Using Nostalgia to Decrease Pain

I'm saying. And there's only so many hours in the day. But but let's listen that whole pr promotion thing. I hopefully I am going to let the show's content speak for itself and push it that way. But yes, I'm going to do other podcasts. Uh. And so I just literally just ended it and I'm like, know what, I'm gonna ride this energy? Uh well, that was an hour. That's a long time, and I'm going to do this show. And it's just another fantastic study, another fantastic topic in

the sports psychology realm or just psychology. But you can absolutely and I will apply it to the sports psychology realm as well. And it's something that I want almost every episode to have take away that you can utilize right away. You can utilize it right away. And so I'm going to talk about pain and nostalgia and this study, and there's been a bunch, but this was a recent one that added to this body of research into nostalgia. I'm gonna have trouble saying that. I think I say

that word very frequently. Nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia and pain and the perception of pain. And this goes to the mind body connection, obviously, and how powerful that is. And if you've listened to prior podcast, you know that this was a huge part and is a huge part of my studies. But when I said I'm going back to school for the master's program, it was had to be exercise science, but I also wanted to sports psychology. So I found

a program that had both. And so within that program there was the exercise science exercise physiology courses, and then there was counseling courses and psychology those three buckets. And it was amazing because I said, I need to figure out this connection. Because I had worked for so many years in the industry already as a trainer group exercise instructor, all of these you know, different aspects of the industry, and I realized, like, yeah, a huge part of this

is motivation. A huge part of this is behavior, human behavior and all of the associated issues they're in. And so this study, this recent study that you know, plays on the body of work prior, is awesome and it's a little unique in that they added another element, another layer to the studies that had come before. And it's about nostalgia and pain and basically controlling the mind and what you can do and how you can do it

in your everyday life in sports performance. And it's what I say at the end of every show, we control three things, how much we move, what we put into our mouths, and our attitudes, and our attitudes is just our state of mind, our mental state, what we think. And so awesome new study quick break when we come back, and to jump right into it, I want to hear the title of study or is this gonna are people gonna are you gonna say? I'm not waiting for that. The study title is is a mouthful as well as

they usually are. Thou a mo cortical, turning down, turning it off already, thou a more cortical mechanisms for nostalgia induced analgesia. I'm going to break this down. Trust me, Trust me, you want to hear what this is all about. All right, quick break. I will be right back all right, checking the news, reading articles. The other day this popped up without hesitation, said, this is a show. This is

such a perfect show. It's the mind body connection. It's all about psychology, you know, I say frequently and wrote in many of my books when it comes to performance sports performance. Let's take anything a marathon. The top athletes male female are pretty darn close physiologically, pretty darn close. They've done the training, they have similar attributes VO to max and all that kind of stuff. It's who wants it more? Oversimplification maybe, but not really. Who wants it

more that day? Who's more in control of their perceptions of pain? Who's more willing to suffer that day? But then the interesting caveat twist is are they suffering as much as we think? Where are they managing? That's suffering? And that's what today's shows about. And I love everything about this because it does apply to endurance events that I do. And one of the reasons I do One of the many reasons I do them is this is learning about coping, about controlling discomfort, about learning how to

do that mentally alright, mental training, mental control. And I've done podcasts on visualization and self talk. Self talk one of my favorite. So there's many different ways I should say, too, control our thoughts, control our perception of pain. Self talk is one of them. I've talked about association and dissociation. Quick refresher for those people who are running and you throw your music on and you need your music to run or whatever exercise, whatever cardio you do, you need

the music. That's because you want, by and large, to dissociate. You want to think about anything other than what you are doing, and quite often that's running for many people, and for me it's swimming. When they invented or perfected the waterproof iPod at the time and headphones changed my life because I wanted to think about anything other than going back and forth in this pool for an hour. Just saying it out loud is torture to me, and

I apologize to all you swimmers out there. We can still be friends, but I need my music if possible, right, Okay, So that is a huge difference in the approach to performance,

and top athletes can't afford to disassociate or dissociate. Who's going to add that a in there dissociate the way the average person can write, because they need to monitor their breathing and their foot strike if you're running, and all the different you know, attributes that add to their performance, all the mechanisms and biomechanics and physiology and all that kind of stuff. All right, but a huge part of life is coping, right, and control and stress and anxiety.

