Throwback Thursday Benefits You

Each Thursday my newsfeed becomes inundated with pictures of friends and family members from a time long ago. The pictures, while embarrassing at times, seem to always put a smile on my face. It doesn’t matter what ridiculous outfit my mother dressed me up in or the perm she thought “looked amazing” – the pictures just make me smile.Let’s be honest for a second on this topic… when we post for Throwback Thursday (#tbt) we’re posting memories that we identify as positive and happy in our life. While they may be a little embarrassing and somebody may comment with an “I can’t believe you posted that!” the pictures bring us back to a happy time and a memory we’re willing to relive. I haven’t seen, thus far, a throwback of something negative (unless you’re counting the way your mom dressed you as negative!). My smiles associated with Throwback Thursday were finally backed up with some science (man, I love science) in an article posted by This Emotional Life (@emotionallife) found on PsychCentral. The article, “How Throwback Thursday Benefits Our Psychological Well-Being”, hit the nail on the head! Not only did the author, Dr. Leslie Ralph, start with a quote from Green Day (hello throwback!), but she goes on to provided scientific evidence on how nostalgia can actually increase positive moods. The nostalgia provided by Throwback Thursday, and other reminiscing events, can increase the positive views we have of ourselves and our past experiences. It helps to decrease feelings of loneliness, depression, and disconnectedness. No wonder #tbt has become so popular; it psychological benefits your well-being!So it’s time to get the nostalgia flowing. Pull out those old pictures and dare I say VHS videos and spread the nostalgia through the air! And don’t just wait for Thursday to come around… accumulate those positives every chance you can get!