This holiday season, as you gather with loved ones, it may be more than the crackly fire or wooly Christmas sweater keeping you warm. New research from the University of Southampton has demonstrated that “warm and fuzzy” feelings can literally make us feel warmer.
The study, published in Emotion, a journal of the American Psychological Association, investigated the effects of nostalgic feelings on reaction to cold and the perception of warmth. Volunteers from universities in China and the Netherlands took part in several studies to gauge whether or not “warm” memories can create an actual sensation of physical warmth.
Dr. Tim Wildschut, senior lecturer at the University of Southampton and co-author of the study, said, “Nostalgia is experienced frequently and virtually by everyone and we know that it can maintain psychological comfort. For example, nostalgic reverie can combat loneliness. We wanted to take that a step further and assess whether it can also maintain physiological comfort.”
One study used music to evoke nostalgia to see if it was linked to warmth. The participants who said the music made them feel nostalgic also tended to say that the music made them feel physically warmer.
Another of the studies tested the effect of nostalgia on physical warmth by placing participants in a cold room and instructing them to recall either a nostalgic or ordinary event from their past. They were then asked to guess the temperature of the room. Those who recalled a nostalgic event perceived the room they were in to be warmer.
In yet another, participants were instructed to recall either a nostalgic or ordinary event from their past. They then placed their hand in ice-cold water to see how long they could stand it. Findings showed that the volunteers who indulged in nostalgia held their hand in the water for longer.
So, if you’re trying to save on heating costs this winter, and you’ve already brought out all of the blankets and sweaters from storage, you may want to bring out some of your most treasured memories, too. They’ll help to keep you warm.
Jaime McLeod is the Web Content Editor for the Farmers' Almanac. She is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, loves eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
1 comment
Hi! felt warmer just reading your article,( love you Farmer”s Almanac)
Diane from up North in Ontario Canada.God Bless.
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