When Nostalgia Is Good and When It's Bad

8/5/2021

We all go through our childhood filled with memories. Some good, some bad, but many tend to hold on to the positive ones until adulthood. We all have a sentimental yearning for our earlier years, as it's often a period of simplicity and happy moments. But nostalgia and the rosy lenses it puts on us is a double-edged sword- it's both a good thing and a bad thing.

When Nostalgia Is a Good Thing

You feel more connected
When we look back on good old times, we remember the people we spent time with and the bonds we have made with them. This feeling of camaraderie strengthens as we remember the past, making us feel more connected to the communities we are a part of. Reminiscing with friends is often a good way to bond, and it's one way for friends to solve conflicts too.

You can get motivated to deal with the present
When times get tough, we sometimes go on the brink of giving up. But what reels us back are thoughts of our past hardships and how far we have come. A good example is looking at Facebook Memories and old pictures and creating positive thoughts when comparing then and now. This is why we feel the need to document monumental events in our lives.

Parents even go as far as hiring professional photographers and photo-editing services for baby photos. It's such a nice feeling when we see leaps of our improvement through photos, scrapbooks, and memories.

You'll have a stronger sense of identity
Self-reflection is a great activity everyone should practice because it allows us to understand ourselves and, in turn, work on self-improvement. Looking back and seeing our progress simply solidifies the progress that has been made. We may remember the past as being rosy and cheerful, but the truth is, we were also going through difficult times then. And we persisted through them because we are strong- with the strength that's baked in our identity.

Let's face it: looking back at the past negatively only breeds further negativity. Admitting the bad that has happened is necessary, but it's also important to recognize the good, especially in our personal life. Here are more reasons sometimes nostalgia is a good thing.

When Nostalgia Is a Bad Thing

Although nostalgia can be a good way to strengthen our sense of self, it can be bad for us if we end up stuck in the past. When we use our memories to escape the present and romanticize our past, it could signify other underlying problems.

Depression
Using our memories to further exacerbate our current negative feelings can lead to us falling deeper into a pit. This is when looking back is bad: it brings up the feelings of guilt, helplessness, and other negative emotions. Looking back on past instances to "confirm" feelings of guilt or self-hatred may be a sign that you need professional help.

Rumination
Rumination means deeply thinking about something. While this in itself is not a bad thing, it can lead to feelings of distress when you unhealthily fixate on a scenario. In the case of nostalgia, we often obsess about that one good thing that has happened to us in the past- believing that nothing can come close to it. When your source nostalgia enters this level of regret and obsession, that's when rumination can become destructive.

Anxiety
Although nostalgia can help motivate us to get back on our feet, it can also lead to anxiety if we illogically fear what has not even happened yet. This is called anticipatory nostalgia, and it involves imagining a future where we would have lost something that has not even happened in the present. As an example, people who experience this type of anxiety fear that they will fail a test in the future, so they will not take the test now (or not take it seriously).

Love and romance addiction
A breakup can be devastating, and when a person winds up thinking about past relationships obsessively, it can damage their self-esteem and weaken their ability to cope. Nostalgia can make even negative experiences look positive, something that those thinking about their past relationships are prone to do.

Everyone likes to look back every now and then. It's nice to think fondly of what was and what will be, and it can even be a great way to bond with others or get to know ourselves deeper. But as with anything, too much nostalgia is not good. A healthy dose of nostalgia mixed with a good sense for the present is always the best position to take.