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Nostalgia is Really Good For You
For better health and well-being, new research implores us to reach out to old friends and reminisce freely
When I get together with old friends — those who date back to high school and even before — we tell the same damn stories we’ve all heard a million times. It’s glorious. And yeah, I know, these nostalgic interactions can be really annoying to other people (like spouses who came late to the game). And some people even say that living in the past is unhealthy. Bah! Though I’m learning in my later years to be “in the moment” more, and to appreciate the here and now instead of living in the past, few things in life bring me more happiness than spending time with old friends.
So while I don’t need science to tell me that reminiscing with my school buddies is a positive thing, science has done so anyway.
People who are more nostalgic tend to have more close friends and put more effort into those relationships, compared to less sentimental people, according to research detailed this week in the journal Cognition and Emotion. That nostalgia is seen as being really good for overall well-being, since other research has shown notable physical and mental health benefits to maintaining close relationships.
