Nostalgia: The Good Old Days Are Happening Now

 

Nostalgia: The Good Old Days Are Happening Now

Festivals and special occasions often turn our feeds into a beautiful flood of old photos, videos, vintage memories, clubbed with a few complaints sprinkled in.

“Those were the days!”

“Kids today will never understand…”

Nostalgia — that sweet ache for yesterday — isn’t just a trend. It’s a powerful human emotion. When we revisit memories, something magical happens. We feel younger, lighter — even if we’re only travelling backward in our minds (Mental Time-travel). Nostalgia isn’t just random longing; psychologists say it can actually boost our happiness and well-being. It’s a mix of joy and a gentle sadness, connecting us to moments that shaped us and reminding us of who we are.

Interestingly, the very word nostalgia comes from Greek:

nostos – return

algos – pain

It originally described homesickness and even had negative connotations. Only in recent decades have researchers recognized its positive side — warmth, belonging, optimism.

Think about it:

We look back on childhood as if it were perfect. We cherish the silly jokes, endless summers, even the boring afternoons… because they now feel precious. In those days, they were not golden though but today, we feel so! We didn’t know then what we were making — memories that would comfort us someday. Today’s Gen Z is doing the same — through photos, videos, memes, reels, midnight calls, endless screenshots. Their “good old days” are forming right now. Every generation lives, loves, and laughs before later calling it nostalgia.

Nostalgia feels…

• Bittersweet — joy for what was, sadness that it’s gone
• Warm & comforting — like emotional homecoming
• Connecting — to people and memories that built our identity

It works because it…

• Helps us cope during uncertainty
• Strengthens self-identity
• Boosts mood, gratitude & hope
• Reinforces social bonds

Psychologist Krystine Batcho says nostalgia helps us understand our purpose in life. That’s huge — something as simple as remembering can guide us through who we’re becoming. 

This drives us to this thought: Kids rarely feel nostalgia. They aren’t busy looking back — they’re too busy living. And maybe that’s a lesson for us. Why don't we learn this? Let us look ahead. Look for answers beyond our life. Search the purpose - try to fulfill it. 

Past is History; Future is a Mystery - Live in Present. Present also refers to gift. Let us treat this life as a gift and start living in present. 

Yet, nostalgia alone keeps us in place — like rocking on a chair that moves but goes nowhere.

So, what if we flipped the script?

Anticipated Nostalgia

A beautiful concept — looking ahead and cherishing moments before they become memories.

It helps adults…

• Stay motivated to create future joy
• Navigate big transitions like career changes or retirement
• Deepen bonds by imagining future moments with loved ones

Kids don’t have it because they’re still building their story. We have it because we know time never stops.

Maybe the real message of nostalgia isn’t “go back" but, 

Be present now — because today is tomorrow’s nostalgia.

The good old days aren’t behind us. They are happening right here, right now.