Why We Crave Simpler Times
The science of nostalgia - and how, surprisingly, it helps us become more creatively healthy.
Hi there! I'm Katina, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer at Daydreamers. Every week, we explore the science of Creative Health: how to wake up your creative brain, feel more alive, and ultimately, build a life that’s full of depth, beauty, and meaning.
Today, we’re playing with a slightly new newsletter style - less serious, more fun. Seems fitting for a long weekend and a deep dive into nostalgia, don’t you think? Plus, we’ve got some exciting things coming soon in the Daydreamers universe (👀), so keep reading. Let us know what you think in the comments or by replying directly to this email.
Not a Daydreamers member yet? Join us here to start your Creative Health journey.
I don’t think I’m alone in craving a call back to simpler times.
In conversations I’ve had lately within the Daydreamers community, on our team, with friends (and honestly, even reading the comments on Tiktok wishing us back to Summer 2016) - I’ve found that they all center around one idea: Can we go back to a world that felt more fun, more joyful and more…simple?
Maybe for you, it looks like a time before technology invaded every aspect of our lives. Maybe it was before the weight of the world felt so heavy. Maybe it’s even just some younger, past chapter that feels softer in your memory.
That feeling we’re all picking up on has a name. It’s called nostalgia.
And, unlike we’ve been taught, nostalgia isn’t indulgent or something to avoid. In fact, scientifically, it’s an extremely powerful coping tool - one that harnesses the power of our creative brain for good.
This weekend - the start of summer - always activates a deep, nostalgic longing for me. One that quite honestly, I avoided for much of my adulthood so far. But this year, I’m leaning in fully to the free, childhood play that once made me feel so alive: Catching fireflies, sipping on Capri suns, running around barefoot and being creatively free.
Because, we don’t have to wish ourselves back to better times - we can use the power of our creative brain to build them right now.
Let’s dive in.
The Neuroscience of Nostalgia
As you already know, our brains understand more through feeling, image and story than through facts.
So, before I explain the science - take a moment and let your brain drift back to a time when life felt easier. Simpler. More carefree. Take in the smells, sounds, environment and even people that float into your memory.
Now, notice how your internal world just shifted - even a tiny bit. Lighter? A little bit happier? More connected?
Oftentimes nostalgia can feel like a warm hug from the past. The way I like to think of it is our brain’s beautiful ability to remember life with softness around the edges.
And scientifically, your brain is doing some pretty cool stuff. Nostalgia increases activity in our brain’s reward circuits - releasing oxytocin and boosting dopamine, the same neurotransmitters associated with connection, pleasure, and trust.
It’s also activating areas linked to self-reflection and memory integration, helping us make sense of who we are and where we’ve been.
All that together means that we’re building our psychological resources - positive emotions, resilience and even finding deeper meaning in life. Research has shown that nostalgia not only grounds us in our identity - but it offers creative fuel for imagining the future, especially in moments of uncertainty or stress.
It’s important to note that nostalgia is not what’s happening in some parts of our world today: romanticizing the past or trying to turn back the clock to the 1950s. It’s about accessing memories that remind us what it feels like to be human, to feel joy, freedom, wonder, and connection.
It’s a portal - not a time machine.
Nostalgia and Your Creative Brain 🧠
Nostalgia is one of the most powerful tools to access our creativity in a safe way.
That’s because, it increases psychological safety - that grounded feeling you need before your brain can take risks, connect dots, and create something new.
In a really interesting study that was published in Journal of Experimental Social Psychology in 2015, researchers asked participants to recall a nostalgic memory before they tackled a high-pressure creative task.
The results were powerful: Those who accessed nostalgia showed significantly greater originality and flexibility - even under stress, two of the most reliable markers of creative thinking.
The reason why? Stress narrows our thinking, while nostalgia re-opens it.
Stress typically triggers what’s known as a "threat response" in the brain, narrowing our attention and limiting our creative, divergent thinking. Nostalgia, on the other hand, acts as an emotional buffer, activating positive feelings, social belonging and a sense of identity, all elements that open up our creative brain.
Other studies have shown that nostalgia:
Increases optimism by helping people reframe their life story in a more hopeful light
Strengthens social connection, which is deeply tied to collaborative creativity
Encourages future-oriented thinking, especially when people revisit past versions of themselves who were joyful, imaginative, or brave
Basically, nostalgia doesn’t just bring us comfort - it kicks off momentum. It’s a opening to possibility. Because by remembering who we were, we reawaken what we’re capable of.
