Breaking the barriers of nostalgia

How could nostalgia be considered a resource that promotes psychological well-

being and health?

Lavanya Sharma

70966320
WRDS 150A, Dr. Cowe
University Of British Columbia
 Breaking the barriers of nostalgia

How could nostalgia be considered a resource that promotes psychological well-

being and health?

Historically, nostalgia has been viewed as a disease of the brain or the mind (Clay

Routledge, Tim Wildschut, Constantine Sedikides, Jacob Juhl, 2013). To be labeled

nostalgic during the 17th century to the late 20th century meant to be considered ill.

Johannes Hofer coined the term nostalgia in the late 17th century to describe what he

believed was a neurological disorder afflicting Swiss mercenaries who were fighting

overseas wars. Symptoms that were evident while being nostalgic included being anorexic,

irregular heartbeat and sadness. These symptoms were considered as demons inhabiting the

brain. All the atmospheric pressure caused the brain to feel overburdened and in turn

damaged the brain cells. Nostalgia had a negative connotation in the earlier times and was

termed as a psychological disorder or labeled as a repressive compulsive disorder.

Additionally, researchers were able to draw parallels between homesickness and nostalgia.

But with time, homesickness and nostalgia became disassociated with each other.

To older people nostalgia and homesickness have different meanings. Unlike

homesickness, nostalgia spans generational and social boundaries. While homesickness is

usually associated with the psychological problems (e.g., separation anxiety) that young

people experience when they leave their home environment, nostalgia transcends age and

generational differentiation.
 Nostalgia has been put to test to figure out whether it is a negative emotion or a

positive one. In a study by Wildschut, Stephan, Sedikides, Routledge, and Arndt (2008), a

sample of British and American undergraduates were taken and asked to write about a

nostalgic account. Analysis found that narratives of nostalgic events were more likely to

demonstrate both happiness and sadness simultaneously than narratives of ordinary events.

This showed additional evidence that nostalgia has more positive effects than negative

effects. Nostalgia is a social emotion: a wide range of themes can be seen in nostalgia,

including selfhood, sociality, loss, redemption, and an ambivalent, but generally positive

affectivity.

Nostalgia is a widely researched topic per se, but it is either focused on a particular

group of people (in this context swiss mercenaries) or a certain place. It is necessary to

consider all the aspects of nostalgia to be able to come to a considerable conclusion about

its impact on the mental well-being of a person.

Would nostalgia be capable of counteracting the negative effects of loneliness? Can

nostalgia serve a coping function? Zhou et al. (in press) addressed this question. Loneliness

triggers nostalgia. As a direct result of loneliness, perceptions of social support are

reduced, but nostalgia magnifies perceptions of social support, thus counteracting the

effects of loneliness. One can experience a strong sense of endurance throughout their lives

through nostalgia. Nostalgia enhances perceptions of life as meaningful and eases

existential anxiety.

In terms of the future, nostalgia may facilitate continuity between past and present

selves. In some cases, nostalgia provides a lift to optimism, inspiration, and creativity.
Conversely, nostalgia may erode a sense of meaning in the present and may prevent

motivation if the individual is fixated on the past.

The research displayed that nostalgia had a positive effect on the mental well-being

of a person. The panel discussed findings suggesting nostalgia can be an effective

intervention for those with poor psychological health, as well as questions for future

research into this topic. As indicated by the present research, the past can also be a

valuable resource from which one may draw from to maintain and enhance a sense of

meaning. Through the research, nostalgia serves a pivotal existential function by

broadening the functional landscape of nostalgia.

 References

Routledge, Clay et al. “Nostalgia as a Resource for Psychological Health and Well-Being.”

Social and personality psychology compass 7.11 (2013)

Routledge, Clay et al. “The Past Makes the Present Meaningful: Nostalgia as an Existential

Resource.” Journal of personality and social psychology 101.3 (2011)

Sedikides et al., (2008). Nostalgia: Past, present, and future. Current Directions in

Psychological Science, 17(5), 304-307