You know a few more of my favorite topics because they're all connected, and you know, association and dissociation, their attentional strategies broad attentional strategies for or coping, and that can be external stimuli, right, events, effort performance, sports, performance of musical performance, you know, a lecture. So there's different ways to cope, right, and those are within our control. Quite often people want to say it isn't right, and

you know, stress is a choice. Stress is not a thing. It's our what it's how we perceive that event. It's the thoughts in our head. Okay, And so now we have a new way or you have a new way to potentially cope in times of discomfort, and that could be this study was about physical pain, but I would and will add in mental right, mental discomfort, physical discomfort. All right? So what is nostalgia? Sounds like something on

a Seinfeld episode, all right. One definition is a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. For me, because I'm in my fifties, that's the seventies and the eighties, more the eighties when I was in high school. Right, seventies though, a lot of nostalgic thoughts and memories, I should say for me, all right. And one great line in these articles I read about this study talked about

fuzzy feelings about bygone days. Right, you think of those TV shows or music, Oh my gosh. Right, that's another reason listen to the music. It elicits feelings in our body, crying, happiness, anger, the depending on what you associate that music too. Right. So nostalgia is so many different things, but it reminds

you of bygone days, Happy days, happy days. It's a show it was on when I was a kid, and that brings up nostalgic feelings, all right, So this study so interesting looking at the perception of pain when people are shown nostalgic images. Now, as I said in the opening, it's not new. Bunch of studies, including one set of two thousand studies two thousand twenty where people looked they

had writing assignments that were meant to bring up nostalgic feelings. Okay, and they had one group that were chronic pain sufferers and another that were healthy individuals who were given physical discomfort lab generated similar to the one I'm gonna talk about in this study, and what they found us uh well, let me not let me similar findings to what I'm gonna tell you. But it's not new. These studies are

not new, different ways to do it. But what they say is with this new study, they are still looking at how it affects the brain. Right, so they know the perception of what people are saying, the perception of pain when they are experiencing it different ways, But what's the brain doing And that's what this study looked at specifically. Okay. So in this study, they not only induced pain physical

pain not really bad. I'll tell you how they did it, but they put an m r I headset on the participants as well, so they're gonna ask them the perceptions of pain as they experience nostalgic images that I will specify. And then they also looked at what's what's lighting up in the brain, what's going on? All right? So that great title again, let me see if I can say it thalamo cortical. There we go, make is ms for

nostalgia induced analgesia. Okay, what's going on in the brain for feeling better when you look at things that make you feel good. Ridiculous oversimplification of it, okay. And this was a bunch of researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Okay, they recruited thirty four people between eighteen and twenty five. That's going to be one of the limitations I will get to. But eighteen years old with no particular sensitivity to pain. So in some of those prior studies I mentioned,

they had people with chronic pain. Nothing here right there, going to induce the pain themselves, the which is which is obviously pun intended a touchy subject when it comes to research, all right. And they had m ri I headsets put on to monitor their brain activity. So this is interesting how did they induce pain in these participants where they use something called CHIPS right, which is an

acronym for contact heat evoked potential stimulator. And this is a device with the metal surface that you put on the skin. And for these participants, they had them on the forearm and the researchers can gradually make this metal plate hotter, increasing feelings of pain, but as they say, and not so much as to seriously harm the participant. This is a great example two of why certain types

of research is problematic. Right, you can't hurt people, you know, you can't do harm to people, So that actually goes to the findings. This was moderate discomfort, which is also one of the limitations. Will look at right, Okay, so thirty four people eighty five no particular sensitivity to pain, had this CHECKS device on their forearm and the researchers are going to make it hotter. But what are they going to do at the same time, were they're gonna be shown one of two sets of images right on

a projector they're going to show them images. The first set are gonna be photos that bring up nostalgic feelings things from their childhood, like toys, chewing gum package they used, or a cartoon. I don't know about you, but, like you know, sometimes when cartoons from uh my childhood come up, just brings back crazy feelings, right, especially when you haven't

