Oh, nostalgia, it's the reason why people are still sporting fashion trends from the 80s and why 90s

sitcoms are getting reboots. But did you know that nostalgia has important psychological benefits?

It does. Scientists have found that nostalgia increases feelings of empathy and helps reduce stress

and loneliness. Makes sense. nostalgia can also be a powerful way to reconnect with your loved

and remind yourself that you're loved and you're valued. Who doesn't love a good story that's been told a thousand times over?

Being able to cherish your memories in your life, it's powerful, it's emotional, and it's so

powerful actually that researchers have discovered that nostalgia can even increase your body temperature. So if you're a little chilly

some nights, just go down in memory lane. But sometimes nostalgia can be bittersweet. If you

start to feel sad over your past and negatively compare it to your present, nostalgia can be

more of a mood killer than a mood lifter.

It turns out there's a difference between being warm, happy nostalgia and getting a little

too stuck in the past.

Constant reminiscing and comparing can, you know this, it can actually make you feel anxious,

can make you feel depressed. I felt this way, I'm curious if you have. I had someone write me

the other day. They were sharing how where they are now is not where they ideally want to be. How reflecting on their past, it makes

their presence feel more lonely, more sad, empty even. I understand. So I like to think of

nostalgia as an iceberg.

The best memories are above the water.

And when you dive in and take a look at the whole glacier, you see some of the not-so-great

parts, the heavy parts.

You see all the things you lived through that you don't really miss or wouldn't

care to relive, to be honest. The problem isn't diving into the water and seeing the iceberg for

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