Digital Nomad and a Dog contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon (or other) links, I may receive compensation at no cost to you. Read my disclosure policy for more information.

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling You Get Around the Holidays? Turns Out It’s Actually Good for You

ByBe S
Credit: Image/AI Generated

Credit: Image/AI Generated

You know that feeling when a certain smell hits you out of nowhere — maybe cinnamon, maybe pine, maybe your grandma’s kitchen — and suddenly you’re eight years old again? That’s nostalgia doing its thing. And around the holidays, it hits different.

Most of us experience it this time of year. A song comes on, you see old photos, someone pulls out a recipe that’s been in the family forever. It’s warm but it stings a little too. That mix of happiness and missing something you can’t quite get back.

Here’s what’s interesting though. That bittersweet feeling? It’s actually doing you a lot of good.

It Wasn’t Always Seen That Way

Believe it or not, nostalgia used to be treated as an actual medical problem. Back in the day, doctors thought it was a psychiatric condition — even a type of depression. Wild, right? But research over the last couple of decades has completely flipped the script. Now, mental health experts see nostalgia as something that can genuinely lift your mood, make you feel more connected to people, and even ease anxiety.

When you remember something good from your past, your brain releases dopamine. That’s the same chemical that kicks in when you eat your favorite food or hear a song you love. So when you’re sitting there remembering Christmas mornings from twenty years ago, your brain is literally rewarding you for it.

It Helps When You’re Feeling Lonely

This one really stuck with me. Research has shown that people who feel isolated or lonely can actually pull themselves out of that headspace by thinking about happier times. It gives the present moment more meaning somehow — like reminding yourself that you’ve had deep connections before, and you’re still that same person.

A survey of over 2,000 people found that most of them see nostalgia as a source of comfort. Not escapism, not denial — just comfort. There’s a difference.

But It Doesn’t Work for Everyone

I’d be lying if I said the holidays are warm and fuzzy for everybody. For some people, this season brings up grief, family tension, or memories they’d rather not revisit. Nearly half of people in one survey said stress straight up ruins the holidays for them. So nostalgia isn’t some magic switch you can just flip on.

That said, if you’re in a place where you can tap into it, there are some genuinely helpful ways to use it.

Actually Useful Things You Can Do With It

Don’t just sit in the memories — bring them forward. If you loved decorating cookies with your mom as a kid, do it again. Not because you’re trying to recreate something, but because that joy is still yours to have. Take the feeling and make it part of today.

If nostalgia brings up someone you’ve lost, try leaning into gratitude instead of grief. I know that sounds easier said than done. But even just acknowledging “I’m glad that happened, I’m glad I had that” can shift something inside you.

Call someone. Text an old friend. Invite your cousin over to cook that dish your aunt always made. Nostalgia is better when it’s shared. When you talk about old memories with someone who was there, it doesn’t just feel good — it actually strengthens your relationship with them right now.

Write it down. Seriously. One study found that people who journaled about meaningful past experiences felt more loved and less alone afterward. You don’t need to write a novel. Even a few sentences about your favorite holiday memory can change how your day feels.

And maybe the most surprising thing — nostalgia can make you more honest with yourself. When people reflect on who they used to be, they tend to reconnect with a version of themselves that felt more real, less filtered. And that makes it easier to stop performing for other people and just be who you actually are.

The Whole Point

The holidays don’t need to be perfect. They never were, honestly. But those messy, beautiful, half-remembered moments from years past? They’re not just memories. They’re fuel. They remind you what matters, who matters, and that you’ve already lived through things worth holding onto.

So let yourself feel it this season. The happiness, the ache, all of it. It’s doing more for you than you think.