Indulging in a little nostalgia can have profoundly comforting effects, whether you’re remembering that first date with the hubby or thinking back to holiday traditions from childhood. Now, experts are offering yet another good reason to give into some warm and fuzzy thoughts: They might actually keep your body temperature up even as the thermostat drops. Researchers from the University of Southampton, writing in the journal Emotion, conducted five experiments to test the effect of nostalgic thoughts on our perceptions of temperature. In one experiment, participants sat in a cold room and were asked to recall two different types of events—either ordinary occurrences or those that made them feel nostalgic—before guessing the temperature of the room. Those who recalled a nostalgic event actually thought they were inside a warmer room than those who didn’t. So can revisiting your wedding day actually keep you toasty on winter’s coldest evenings? Perhaps, researchers say. “Our study has shown that nostalgia allows the mental simulation of previously enjoyed states—in this case making us feel warmer or increasing our tolerance of cold,” says study co-author Tim Wildschut, PhD, a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at Southampton, in a press release. “More research is now needed to see if nostalgia can combat other forms of physical discomfort, besides low temperature.” More from Prevention: 10 Ways To Keep Your Mind Sharp The study offers intriguing evidence of the mind’s ability to impact the body, says Krystine Batcho, PhD, a professor of psychology at Le Moyne College and an expert on nostalgia, though she adds that the research doesn’t conclusively prove that recollections can heat us up, nor does it explain why the connection appears to exist. While you may not want to swap your winter coat for warm memories just yet, Batcho notes that nostalgia is accompanied by several other, well-established health benefits—all of them good excuses to curl up with your photo albums after work: Healing from hurt The cultivation of nostalgic memories, sometimes through favorite old songs or photos, is routinely used to help patients address and process trauma from their past, particularly by taking periods of unhappiness and associating them with positivity instead. It can also help with depression, research shows, by giving us an opportunity to remember better times—and recognize that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Coping with stress A large body of research has shown that nostalgia can help calm us down, Batcho says, particularly when we recall negative events and how we overcame them. These kinds of memories can also trigger impulses to plan and take action during challenging situations. If an epic fight with your husband is freaking you out, look back on other tiffs—and how you both found your way out of it—to calm down and start coping. Reinforcing our purpose If you’re feeling adrift at work, with friends, or at home, take a few minutes to remember instances where that wasn’t the case. For example, if you’ve had a series of bad days at the office, look back on the annual report you knocked out of the park last year. Nostalgia, Batcho says, offers an opportunity to remember our importance, sense of purpose, and the vital role we play in the lives of others. (Need some tips to bring old memories to the fore? We’ve got 4 Ways To Get Nostalgic.) Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team!