seen them in a long time. You know, I have kids, they're out of the cartoon age, but every now and again, right, and yeah, you know what I'm talking about, that feeling, it's powerful, It's super powerful. So those are the first set of photos and then the second set, same exact or categories. Right, they're gonna do toys, chewing gum packages or cartoons, but they were from present day. Such a

cool study, right, simple but like you get it. You know, a lot of studies we talked about here they could be really complex. This one's pretty darned straightforward, and I would argue with you know, just some great concepts going on. That's what they find. What did they find? Well, let

me say this though. As they were showing them the images, the heat that they were being exposed to increased gradually, so the researchers would gradually turn up the heat and then they would be asked to rate their feelings of pain on a scale of one to ten. I'm sorry, zero to ten, so zero being nothing tend being like ridiculously bad. What were the findings When we come back from the break, I'm going to give it to you and then the takeaway which you probably guess it, and

that's exciting, right, Okay, quick break. When we come back the results from this study, we'll be right back all right, talking about how nostalgia can decrease your perception of pain. Bunch of research into this already, but I didn't give you where. This article is study Journal of Neuroscience, and this was March of onet, so just came out really exciting.

And so again this research had been done before, but this was one that truly started to look at the brain activity right to see what was going on and what did they find. So the group that looked at the nostalgic images, in addition to having different brain activity, which I'm gonna give you in a second, rated their pain levels as what we're than the ones when they were shown photos of the present day, same amount of heat, the same amount of moderate low to moderate discomfort, but

they perceived it as being less. And some of you may be going big deal it is. It is one thing I keep saying about this podcast is bringing you all the different concepts and then all the different empirical studies and articles and research that corroborate slowly over time. The associations. Sure, but when we have so many in so many different ways, start to go, do I have control? Do I have control over what I think? And do those thoughts in my head make a difference self talk,

visualization association versus dissociation. I love this. I love the control that we have according to this research. Okay, uh so, yeah, and then and I'm just gonna read this to you because it's interesting, and for those of you who want to know more, go to the go to the study itself,

the research. Um. But what was unique about this study was the m r I headsets right, that they're looking at what's lighting up, what's going on in the brain when they're looking at the nostalgic images, what's going on in the brain when they're not when they're looking at

the images from the present day. So when they viewed the nostalgic images, there was reduced activity in the left lingual gyrus and para hippocampal gyrus to brain regions implicated in pain perception, okay, and activity in the thalamus, a brain region involved in laying information between the body and the cortex reading directly from it here was linked to both nostalgia and pain ratings. That's what they're saying is the thalamusts may integrate nostalgia information and transmit it to

pain pathways. All you need to know, all we need to know at this level is that different things happened in the brain. They saw it. They saw different things happen when people controlled their thoughts, when they felt good, when they thought about and saw So you gotta go. It's visual here, happy images, happy thoughts. And the takeaway at the end of this summary is that these findings offer implications and perspectives for the further development and improvement

of non drug psychological analgesia. In other words, let's try to control what we think first before we medicate. Let's do and control as much as we can naturally. And this again is low to moderate, but just really cool findings. And another way of putting this is viewing nostalgic images of items and scenes associated with childhood can help to reduce pain perception. Okay, I'm going to use this as I do and have before. Even more this is even

more proof that we have this whole arsenal of mental tools. Right, So if i'm you know it, got an iron man coming up in Brazil, getting ready to go across the Grand Canyon and back, two things that are gonna take a long time, going to be in moderate too, depending on where and when. Then the race of what's going on discomfort, and so I use all of those tools that I talk to you about, the self talk, the visualization.

