A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call nostalgia. A craving for the way things were. An idyllic way of remembering the past. The bittersweet feeling of happiness and pain intermixing. Those times will never truly come back, but there are bits and pieces of them still present. 

The page called “Ouch, Right In The Childhood” has made it their mission to keep the nostalgia train running with their witty memes. Although the page comes with a warning of the potential ruining of one’s childhood, their 142K followers seem to not mind. Started in August 2016, they’re still going strong. 

Nostalgia is one of those feelings that is universally familiar, and yet the experience of it is specific to each person. What one person feels deep feelings of longing for, another may have completely forgotten about, and vice versa. Yet in both cases, that feeling may be a result of our own thought processes, rather than an accurate representation of memory. 

There is a reason that Alan R. Hirsch refers to nostalgia as a screen memory—not a true recreation of the past, but rather a combination of many different memories, all integrated together, and all negative emotions getting filtered out in the process. One can never return to this past, as it never truly existed, and the present reality, no matter how good, can never be as good as an ideal. 

The nostalgic urge to recreate the past within the present in many ways explains the choices we decide to make. Marrying spouses with characteristics reminiscent of those of our parents, painting walls the same colors we had in our childhood bedrooms, sleeping with a stuffed toy, building a diet with the foods that we grew up with, etc. 

As Dr. Hal McDonald states, we are, after all, the leading actors in the memories that we classify as nostalgic, so some reflection on the type of role we play in those memories is necessary for determining how important or meaningful those past experiences are to the present in which we remember and embody them.

Although we think of nostalgia as something that one is fond of, a positive thing in general, back in 1688 Swiss physician Johannes Hofer defined it as a neurological illness. It wasn’t until the 19th century that things started to shift. According to VeryWellMind, another Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung saw nostalgia as a way of reconnecting with our past and understanding our present.

Studies have shown that nostalgia can have positive effects on mental and physical health. For example, nostalgia has been shown to boost immune function and reduce stress levels, and can also help to increase life satisfaction and reduce anxiety. But, of course, everything has to be taken in moderation, as nostalgia can lead to a sense of loneliness and isolation and make us less likely to take action in the present. 

There are a few things you can do to avoid the negative effects of nostalgia. As advised by VeryWellMind, one should aim to ground themselves in the present moment. What are you doing right now that you enjoy? Also, make an effort to connect with others, spend time with people you care about, and talk to them about your positive memories.

Furthermore, do things that make you happy. Listen to music, go for walks, watch your favorite movie. If you’re feeling particularly down or drifting more and more into the past, it would be a good idea to speak to a therapist about it all, as they can help you make sense of things. Most importantly, be mindful of how much time you spend dwelling on the past.

At the end of the day, nostalgia is an experience that unites us all as people. Albeit different in each case, nostalgia motivates us to remember the past, uniting us with that authentic self and reminding us of who we have been, then comparing that to who we feel we are today. The conflict of the bitter longing for what can never be again together with the sweetness of having experienced it is what makes us all inherently human. 

As you continue to scroll through this list of hilarity and painful nostalgia, make sure you’re upvoting your favorites and leaving comments along the way, and I shall hope to see you in the very next one! Have yourselves a good one!