Happy Memories!
Beautiful memories are the power that push us forward..
The hope of the next days for making a better future.
‘Happy memories form the cornerstone of our identity, and can help with combating depression and loneliness,’ says Wiking. ‘They influence our happiness in the current moment, as well as providing a framework for our hopes and dreams about the future.’ Nostalgia makes us happy, increasing self-esteem and strengthening social connectedness, so the more vividly we remember the good times, the happier we are overall.
When it comes to memory, says Wiking, researchers have identified a ‘reminiscence bump’ – the years in early adulthood that we remember most vividly. The decades in which we tend to experience the most ‘firsts’ – first kiss, first job, first home – are the most memorable. By comparison, when we enter the daily grind in our thirties and forties, memories tend to blur together. ‘Finding ways we can continue to achieve new experiences is a good strategy for making memories that will last for decades,’ says Wiking, but that doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune on exotic travel, or ditching your job. Stepping out of your comfort zone, even if that just means trying food you’ve never eaten before, can help to make a memory harder to forget.
Once you’ve got into the habit of savouring your happy moments, they’ll become easier to remember. And, Smith says, it’s not just the big occasions we should be committing to memory. ‘Celebrate all your victories, no matter how big or small. If you’re striving for something, commemorate each goalpost along the way. There are so many lovely moments in life we think don’t count, but if you pay attention, every one of them can.’
Coded by Nea Maaty