Nostalgia Gets the Tick of Approval!

‘Nostalgia.’ We think we know what it means – until we’re asked to define it. Then, as we try to articulate it, its meaning tends to slip away into the ether. A tricky state of mind to pin down, ‘nostalgia’ was once regarded as a mental health issue. First ‘recognised’ as such in the 1600s, it was described as ‘nostalgic depression,’ with symptoms including ‘homesickness,’ anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns, and eating problems. Those who suffered from it were often those who had been dislodged from their cultural roots and social connections (in the same way many refugees are, today).

We’ve come a long way since then in the way we think about nostalgia (officially defined as a sentimentality for the past, and typified by a sense of longing for what has been). In the world of mental health, nostalgia is still recognised, but can be linked more to the perfectly natural state of mourning, or in cases where it impacts in very negative and pervasive ways, depression. However, while nostalgia can bring about unhealthy symptoms of rumination and despair, more recent research suggests it can also affect us in positive ways.

Take, for example, your own reaction to hearing familiar music from your youth. Suddenly, you may be transported back to the first dance you ever had with the person who later became your loved life-long partner. Or you may remember the way your adored mother sang as she went about her household tasks. Or an ocean cruise when a band played while you enjoyed a memorable dinner with friends. Even stronger than music, is the impact perfume can have on our sense of nostalgia. Catch the scent of bluebells or lilies as you walk past a florist’s display, and you may suddenly recall your grandmother’s garden, a walk in the woods, or your wedding bouquet.

These recollections of moving, romantic, or joyful occasions can have the ability to release the brain’s natural feel-good chemicals. With this, we will often feel a lift in our spirits or even a feeling of elation. If you are having a difficult day, or feeling anxious, such a lift can quickly change your mood, or help you to view life from a more positive perspective.

Because nostalgia often brings to mind a loved one, or a happy place or experience shared with friends or family, it can remind us of our social connections. If we have lost these over time or let them slip, it can give us the confidence to reconnect or to make new friends.

Nostalgia is one of life’s comforts as we grow older and may be less able to engage in some of the activities we once enjoyed. To bring these moments to life again, in our recollections, can be to relive some of the happiest of times. Provided we can do so without a profound sense of regret or aching longing, it is not something to shy away from or feel guilty about.

As well as enjoying periods of nostalgia ourselves, we can help others experience the pleasure it brings. When visiting an older friend, especially when it feels you have little to converse about, it can be a good idea to ask them to recall happy childhood memories, or friends they have enjoyed or found interesting.

With research showing there are many positives to nostalgia, we have every reason to sit back and enjoy our happy memories. And if that’s not an excuse to get out the photo album and home movies, we don’t know what is!