'The Great British Baking Show' is back. 6 lessons the feel-good series can teach us about friendship, happiness and mental wellness.

Sure, the Great British Bake Off (aka GBBO, or Great British Baking Show to American audiences) has its stressful moments. The cracked crusts and lopsided cakes. The dismissive shake of Paul Hollywood’s head when a loaf comes out under-proofed. Seeing the complete stranger who has suddenly become THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD TO YOU be sent home for using too much butter in their technical bake.

All that drama aside, however, there’s no better comfort watch to match the coziness of the fall season. It’s not just that the show — which returns with a new season airing on Netflix beginning Sept. 27 — is that rare reality TV offering with zero backstabbing and 100 times more meringue. It’s the valuable life lessons on display too — things that make GBBO, to quote licensed therapist Suzette Bray, a “wholesome mental health masterclass in disguise."

“Viewers get to watch ordinary people manage emotions — frustration, fear, sadness, etc. — in the moment in order to reach their larger goal,” Bray tells Yahoo Life. The competition is less about winning, she notes, versus the opportunity to “have amazing relationships and become better baking versions of themselves. [Viewers] also walk away with lessons on patience, kindness and the beauty of connection — all key ingredients for mental wellness.”

Friendship, happiness, living well (and licking the spoon) — here’s what we can all learn from the British series.

Having intergenerational friendships is important

The new series of GBBO will include contestants spanning in age from 19 to 71 — and if past seasons are any indication, that generational gap won’t prevent them from forming tight-knit bonds. Seeing the intergenerational friendships on the show is inspiring, says Bray, who notes that while these connections may be harder to make in real life, the benefits they present are worth the effort.

“These friendships are invaluable,” Bray says. “They reduce ageism, foster empathy and combat loneliness by helping us understand different life experiences.”

Social health expert Kasley Killam also praised these age-defying bonds in a recent interview with Yahoo Life. "Intergenerational friendship is a bidirectional gift, with older and younger people benefiting from the exchange of perspectives and wisdom," she shared. "Studies have shown that the more diverse your social ties, the better it is for your health and well-being. Cultivating friendships across ages, different backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities and cultures benefits all generations."

Ultimately, Bray adds, only befriending people in our age group means “we miss out on the wisdom or joy that interaction with another generation can bring us.”

Hobbies are good for you

You don’t have to take up baking to enjoy the benefits of having a hobby. According to psychologist Kate Lieberman, these passions — scrapbooking, indoor rock climbing, whatever — ”play a powerful role in enhancing mental health and well-being.”

“From a cognitive behavioral therapy perspective, engaging in hobbies is a form of behavioral activation, which is about doing things that are enjoyable and meaningful to combat feelings of low mood or depression,” Lieberman tells Yahoo Life. “When you’re involved in a hobby that you enjoy, you're not just keeping busy — you’re also fostering positive feelings, shifting your focus away from negative thoughts and breaking the cycle of inactivity that can feed feelings of hopelessness or stress.”

What’s more, Lieberman says, “hobbies often reflect core values like creativity, learning or connection, allowing you to express these values in a tangible way.” They also help to “cultivate passion” and personal growth at any age, adds Lieberman. “Hobbies provide a source of enjoyment, a way to express your identity and opportunities for social connection,” she says. “By exploring something new, you're investing in your mental health and enhancing your overall quality of life.”

And while the pressure is on for these amateur bakers, Bray adds that perfectionism doesn’t need to be the goal when taking up a new hobby. “The fear of not being good at something — of ‘failing’ — often stops us from exploring new passions, but GBBO demonstrates that it's perfectly fine to suck at something new when you’re just starting out,” she says.

Treat everyone equally

The show has won praise for letting contestants with disabilities dictate how it’s addressed (or not). "I specified early on that I didn't want them to make a big deal out of it because I just wanted to see how people would view it," former contestant Briony Williams told the BBC of baking with a limb difference. Similarly, last season’s Tasha Stones (“a part-time baker who happens to be deaf AF,” per her Instagram bio) made little mention of her hearing loss beyond working with a sign language interpreter.

“I love the focus on the bakers’ abilities and love of baking, not their differences,” says Bray. “This approach models a powerful mental health lesson: People want to be valued for who they are, not for the obstacles they face. The show’s inclusivity fosters a sense of compassion and community, reducing stigma and allowing all contestants to show up as who they are, without having to explain.”

Take your time

Contestants have a lot to do in not a lot of time, so multitasking is a necessary beast. Rushing, however, almost always results in disappointing bakes, from cakes that haven’t had time to cool to sloppy “Showstoppers”. Bray calls it a “lesson on the importance of mindfulness and patience.”

“Good things take time, and when we try to hurry through them, we often end up anxious, overwhelmed or with a less-than-ideal result,” she says. “The bakers teach us to slow down and engage mindfully with the task at hand.”

It’s OK to cry — whether you’re happy or sad

If you can’t watch GBBO without welling up, you’re not alone. Someone gets sent home (with a group hug, of course): Cue tears. Someone gets a handshake from Paul or is named Star Baker; Cue tears. The tears flow freely whether the news is good or bad, which Bray views as a healthy display of “emotional regulation.”

“The contestants experience a full range of emotions, from the joy of a perfect bake to the frustration of a last-minute disaster,” she explains. “They may cry, laugh or shake their heads in disbelief, but they always return to the task at hand: getting the bake done to the best of their abilities. This models a healthy processing of emotions. It also illustrates emotional resilience: feel the feeling, let it move through you and then get back to focusing on your larger goal.”

Bray says she’s also struck by the “self-compassion” the amateur bakers show themselves when they make a mistake. Instead of giving up or “getting stuck in self-criticism,” they move on and try again with a fresh batch.

Compete for the fun of it

In an era of big jackpots and cushy sponsorship deals, it’s pretty notable that contestants aren’t competing for a cash prize — just the title of winner, some flowers and a fancy cake stand. And while a number of winners have gone on to find post-show success as professional bakers, cookbook authors and food influencers, the contestant-to-celebrity pipeline is far from guaranteed. Most folks, it seems, appear content to spend a few weeks toiling in the tent and showing off their favorite recipes.

“I really enjoy that the contestants genuinely seem more interested in the joy of baking and camaraderie than in winning,” says Bray. “This is a really helpful approach to competition: The process is more important than the outcome. When we focus on learning and connection rather than fame or success, we’re more resilient and less susceptible to anxiety or depression.”

Collection 12 of The Great British Baking Show begins streaming on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 27.