty pleasure show. My friends and I make sure to watch an episode almost every single time we get together. We get so invested in the lives of the people on the show it’s almost laughable. It’s probably because the doctor who does the gastric bypass surgeries for these people is based in Houston (where we grew up) that makes us that much more invested in it. The doctor is also a no-nonsense man, which makes him perfect for the job. He gives his patients the dose of reality that they need, and most of them are able to successfully lose hundreds of pounds.

No matter what the premise of the show is, we watch reality television because it seems more real to us. It’s easier to get invested in people on these shows because we can find real life connections with them. And then getting to watch them succeed at whatever they’re doing is that much more vindicating. With shows like these, we can get a real sense of happiness or enjoyment from the outcome, which makes them perfect for providing a release from our busy lives.