As we age, we often look back on our younger years and marvel at how much energy, enthusiasm, imagination, and sense of endless possibility we had, sometimes wishing we had appreciated it more at the time. But what if we could recapture some of that youthful vitality? It becomes increasingly easy to get stuck in our ways as we develop patterns and routines that feel comfortable and familiar. While these create valuable structure in our lives, they can make us overly rigid in our thinking, leading us to dismiss new experiences with thoughts like "I'm too old for that" or "That's not for someone my age." Physical aging certainly brings certain realities. For example, as a fitness enthusiast, I'm well aware that recovery from intense workouts takes longer now in my late 40s than it did in my 20s or 30s. However, often our greatest limitations aren't physical but psychological. They stem from our mindset about age and what it means for our capabilities and potential.
This is where the concept of subjective age becomes useful. Subjective age refers to how old we feel, regardless of our chronological age. Research has shown that this internal sense of age can profoundly influence our well-being, affecting everything from our physical health to our willingness to embrace new experiences. People who feel young at heart are psychologically and physically healthier, report a greater sense of meaning, curiosity, and hope, have more positive attitudes about aging, are better able to self-regulate stress, demonstrate greater resilience when facing health challenges, and tend to live longer. A youthful spirit, it turns out, is a valuable asset for healthy aging.
My colleagues and I explored nostalgia as a potential resource for maintaining or rekindling a youthful spirit. This idea emerged from our previous research, where we observed that people often feel intensely nostalgic for experiences from their youth. Moreover, when they described these memories, they frequently used language suggesting that revisiting these moments helped them feel young again. These observations led us to conduct several studies examining whether nostalgia could actually influence how old people feel.
In our first study, we recruited adults of different ages and had them listen to music—either a song that made them feel nostalgic or a song they recently discovered and enjoyed. We found that as people entered middle age (around age 40), a significant pattern emerged: nostalgic songs made them feel notably younger, while newer songs didn't have this effect. We replicated and extended these findings in another study where people wrote about either a nostalgic or ordinary memory. Again, the results showed that for adults in middle age and beyond, nostalgia decreased subjective age. Among adults in middle age or older, we also found that nostalgia enhanced general feelings of youthfulness—a broader measure of feeling young, energetic, and vital. In our final study, we found that when adults over 40 recalled nostalgic memories from high school, not only did they feel younger, but this youthful feeling was associated with increased confidence in their physical abilities and greater optimism about their health. These findings suggest that as we move beyond young adulthood, nostalgia can be a powerful psychological resource for maintaining and restoring our youthful spirit.
Contemporary discussions about aging increasingly focus on radical approaches to reducing biological age, with some individuals pursuing extreme measures involving elaborate behavioral and pharmacological protocols and substantial financial investments. While the science of aging offers valuable insights about health and longevity, many trendy interventions remain more experimental than evidence-based. However, we do know that our psychological approach to aging can influence our engagement with established health practices. A youthful mindset often creates a self-fulfilling prophecy—when we feel younger and more capable, we're more likely to engage in activities that enhance our physical and cognitive vitality. We might be more inclined to start that exercise routine we've been considering, take up a new hobby that challenges our minds, or engage in social activities that benefit both our emotional and physical well-being. In this way, our mindset about age becomes a gateway to behaviors that support healthy aging.
This doesn't mean chasing an impossible fountain of youth. Instead, it's about recognizing that while we can't control our chronological age, we have more influence over our subjective age than we might assume.Â
It's worth recognizing that the psychological characteristics we associate with youth—energy and openness to new experiences—aren't necessarily tied to age. We all know young people who are uninspired and set in their ways, and older adults who are adventurous and enthusiastic about new experiences. That said, as we progress through life, we establish patterns and routines, often finding it challenging to get excited about and keep pace with new ideas, trends, and opportunities. Nostalgia can help. When we intentionally engage with nostalgic memories we're not just reminiscing. We're accessing psychological resources that can help us rediscover the energy, curiosity, and confidence to embrace new ideas and experiences while benefiting from the wisdom we've gained along the way.
The next time you catch yourself thinking you're too old for something, pause and question whether age is truly the limiting factor. Consider taking a moment to recall a time when you felt particularly energetic, bold, and open to new possibilities. Let that nostalgic reflection remind you of your capacity for adventure, learning, growth, and adaptation. After all, maintaining a youthful spirit isn't about denying our age—it's about staying open to the opportunities that each new day brings, regardless of the number of years we've lived.
If you are interested in learning more about the power of nostalgia, check out my book, Past Forward: How Nostalgia Can Help You Live a More Meaningful Life, available at all major retailers.Â
Have a great and youthful weekend!
Clay