Why Nostalgia Feels So Good
Updated: Oct 12
Nostalgia is something we have all experienced, and we feel it in our core. It is what connects our past and present. In Psychology Today, it was mentioned that it can enhance positive emotions, create stronger bonds, and promote resilience during tough times. The triggers of nostalgia play on the five senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste.
You can see something familiar, like a photo. The feeling of an old stuffed animal or blanket. A song that you listened to often throughout your childhood. The scent of your mom’s soft baked cookies or the musky cologne your late grandfather wore. Tasting a snack that you ate after school as a kid again. These are all examples of nostalgia triggers that transport us to a dear past memory.
Oftentimes, we find ourselves saddened after returning from our memory revisit. The reason may be because of one’s realization that it’s physically impossible to go back to that place in time and the fact that it’s gone for good. However, the cure for nostalgic blues is living in the moment. We must appreciate the fleeting moments we save in our memory bank for later to revisit. We may have been unaware of how important it is to savor those past experiences even though we were told “enjoy it while it lasts” in so many ways by adults in proximity to us.
Nostalgia itself needs no cure; yearning for the past requires mental stamina. The University of Florida referred to nostalgia as a powerful emotional experience and a mental time machine, which are strong choices of words but utterly correct. Next time you find yourself nostalgic, remember you are in the middle of creating milestones in your life that are worthy of recalling, along with all the emotions you experienced with them. Smell the nearest roses and truly absorb your environment to produce your perfect memory; your future self will thank you.
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