A. There'll still be times when old thoughts cause sadness, or you're anxious about what's next. B. The usefulness of nostalgia seems to vary with age. C. Today we have a much more positive attitude to nostalgia. D. You'll get faster at finding it, and add extra layers of detail each time. E. The answer lies in connecting with your past and future selves. F. But there's also a growing body of research into time travel "the other way". |
How to Travel in Time
The term "NNOSTALGIA" （怀旧） used to describe a mental disease. The "algia" bit means"pain", and the word was coined by a 17th-century doctor treating homesick soldiers, whose symptoms included hallucinations（幻觉）and depression. And it's a great example of the benefits of a strong memory -- choosing to recapture moments from the past to enjoy them all over again.
As evidence, a recent report highlighted the increase in old songs being streamed of Spotifyduring lockdown. It seems that we found strength in musical memories of happier times. Because memory skills can take you into the future, too -- bringing a whole new set of rewards.
In another pandemic experiment, people wrote letters to their future selves, and found that they improved their mood by imagining themselves safely on the other side of COVID-19. Here are my tips for becoming a confident time traveller yourself:
* To reawaken happy feelings, use all your senses -- not just sight. Smell, taste, touch and sound will also help you to recreate the past in rich clarity. If you find a memory that's particularly helpful -- for reassurance, say -- keep using it!
* When you're procrastinating（拖延）, visualise an end result. Flash forward to see the floorswept or the easy finished, and use that positive image to spur you into action.
* Ahead of major challenges, imagine the full impact of success. Don't just picture yourselfgetting that great job: fill your mind with the really big ways it's going to change your life.
But the more you learn to control your memory, the better you'll be at mining your past, and shaping your future, to be your best self now.
