With the present times being so difficult, draining and challenging, all of us are yearning for the past times. We sit and recall the good old days when we were able to meet up with our friends almost everyday, watch movies on the big screen, enjoy delicious food at our favourite restaurants, travel to other cities and countries and just do whatever we want, without a care. This warm feeling of indulging in old beautiful memories and missing them is called Nostalgia. It is but natural to feel nostalgic about past good times if the present times aren't going as well. However, it is also said to avoid indulging in the past memories and past days too much and focus on the present to create a good future, for life only moves forward. But, some amount of nostalgia every now and then is actually not bad, on the contrary, it is beneficial for you.

How is Nostalgia Good?

If you are currently going through a rough time, then indulging in some nostalgia reminds you of the past good things that have happened to you and good moments that you have spent, thus giving you the hope that this is only a rough phase which will pass, and eventually good times like the ones you experienced in the past will return.

If you are facing challenges in any aspect of your life and have faced similar challenges or challenges in the same aspect and have defeated those challenges successfully in the past, then recalling those victories gives you the strength, courage and confidence to triumph over the current challenges too.

If you are experiencing feelings of melancholy or overwhelming negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, frustration and the like, then recalling good old memories will immediately make you feel calmer and happier and boost the flow of positive thoughts.

Nostalgia, in general, feels good and warm, and thus gives you a sense of comfort and security, makes you feel good about yourselves, boosts your mood, improves resilience and hence, makes you feel more optimistic and confident about the future.

What are the Various Ways Through Which You Can Experience Nostalgia?

Watching TV shows or movies which you used to enjoy in past times, listening to old, favourite songs, going to places attached with old memories such as your school, college, etc., calling up old friends and talking about old times, cooking up dishes which you enjoyed as a kid, reading old books, diaries, etc., taking up a long forgotten hobby, or simply just sitting and recreating the memories in your head are some of the ways to experience the feeling of Nostalgia.

However, one needs to be careful when indulging in Nostalgia. Just as too much of everything is bad, too much of Nostalgia may cause you to get stuck in your past and become reluctant to move forward. A desire to indulge in some Nostalgia is okay, and in fact, good for you, but too much and frequent indulgence, as well as inability to accept the present and move forward from the past may hint on some problems which need to be addressed carefully by a specialist.

So, do indulge in Nostalgia sometimes, and motivate yourself to become better each day. But, be careful so as to not indulge in too much of it.

Do share your opinions and thoughts in the comments!