To You, Someday

Nostalgia can be described as a sentimental yearning for the past. Many positive things can come from nostalgia, such as boosting our mood and finding motivation. When you find yourself thinking about the past, reflect on the ways you can use these memories as a tool to improve your current self. 

Nostalgia as a Tool

Typically, we feel nostalgic for happy memories. When I think about my happiest memories, I end up feeling a sense of joy that stays with me for a while after. Reflecting on the past can improve our mood because those moments reinforce the positive aspects of our lives. Maybe you feel lonely from time to time; you should try to think about any memories you have involving friends or family! If you are feeling down, think of a heartfelt memory. Nostalgia acts as a reminder of the things we cherish most and can be used as a tool for comfort.

Nostalgia can also be used as motivation. It can be easy to forget that your past self is still the same person you are today, even if you may have changed along the way. Nostalgia connects the past to the present. Everything you are now is a result of what you experienced back then. Look at the progress you have made so far, and imagine how much more you are capable of in the future! 

While nostalgia can be a tool for good, I also want to provide a few things to keep in mind as you journey through your own memories. 

An Idealized Recollection 

When reminiscing, a common misconception is that everything back then was perfect. With nostalgia, we tend to focus only on the positive aspects of our memories. Falling into the trap of blindly believing in “the good old days” is incredibly easy. Do you ever find yourself saying that you miss the days when things were simpler? Or feeling that the present is a downgrade from the past? This happens because we tend to remember a perfect, idealized version of our memories when we are feeling nostalgic. 

I’m personally guilty of getting lost in nostalgia and romanticizing even the moments that were far from perfect. When times get hard, I sometimes think, “I miss when things were easier, and I had no worries.” As a young woman in my mid-20s, I tend to think of my teenage years as a time when I had a simple life. In some ways, this is true; I wasn’t an adult yet, so my responsibilities were far less complicated. But when I truly stop and think about it, I wasn’t worry-free back then. In reality, I felt a lot of stress surrounding my academics and planning my future. I was insecure, anxious, and at times felt helpless. So, why do I conveniently overlook those feelings in the haze of my nostalgia? 

In my experience, when I recall memories and how I felt in those moments, the feelings that come to mind are what I remember feeling. There’s no way to be certain of exactly what I was feeling. Our memories are not exact recordings of events; they are flexible recollections that can become altered as time progresses. Over time, your knowledge of how events played out may have an impact on how you recall certain events and feelings. 

When reminiscing about my so-called simple teenage lifestyle, flexible recollection influenced me to overlook the negative feelings I had back then. This could be due to the fact that I know how my future played out. The current version of myself knows that I ended up in a good place and that all of my worries eventually worked themselves out. I dismiss my younger self’s anxieties because they seem silly to me now, but the truth is, those were valid emotions. In that period of time, those were obstacles that I found difficult to overcome. My worldview has shifted since then, but in that moment, those struggles were a major issue in my reality. When we apply our current knowledge and attitudes to our memories, they become susceptible to change to account for that. Why is this important? Well, it serves as a reminder not to place these nostalgic memories on too high a pedestal.

Don’t Stay Stuck in the Past

A major mistake, in my opinion, is comparing the past and the present and debating over which is better. I know how easy it is to complain about current situations and struggles. This is where I believe we can learn from the past. Think back to a time when you achieved something that you worked hard toward. Did everything go smoothly, or were there a few obstacles along the way? If it’s the latter, make sure to hold onto that in your memory. The next time that you come across a situation where struggle arises, remember that you have overcome adversity before. But, most importantly, remember the positive associations surrounding the outcome. Even if things were challenging at first, the memory was, overall, a positive experience. Having negative experiences in the present does not mean that the past was far better. You likely had similar feelings back then as well. Take that as a lesson to believe in yourself because you have already overcome plenty of things to be where you are today.  The difficult times of the past didn’t last forever, and neither will the current ones. 

Preemptive Nostalgia 

Along the same line, I want to touch upon the feeling of missing a moment that you are still currently living in. There have been times in my life when I have caught myself thinking, “I’m really going to miss this moment when it ends.” Earlier, I said not to stay stuck in the past, but perhaps the better reminder is to live in the present. Preemptive nostalgia can actually lead to a disconnect between you and a current event. If you become so focused on the eventual loss, you will most likely begin to feel sad and anxious. This ultimately affects your ability to be an active participant in the present, and you end up robbing yourself of the joy these moments should bring. 

Preemptive nostalgia is not necessarily a bad thing. Instead of dwelling on your impending loss, use this as an opportunity to cherish the moment. You can take photos or videos to capture the moment so that you do have something to look back on later. Maybe you can find a souvenir or keepsake that can stay with you after the experience is over. By engaging with your surroundings in the present, you are creating more memories for your future self to remember. Being an active participant in the moment helps create a better experience. You don’t want to look back at what should’ve been a fun moment only to feel disconnected from it because you only remember being worried. Knowing that eventually you will feel nostalgic for a current moment can increase your appreciation for it and improve your enjoyment.  

Tips for Embracing Nostalgia 

I consider myself to be a very nostalgic person. I yearn for the past often, almost to a fault. As someone who has noticed my occasional inaccurate, romanticized portrayal of past memories, a recommendation I have for everyone is: write in a journal. Ideally, being as detailed as possible will make for a better reminder of how you felt and reacted to certain events. But I know that sometimes that can feel overwhelming and daunting. Keep it simple if you must, especially if you are a beginner. Eventually, the nature of keeping a journal will become a routine for you. You can use this journal however you like to assist in your journey with nostalgia. One way would be to read through it and reminisce about the memories you have written down. Another method is to use it as a means of double-checking memories you can recall in your head. 

A personal favorite of mine, revisit the things that make you feel nostalgic! Whether it’s music, movies, photos, food, places, or more, these things do a great job of reconnecting you to the past. You can even do yourself a favor in the present day and create a scrapbook full of photos or items that you’ve collected over time. Eventually you can look back at it and see the things that your past self wanted to preserve to one day reminisce about. As a self-proclaimed chronic movie and TV show rewatcher, I love this method because it helps remind you of how you felt when you first interacted with whatever it is you choose to revisit. Positive memories resurface, and you may even remember something you thought you had forgotten! Even if no one else “gets” the thing you feel nostalgic about, as long as it matters to you, it is always worth revisiting. 

Nostalgia is something to be welcomed. Like all things, there are good and bad aspects. However, in my opinion, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. Especially when you know what to be careful about, the negatives can be avoided in this case. I want everyone to use nostalgia as a tool that can improve your quality of life, not as something that causes you to feel a sense of disdain for the present. All memories, good or bad, make up who you are today. Through this article, I hope that I can help you avoid falling for the mirage that is a perfect past. Nostalgia is incredibly powerful, and we can all benefit from it!

About the Author

Amelia Martinez is a Journalism and Media Studies major in the Public Relations/Advertising track at the College of Southern Nevada and currently a Blog/Newsletter intern at the Love Yourself Foundation. She hopes to one day apply her education in a professional career within a creative space. She has always been fond of the arts and spends much of her free time watching films, reading books and comics/manga, and listening to music.