Body & Fitness

Flicking through an old photo album a natural pick-me-up

Flicking through an old photo album a natural pick-me-up

Photos can improve a bad mood if they bring to mind happier times. In a 2006 study, researchers at the University of Southampton found that feeling nostalgic increases self-regard, social bonds and positivity.

This was backed up by research at The Open University that found listening to music and eating chocolate left moods unchanged; alcohol and TV gave a slight lift (1 percent), but viewing photos made people feel 11% better. “Looking through photos has a more beneficial effect than many traditional ways of unwinding,” says study author Dr Peter Naish.

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