Importance of Nostalgia In Our Life Experience

One magazine that I recommend to counseling clients is Breathe. It is a magazine that is produced in the U.K. with articles that focus in on mindfulness and wellbeing. The writers often share research studies on anxiety, depression and wellbeing solutions from psychologists around the world. Their website is www.breathemagazine.com . You can find their magazine at bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, grocery stores and pharmacies. The most recent edition I purchased was on the topic of memory. There were a variety of articles related to aspects of memory. There were ideas on memory boosting, Dream work and memory, time, remembering friends and nostalgia. Probably due to my last post of reflecting on the life of my favorite teacher the article that stood out to me the most was one about nostalgia. The title of the article was “Look Back and Wonder”, by Ashley Lampard. Merriam Webster defines nostalgia as “a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition.” Last week as I shared about the death of my favorite teacher, Mrs. Clifford, There definitely was the feeling of looking at the interrelations of her friendship over the years and made me reflect on my elementary school years. There was sadness in the loss but joy in thinking back to all the good times in third grade and throughout the life journey in my relationship with her and her husband. These feelings related well to the part of the article that emphasized how nostalgia provides a “warmth from the past”. Thinking over the years since Mrs. Clifford was such a positive role model I was reminded of many positive aspects of her life and how that affected my growth and choices for the better. In the article there are ideas listed as to how to encourage Nostalgia. Some of the ideas listed were: Go through an old photo album, visit childhood hangouts, make a family recipe, reminisce with an old friend. Other ideas I thought of would be to write out a couple of your favorite memories in a journal entry. Listen to some of your favorite songs from that time period you are reflecting on . Make a gratitude list of what you are thankful for about your past. Obviously we don’t want to live in the past all the time yet when you take a nostalgic time travel in your mind back to the past it can be a positive experience. Times like that help you see how you have developed over the years and how you can continue to grow in your future. Reflection: Think over a favorite person in your past and write down how they affected you for the better. List a few of your favorite memories from the past. Why were they important to you?