What's Up Docs? Doctors' Notes: Comfort
Dec 23, 2025
Dr. Tiffany Watt Smith, a cultural historian and expert on emotion and medicine, joins the hosts to discuss nostalgia's surprising complexities. She unpacks how nostalgia can be a bittersweet longing and its impact on our identities. The conversation dives into what makes certain foods comforting, particularly for migrants reconnecting with their roots. They explore how scent and taste trigger memories and share practical winter tips inspired by history. Tiffany also introduces the concept of solastalgia, highlighting our emotional responses to environmental loss.
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Nostalgia's Bittersweet Power
- Nostalgia is bittersweet: it connects us to the past while also creating regret about what we can never return to.
- Tiffany Watt Smith explains nostalgia lets us imagine a coherent life story even if the past is idealised.
Do A Nostalgia Workout
- Try deliberate nostalgia workouts: look through old letters or photos to reap psychological benefits.
- Shared nostalgic activities across generations build family identity and comforting shared narratives.
A Friend As A Memory Box
- Tiffany Watt Smith recounts calling an old teenage friend and laughing like she hadn't in years.
- That friend acted as a 'memory box' and helped Tiffany recover forgotten aspects of her younger self.