Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”—L.M. Montgomery.
Autumn weather has always brought out something nostalgic in me.
Something about the crisp, cool weather, the leaves as they change to hues of burgundy and gold—you could say I’m pretty much a sucker for fall. Many of my absolute best memories have been in the fall, so it’s hard for me not to take a trip down memory lane once I feel that chill creeping into the air.
We all know that nostalgia can make us feel “some kind of way,” but what you may not know is that it has some physical effects as well. Researchers have found that feelings of nostalgia can increase our cold tolerance by making us feel warmer—pretty convenient since the two often go together, huh?
In their multiple studies, researcher Xinyue Zhou and her colleagues found that people tend to revel in nostalgia more often when it is cold. The psychologists placed 90 undergrads into three separate rooms—one cold, one comfortable, and one warm. Each participant was then encouraged to think about old friends they used to know. As it turned out, those in the colder room reported more feelings of nostalgia.
In another study by the same psychologists, participants who were asked to listen to music known to be nostalgic perceived the room they were in to be warmer.
After these findings, the researchers asked another group of people to think of either a mundane occurrence or a nostalgic life event while placing their hands into a bucket of ice water. Just as predicted, those who thought of nostalgic memories were able to stand the cold longer, suggesting a link between nostalgia and greater cold tolerance. You can read more about their studies on the Research Digest.
These studies have some really interesting implications. They suggest that nostalgia allows us to mentally travel to a certain time and place and physically adapt to feel more comfortable—a sort of defensive mechanism, if you will.
I don’t know about you, but this information blew my mind. It’s crazy how our minds work. Sure, lingering on the past excessively can be unhealthy, but don’t forget that it also kind of gives you superpowers. Now you can tell people that, yes, those good memories really can give you warm and fuzzy feelings.