So the next time you're stuck creatively or overwhelmed by the pressure to produce, don’t push harder - look backwards. Let your creative brain be the battery it’s designed to be.
A 90’s Summer: Let Yourself Indulge In The Simple
One of the cornerstones of how we’ve built the Daydreamers ecosystem is by harnessing nostalgia - not in a cheesy, childish way, but as a powerful, adult tool for unlocking Creative Health.
So many creativity tools out there try to send us backward to “reclaim your inner child” or “be more playful” - as if that’s the only time we were creative. For a lot of us, that language not only feels…uncomfortable; honestly, it can even feel patronizing.
I know it did for me. For years, I avoided anything too playful or silly. I was trying to be taken seriously. To build credibility. I thought anything that felt soft or whimsical was a step back. It felt cringey.
But nostalgia? That idea felt different.
Nostalgia meets you where you are. It remembers your creativity as a strength, not a regression. It lets you tap into a version of yourself that felt free, present, and alive - but without asking you to go backwards. Essentially, it reconnects you with joy, meaning, and possibility.
And the best part? You don’t need to overthink it. You just need to feel.
At Daydreamers, nostalgia is woven into everything we do. From the creative tools we’ve designed to express yourself in the real world - to our science-backed exercises (like one of my favorites, “Portal to Active Daydreaming”) - everything we’ve built is to help you remember with the part of you that can still access wonder.
Because that’s what Creative Health is about at its core. Not becoming someone new, but returning to the parts of ourselves that feel the most alive.
So this weekend, let yourself have a little '90s summer moment. Drink the Capri Sun. Dance to TLC. Lay in the grass just to feel the sun on your face without any bigger goal.
And if you want a little help finding your way back there - that’s why we built Daydreamers. To remember our most alive selves, together.
Either way, we’ll meet you there 🌞
- Katina
Daydreamers’ Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer
Forward to a friend
We’re on a mission to reach 100,000 Creative Brains that receive this newsletter. So, if someone popped into your mind while reading this, forward it to them now. Every single forward, mention, share and recommendation counts. Creativity is about sharing, sparking conversations and taking action - so, think of this as your creative act for the day.
Your Creative Health Protocol 🧠
This newsletter is the what, and the Daydreamers platform is the how - your guide to turning Creative Health insights into real, tangible action. Here’s a peek.
Go on a Nostalgic Treasure Hunt
What it is: Nostalgia isn’t indulgent; it’s a powerful tool for mental flexibility and emotional regulation. Research shows that it can increase optimism and even reduce physical pain. Even more, neuroscientists have found that nostalgic thinking activates the brain’s reward centers and helps us feel more connected to ourselves and others - all foundations of Creative Health. It’s like giving your brain a warm, energetic reset.
How you can experiment with it: Drop the serious front and take yourself on a nostalgic treasure hunt. We actually have members do this to kick off our Conformity Pathway - based on an intervention in Jungian psychology. That could mean looking through old photos, eating a childhood snack (Dunkaroos?!), or writing/doodling a short memory from your favorite summer as a kid. Notice what comes up for you - how did that version of you see the world? How can you bring just a little of that wonder, freedom, or weirdness into your day today?
What We’re Loving This Week 🪐
We’re all about simplicity, clarity and depth - so instead of overwhelming you with a random mix of news, here’s one standout idea, read, brand or project that’s really supporting our Creative Health this week.
Speaking of Nostalgia: Teen Luddites
I shared my thoughts on it a while back, here.
This is hands down one of my favorite articles of all time. I come back to it whenever I need a reminder that life doesn’t have to be so complicated - even in a hyper-digital, always-on world. It’s a cool glimpse into what it looks like when we all, but particularly teenagers, choose slowness, presence, and creativity.
TLDR; the article profiles a group of Brooklyn teenagers who formed a "Luddite Club," meeting weekly in Prospect Park to read, draw, and talk - without smartphones. They’ve embraced analog living as a form of rebellion against the pressures of social media and constant connectivity. I see their movement as a powerful reminder that “opting out” and going back to the basics can be a radical act of self-care and creativity.
We’re quietly dreaming up a version of this kind of club at Daydreamers (shh! 🙊). If you’re curious or want to be the first to know, you reply to this email and we’ll make sure you’re on the waitlist.
By joining Daydreamers, you’re not just unlocking your own Creative Health - you’re helping us build a world where imagination, well-being, and tools like this newsletter are accessible to all. Ready to help us make the world a more creative place?