Happy childhood memories, key to psychological health

Happy childhood memories are part of that substrate that will feed our well-being in adulthood. Early experiences that exude sincere affection and attention are seeds that nourish psychological health. Likewise, few experiences are more exciting than a childhood with the color of joy, discovery and those experiences that we always like to remember.

People are made of memories. Our mind constantly escapes to that trunk in which our history is contained, that sometimes pleasant perfume where we give ourselves meaning, where we remember what we were and what has somehow brought us to the present.

A happy childhood is a mattress where dreams spring, as well as a huge boost for growth. It is there where fears sleep and do not bother, allowing our potential to continue developing with optimism and strength.

Now, we also know that not all people have enjoyed this privilege. Traumatic pasts also abound, as well as that upbringing where detachment or emotional coldness lived, creating voids. It is very difficult to realize yourself as a person when we do not have pillars to support ourselves..

Nevertheless, This does not mean that we cannot have a happy life in adulthood. It only implies that it may cost us a little more, that the journey may be longer and more laborious, but we all have the right and obligation to overcome those difficult stages to be what we deserve: people with the right to well-being and fulfillment.

Happy childhood memories, synonymous with physical and psychological health

Happy childhood memories give us emotional strength. This fact, which may seem somewhat poetic to us, actually contains an obvious fact that neuroscience now shows us. Thus, in a study published in the journal Health Psychology and carried out by doctors William Chopik and John Eldestein, they point out the following.

A happy childhood and adolescence results in our well-being

According to this work, In addition to a happy childhood, it is also important to enjoy a meaningful adolescence, full of intense, happy, enriching experiences. That means several things. The first, that the role of parents and the family environment is undoubtedly key to establishing security, good self-esteem, ability to achieve, and healthy and strong emotional intelligence.

The second, highlights the importance of a happy adolescence. What’s more, Dr. Chopik, from Michigan State University, talks about the importance of taking care of this large age cohort between 6 and 18 years old.. This is where our peers also come into the picture, those friends and individuals our age who make up our social context. School and institute, as well as the experiences we live in these settings, will also determine our future well-being.

In this study it was also possible to see how People between 40 and 50 years old who had had a happy childhood and adolescence scored higher in physical and psychological health than those with adverse or traumatic experiences.

Happy childhood memories help reduce stress

Happy childhood memories are a balm to reduce stress in adulthood. They are for a very simple reason. Having enjoyed early years where our fears were addressed, where we were made to feel safe and valuable, makes for a more resilient brain.

We must take into account that factors such as Inattention, shouting, insecurity, as well as physical and psychological abuse generate a very high level of cortisol in our body.. This hormone damages normal brain development. It plunges us into a state of hyperactivity, of constant anxiety. All of this makes us much more vulnerable to anxiety as well as other psychological disorders.

It is also important to keep in mind that Factors such as bullying during adolescence are also a risk factor for future psychological well-being. Good childhood memories provide us with a first foundation of well-being, but it is also essential to go through adolescence where we can count on the alliance of good friendships, positive and exciting experiences.

Coping with adversity also creates positive memories

Happy childhood memories do not arise only from positive and rewarding experiences. Often, the experience of an adverse event and the way we deal with it also confers great psychological value on us. An example of this is suffering a loss in childhood.

Sometimes, the death of a loved one or being abandoned by a parent gives us early valuable ways of managing loss and grief. We achieve something like this with the support of the other parent, our brothers, uncles, grandparents… Not all childhoods are easy, we know that. But Sometimes, certain impacts make us stronger and offer us exceptional psychological resources to grow healthily, with courage and hope.

They are growth opportunities where many factors undoubtedly come into play, where you can gain resilience, mental strength and also openness. Childhood and our adolescence can serve as a springboard for our fulfillmentbut in other very different cases they can form a wound, a wall, a trap in which to remain trapped for a long time.

As the writer Graham Greene once said, In every childhood a door must emerge that opens the way to a future of hope and happiness.. Having it always open will also help us to bring back good memories, those that drive us to maturity, as well as the voices of those figures from the past who served as an example and encouragement to be better every day.

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