Why Do We Love Looking Back?

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How does the powerful emotional pull of nostalgia connect to that midlife feeling of "how did I get here?" Why do we love looking back?

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why nostalgia increases during periods of transition and uncertainty (aging parents, growing children, career reckonings)

• The psychology and science behind nostalgia and memory
• Why parents often romanticize the baby and toddler years

• How nostalgia can deepen meaning, connection, and self-understanding

• Healthy ways to honor memories without getting stuck in the past

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

• University of Florida Medical Physiology Online: The Psychology of Nostalgia
• Emily Reynolds for The British Psychological Society: We feel more nostalgic as we get older
• Clay Routledge for the Institute for Family Studies: Nostalgia Reveals the Importance of Family and Close Relationships
• Joe Keohane for the Boston Globe: Why Does Parenthood Make Us Nostalgic?
• Hannah Seligsonfor the NYT: Being a Mother Is Hard Work. Is It Actually Harder on Millennial Moms?

• "The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert

What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables.

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