The Benefits of Nostalgia

If you've been feeling nostalgic lately you're not alone. The more uncertain things feel in our lives the more likely we are to experience nostalgia.

Until recently nostalgia was seen as a sign of being 'stuck in the past', depression or even neurological disease. But a team of dedicated 'nostalgia researchers' have discovered it's actually an adaptive function with clear physiological & psychological benefits.

We start to 'nostalgize' from around age seven as a way to help give context and narrative to our lives. But its function is much bigger than that. It turns out having the ability to recall positive experiences strengthens us in difficult times. For example, researchers placed people in a cold room and found that the ones who recalled fond memories literally felt warmer. Perhaps more importantly, nostalgia has been shown to counteract feelings of loneliness & anxiety by assuring us we are valued & have meaningful lives.

'Oddly enough, by looking wistfully at the past it makes you more optimistic for the future.' John Tierney

Nostalgia researcher Dr Sedikides recommends seeing nostalgia as a prized possession and suggests focussing on a positive memory in as much detail as possible a couple of times a week, while also building 'nostalgic-to-be memories' into your life. 

'The land which happened inside us no one can take away from us, not even ourselves.' - Andre Brink