With our outdoorsy lives taking a pause, and ‘real’ lives adapting to its new, online definition, it’s been a stressful ride. And it is disheartening to admit the fact that is only the beginning. You see, unexpected and rapid change in our lives brings along an indefinite amount of stress to your mind because there is a certain level of inability to control the current situation that’s forbidding us to step out of our house.
However, I’m sure one of the many things that have kept you going these past few months is, going through your gallery, again and again, swiping on all your “before corona” pictures. Right? This bittersweet yearning for the life we led before the pandemic, it’s known as nostalgia, and it has great benefits on one’s mental health. It lets you to shrug off all your miseries in current life, and travel to a part of your life as per your choice; something similar to how one escapes while reading a novel, only in this case, the story is real and true.
We’ve all grown up to be independent and mature, but at the end, we are our grandparent’s grandchild, our parent’s child, our lover’s confidant; which is why, remembering different forms of unconditional love you’ve experienced in your life, will provide you with immense potential to pull through the trying times. Krystine I. Batcho, a licensed psychologist who’s researching on the psychology of nostalgia says, “Nostalgia helps remind us that we do have some control during a time of great uncertainty. Even though we can’t control so much of what has been happening, we can remember how we dealt with crises before and survived them. Equally importantly, nostalgic memories remind us of those we love and who have loved us, which strengthens our sense that we are not in this alone.”
Go ahead, grab a big mug of hot chocolate, and simply daydream about the good old days to curb any negativity thriving within your mind, and facilitate yourself with some warmth and calmness. Reestablish the connection between you and your loved ones that you may have lost this pandemic, share smiles and comfort and memories. Start the conversation with “Remember the time when..”, and I guarantee you words would be falling out of your mouth faster than you know.
Vibe to soundtracks you used to listen to back in your childhood and trigger some beneficial nostalgia. There are always some tunes you remember your family dancing to, couples who have their “special song”, songs with some emotional significance from different chapters of your life; it’s time you play that dusty old playlist of yours and revive all those feelings and memories associated with the experiences and people of our lives.
Remember, this process of pleasant reminiscing is not a ‘solo’ activity, because too much of nostalgic rumination alone will lead to self-loathing. It’s a team activity which will not only get you support, but also enable you to extend some to your loved one! It’s time we pen down the definition of virtual hugs, and encourage each other to look forward to better times that’ll come someday. The images in your gallery are proofs that they’ll return. Better late than never, right?
