>> Why We Have This Emotion
Nostalgia connects us to people, places, and things we valued in the past. It serves as evidence of good, of being loved, and of life being more than what's happening right now.
◎ What to do in the moment
Good Ideas
- Notice what specifically you miss
- Sit with both feelings at once
- What did it give me that I want now?
- Honor the past without reliving it
- Let it rekindle a dormant connection
- Let it point toward something you can work toward today
Bad Ideas
- Idealize the past as so much better
- Use it to avoid engaging in the now
- Let it make you resent the future
- Pretend the past was perfect
- Exclude others for not sharing it
- Chase the feeling through objects instead of meaning