I was reminiscing in London earlier this week.
The familiar places. The familiar vibes. The smells. The hustle and bustle. And the weather. It brings you back in time.
Bringing back those great memories is good for you. And we don’t do enough of it.
In fact, we bring back negative memories more often. We think about everything that went wrong. Everything that was painful. All the shit.
It is called the negativity bias.
It may have some evolutionary benefits from when we were hunter-gatherers who had to focus on existential threats. But these days it does not serve us much.
A negative focus has a bad influence on your mood. On your confidence. On your well-being.
It can lead to anxiety and depression.
So it’s better to reminisce. Enjoy the great memories. Savour the good times.
Even the rain in London.
And as it brings you back to who you used to be, reminiscing helps you in forming your current identity. With that, it helps you to look forward. To who you want to be and where you want to go.
That’s what Averil Leimon, François Moscovici and I did over a fabulous lunch. Both discussing memories and future plans.
Want us to help you do that, over lunch or Zoom? Get in touch!
Comments