This December weather got you shivering? If you want to feel warmer, just remind yourself of the “good ol’ days”!
No, seriously.
A new study found that nostalgic thoughts are often triggered by coldness and help us feel physically warmer. Think of this trick as the psychological version of us grabbing a sweater when we get chilly.
Want to learn more? Well read on, cold friends. We’ll explain how researchers figured all of this out and how you can test this cool brain trick out for yourself!
Researchers at the University of Southampton found that nostalgic thoughts increase our tolerance to cold temperatures.
How? Well, basically, we can make our bodies “recreate” the feeling of being physically warm just by thinking of a happy time in our past.
Think of it like this: you’re in a cold room and you find yourself involuntarily reminiscing about your birthday party last year with your close friends and family. That’s your body triggering nostalgia as a way to fight feeling cold. You see, because your body is remembering a time when you were physically very comfortable, your mind starts simulating that level of comfort, “tricking” your body into actually making you feel warmer.
Sound like bologna to you? It’s not. In fact, the researchers performed 5 different clinical tests and all led them to the same conclusion. You can read more about those tests here.
So how can you test out this crazy trick yourself? It’s simple. The next time you feel yourself getting a little chilly, just think back on a past positive experience and you’ll find yourself feeling warmer in no time!
Let’s face it. Nostalgia alone isn’t going to keep you comfortable through this Atlanta winter.
Want to ensure that you stay warm all winter? Then schedule your heating maintenance today.
Whatever heating system you have, our techs will make sure it stays in tip-top shape so you won’t have to resort to fighting the cold with brain tricks.
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