Indulge in nostalgia, writes Terri L. Jones. It can be a pleasant trip down memory lane and an incredibly beneficial experience. She describes evidence that personal nostalgia is good for you.
Currently, my husband and I, both children of the ’60s, are rewatching “Mad Men,” the show about advertising and life during those simpler times. In every single episode, a car (Mustang), a piece of clothing (ruffly baby doll pajamas), technology (corded phones) or even something someone says (“I will turn this car around right now!”) reminds us of our childhoods.
As you age, these nostalgic moments become more and more common. After all, you have more life experiences to draw from. In a University of Akron study, older adults reported experiencing nostalgia three times more than those who were middle-aged. You smell pipe smoke and remember your uncle in his recliner handing you a silver dollar when you visited. An old rock ’n’ roll song recalls dancing till dawn with all your girlfriends. The taste of hot chocolate brings back snow days home from school.
These wistful experiences can be sweet and comforting, but nostalgia hasn’t always been considered positive or even healthy.
The history of thinking about the past
In the 17th century, the term nostalgia was first used as a medical diagnosis for a sort of pathological homesickness that could cause lethargy, depression, disturbed sleep, heart palpitations, open sores and confusion. A negative view of nostalgia persisted into the 20th century when mental health professionals considered it to be akin to neuroses or at least an unwillingness to accept reality.
Why you should indulge in nostalgia
It’s taken until the past few decades for the medical community to recognize nostalgia for what can be: not only a pleasant trip down memory lane but also an incredibly beneficial experience. Here are some reasons to indulge in nostalgia:
Gives meaning to life
When you’re younger, harking back to these past experiences can help you cope with big life changes and provide a sense of continuity in the midst of transition. When you’re older, nostalgia allows you to reflect on and find meaning in your life, which can help reduce depression and even boost your self-esteem.
“Nostalgia serves a crucial existential function,” psychologist Clay Routledge, who has conducted studies on the impact of nostalgia, told The New York Times. “It brings to mind cherished experiences that assure us we are valued people who have meaningful lives.” Routledge adds that nostalgic people are even sometimes better at dealing with the prospect of death.
Fosters social connectedness
If you think about it, you’ll probably find that many of your moments of nostalgia probably involve people of significance in your life. Even when you are recalling an object from your past, those inanimate objects typically remind you of someone. (In my case, the Mustang above reminded me of my mother, who loved her ’66 Mustang like a third child!)
“Nostalgic experiences are highly social in nature,” explains Routledge. “They almost universally result in a sense of feeling closer to others.”
A great example of this phenomenon happened during the COVID pandemic. In their isolation, people turned to music and other traditional activities such as board games and puzzles that triggered feelings of nostalgia. This nostalgia served as a balm to their loneliness and made them feel more connected.
But nostalgia doesn’t only help ease loneliness, it can also motivate you to make new friends and maintain existing relationships. According to research published in Scientific American, “Participants who were highly prone to nostalgia had more people in their innermost friendship circle. Further, this tendency was linked to their motivation to maintain their social network.”
See for yourself: The Benefits of Old Photos
Positively influences the future
Nostalgic people sometimes are judged as being stuck in the past, but psychologists from the University of North Dakota believe that nostalgia is actually a “future-oriented emotional experience.” In other words, those proverbial “good ol’ days” can give you hope for the days to come. Particularly in times of transition or hardship, remembering when you’ve overcome challenges and emerged in a better place can give you reassurance that you can do it again.
However, when reflecting on the past, it’s best to resist comparing it to the present. Instead, leverage those yesterdays to strive toward a better tomorrow.
So, the next time you see a photo, hear a song or smell a fragrance that takes you back, enjoy the experience. As Albert Einstein once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” He added, “The important thing is to not stop questioning.”
Nostalgia Travel: Journey Back to the Good Ol’ Days
Editor’s note: The article addresses an individual’s response when they indulge in nostalgia, not group nostalgia. Research reported in Frontiers in Psychology said that “Although nostalgia for personal memories provides intra- and interpersonal benefits, there may be negative consequences of group-based nostalgia on the perception and acceptance of others.”
