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Review
. 2023 Feb:49:101522.
doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101522. Epub 2022 Nov 28.

The past promotes the picture of health: Nostalgia as a resource for physical well-being

Mike Kersten  1 , Cathy R Cox  2
Affiliations
Review

The past promotes the picture of health: Nostalgia as a resource for physical well-being

Mike Kersten et al. Curr Opin Psychol. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, confers an array of psychological, emotional, and social benefits. This review article discusses emerging evidence that exemplify how nostalgia also contributes to better physical health. Nostalgia's capacity for health promotion is highlighted in relation to five key areas: (a) nurturing positive health attitudes, (b) increasing physical activity, (c) improving dietary choices, (d) reducing health risk behavior, and (e) attenuating physical pain. These recent developments demonstrate that nostalgia serves as a resource to enhance multiple dimensions of physical well-being. Suggestions for future research on the nostalgia-physical health relationship include identifying additional mechanisms, extending the scope of its health benefits, and determining the efficacy of long-term health promotion.

Keywords: Emotion; Health promotion; Nostalgia; Pain; Physical health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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