The meaning of nostalgia

Nostalgia tells us that it is not the past itself that makes us more or less happy, but rather our attitude towards that remnant of yesterday.

Nostalgia is the longing for the past, particularly for a time or a place where we had good experiences or that generate good memories. It could be a specific moment or the “good times” of youth, for example.

In past centuries it was believed that nostalgia was a disease, but Today we know that it is just a state of mind. Through nostalgia one often finds ways of escape for a present that is often complex and inhabited by problems. Feeling homesick can lead us, in turn, to navigate feelings of loneliness, lack of meaning in life, and disconnection from those around us.

It can anchor us in the past, forgetting that what exists is now. However, other times it can improve our mood and offer us greater security. As long as, of course, we do not have to resort to it constantly. Nostalgia is present when coming into contact with a scent, an object, a sound or an image. In short, something that evokes a remnant of yesterday.

Look back and feel your heart sink. It’s a mix of sweet and salty…it must be the nostalgia.

Does nostalgia serve any purpose?

Wildschut, Tim, Sedikides, Constantine and Arndt conducted a study in 2006 that was published in the Journal of personality and Social Psychology. According to this work, People usually experience this state as a way to find vital momentum. at one point.

It would, therefore, fulfill a psychological purpose and emotional reinforcement. Likewise, with books as well known as The future of nostalgiaby Svetlana Boym, remind us that there are two different types of nostalgia: “restorative” nostalgia and “reflective” nostalgia.

Read Also: Jung's "black books" have already been published and reveal the following

The first tries to return to the past because she sees in that moment of yesterday a state of happiness and well-being. Reflective nostalgia, for its part, is the healthiest. She is the one who returns to the past from time to time but understands that what matters is the here and now.

What we have experienced is an indelible legacy to appreciate but not to stay for too long. Let’s see, however, what other functions nostalgia has.

1. Emotional preparation

Nostalgia prepares you for new experiences similar to others from the past. In this case, it is complemented by expectation. It fills you with enthusiasm and excitement for what you expect.

Remembering past experiences and imagining the future makes you feel stronger in a short time, because you feel more secure. It is easier for you to achieve a goal or dream if you emotionally associate it with past success..

2. It makes you more creative

By providing us with sensations and emotions, it also reminds us of their lack. This will make you move to bring back what you long for. Sometimes it can mean buying something and other times it means forming new relationships, or changing our attitudes. A thousand and one ways to create to obtain and feel again what we experience.

3. Create emotional connections or strengthen them

Many friendships last or become stronger thanks to nostalgia.. Have you met an old childhood friend and when talking about the past the relationship is reborn? Something similar happens with couples who, before ending the relationship: they talk about it and find many memories and experiences that they do not want to lose.

Nostalgia can sometimes rekindle a dull flame.

4. It gives you more security

It has been shown that In moments of transition, calm or when we face cold weather, nostalgia gives us some support. It may seem strange, but even just the memory of a day at the beach can make you feel that warmth.

Read Also: Anxiety in summer: why does it appear and how to manage it?

The same thing happens when you face a new experience that generates uncertainty. When you remember a situation where you did well and were successful, your expectations change.

The risks of nostalgia

The psychiatrist Luis Rojas explains to us in his book Antidotes to nostalgia something we must consider. This state very often traps us in situations where we do not make way for innovation, impulse, and personal advancement. It puts barriers on our ability to advance and grow as people.

When this emotion causes us to distort and idealize the past, we will begin to let go of many things.

Nostalgia can chain us to the past and make us forget and disconnect from our daily lives. In fact, it is not uncommon to find people who consider that the best of their lives has already passed and do everything possible to recover it.

It could be youth, a relationship, some material possession, etc. Regardless of the object of their longing, they all agree on the unhappiness that that memory brings them. The key is learning to live in the present using nostalgia to move forward into the future.