Nobody likes the discomfort of feeling a little chilly, but if you don’t have a jacket on hand, a recent study in the journal Emotion suggests all you need to do to warm yourself up is think nostalgic thoughts.
Photo by infowidget.
Across four different experiments researchers found that people were more comfortable in cold environments when they indulged in nostalgic reverie. The theory is that nostalgia serves a homeostatic function that tricks your mind into returning to a happier place and effectively making your body more comfortable. The next time you wander out without your jacket, just remember to think nostalgic thoughts and you might just combat that cold long enough to get home.
Heartwarming Memories: Nostalgia Maintains Physiological Comfort. [Emotion via BPS Research Digest]
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