Nostalgia can serve as a coping mechanism when we are suffering from certain psychological distress -- loneliness, social isolation, self-doubt, negative emotions, and a feeling that life is meaningless  These worries cause the brain to start sifting through its memory bank and come up with episodes that have a particular narrative character  We use nostalgia to bring back the successes and close relationships of the past, when our lives felt secure and orderly  You're reaffirming to yourself, 'I've done great things,' and hoping it predicts the future, the psychologist explains  I'm not so sure now, but looking at my past, I'm a lovely person
I'm destined for great things
Nostalgia acts as an emotional buffer