So since I can't bring a projector with me and watch images projected onto a screen, I can combine what visualization and then this concept of nostalgia, so in my mind I will think about happy thoughts from my childhood to help decrease my perception of pain discomfort. We're already doing this, and anyone who has competed has done anything like this at any level. You have a lot of time, right. The the joke I used to give at pre race lectures is, you know, you start the race, you go

this greatest thing I ever did. Ten minutes later you're like, why am I doing this? This is the worst thing. Why why do I? And then that goes on for the rest of the race. However many hours you're doing it. So we need to control those thoughts and so this is more exciting, should be more exciting news. You know, I talked about all the different workouts and ways to

work out that you should add to your exercise arsenal. Right, body weight workouts, micro workouts, you know, jim workouts, cardio workouts. I want as many options as possible. And now to learn how you can do the same thing right with your psychology Arsenal, of tools to control your thoughts, your emotions. You're perceived perception of pain and this is physical pain, right, this is this is listen thirty four people right, and they always and these studies by saying more research needs

to be done. Of course, what's the downside? That's? Does it always love to go to rite? So many people take supplements where you're spending a ridiculous amount of money. There's little to no research at all, usually none at all into them, and the downside is you're wasting your time and your money. Well, we're all gonna be in times of discomfort and pain, whether it's chosen activities where it's gonna happen or just everyday life. What's the downside

to going You know what? When I'm stressed out and I don't know. Pick some activity of daily living where you have to do something for a couple of hours where you know, maybe you don't want to be doing it, and you're in if nothing else mental, but maybe a little physical discomfort. Now you can start thinking about who watched chips back in the day. I just hurd the theme to that, whatever your happy thoughts are, you go to your happy place. Top athletes are doing this all

the time. Back to what I said at the beginning, basically the same physiologically, who's in better control of the psychological and what tools are they using at what point in their performance to maximize their performance? And this can be pre event, this can be during the event so often and should be both. Let me read you the significant statement significance statement which is significant from this UH research. Nostalgia is known to reduce individuals perception of physical pain.

The underlying brain mechanisms, however, are unclear. Our study found that the thalamus plays a key role as a functional linkage between nostalgia and pain, suggesting a possible analgesic modulatory mechanism of nostalgia. These findings have implications for the underlying brain mechanisms of psychological analgesia use the power of your mind. I get excited every time I bring you more research into control. I get excited because it benefits me even more.

I mean, I've been doing this in different ways, but it gives me different ideas for competition and for enjoyment, to control what happens in my daily life as well as those competitions and just activities. When I run across the Grand Canyon again and back, it's not a competition, that's just chosen insanity with a friend, and it's challenging and like one of the most amazing things I've ever done.

Surprised I'm going back. But because when you learn how to manage the discomfort, the chosen discomfort, the payoffs are enormous. We control our thoughts. Stress is a choice. I've learned not to say that to stress out people right away. You want to wait till a happier time. It's our perception. Do I have the tools necessary to get through this? Have I experienced it before? If so, was I successful?

If not? Do I have the tools necessary? And the more challenges you take, the more obstacles you overcome, the less scary it all becomes when you don't and you you give up that control, that perceived control, everything is much scarier. Everything is a much bigger hurdle. So there you have it. I love it. Can I read you the title one more time? What's see if I can do it without getting tongue tied fallow? More Cortical Mechanisms

for nostalgia induced analges a Journal of Neuroscience March. People, you have another tool in your mental toolbox. You're welcome fuzzy feelings about by gone days that now research shows it shows up on an m R. I that's exciting, at least for me. All right, enough, thank you for listening. Tom h Fit, Instagram and Twitter. I love hearing from you guys, and you're you're reaching out much more. Questions and comments, keep them coming. I will answer them and

shows I will answer them directly. UM and I love your success stories. Oh my gosh, so thank you. Thank you for reaching out. Follow the show, Rate the show, rate this show? Have you rated the show? I haven't looked into that in a while. Please do greatly appreciated. The newest book is The micro Workout Plan, and if you have read that, I always appreciate Amazon reviews. Huge to authors, but thank you, super excited to continue to bring you the best information so you can live your

best life. And now you can use this today when you're stressed out, Start thinking about that barbied all you had, or your that I have Big Jim, who is the guy's equivalent Back in the day we had everything. Oh my gosh, just thinking about it makes me nostalgic right thinking back to those times. But that's good news. Control what you can, let the other stuff go, and we control on which we love, what we put into our mouths, and are mental tape recorders what we think, and that's awesome.

I am Tom Holland. This is Fitness Disrupted, Believe in Yourself. Fitness Disrupted is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.