How positive memories help us deal with present day stress.

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Every time I go to visit my mum I spend time in the hallway looking at the photo gallery up on the wall and recalling the good old days. It gives me a real buzz and when I’m feeling stressed - it helps…a lot. So, what does the science say?

Stress - Nobody’s immune

When it comes to stress we all experience it. What’s stressful for one person can be different for another but ultimately it’s a normal part of human functioning. How we interpret stress and how much we’re impacted by it, depends on lots of factors, including the resources we have to cope with the situation.

Why it matters

There are times when stress can be severe, sending our brain into a narrow tunnel of negative feelings and thoughts that limit our ability to concentrate and make good decisions. Whilst negative thoughts are not bad, in fact, they do help us to take action when we need to, they can also be disabling and destructive for us.

Here’s an experiment.

Think of a time when events in your life have been really stressful. Notice how it makes you feel and how you begin to relive the experience again just by recalling it?

The same is true if you do the opposite.

Research has found positive reminiscence or savouring positive events from our past helps us break free from the narrow mindset of acute stress, into a more open state of wellbeing. Other studies show people facing really significant stress, like recovery from substance use, also benefit from remembering and savouring the past when combined with therapy.

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How it works

Re-living our most positive experiences through memory recall can;

• Boost our wellbeing by raising positive emotion

• Help us cope better in the moment

• Restore and protect our mental health

• Dampen our cortisol (stress hormone) response

• Assist us to regulate our emotions

• Empower us to be more resilient and in control

Positive Reminiscence - Let’s do it!

Think about a time in the past when you felt good. Not just OK, but really really good!

• Where were you? - Was it a party, a holiday, a milestone, a peaceful moment?

• Who were you with? - Friends, family, strangers, colleagues or by yourself?

• Take some deep breaths, close your eyes and see if you can create a mental picture in your mind.

• What makes this memory stand out for you?

• Your mind might start wandering, just gently bring it back to the scene.

• How would you describe your feelings from that time?

• What are you noticing about your body right now?

You might like to find a picture of that memory, write about it or find something that represents it. You could even capture it on your mobile phone and keep it with you.

Try this for 10 minutes each day for a week and see how it works for you. The worst that can happen is you end up with a bunch of photo memories to share with your friends. And that has huge wellbeing benefits too!

Stay safe and well,

Kim

References

Bolier, L., Haverman, M., Westerhof, G. ., Riper, H., Smit, H. F. ., & Bohlmeijer, E. (2013). Positive psychology interventions: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 119–119. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-119

Hoeppner, B. B., Schick, M. R., Carlon, H., & Hoeppner, S. S. (2019). Do self-administered positive psychology exercises work in persons in recovery from problematic substance use? An online randomized survey. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 99, 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2019.01.006

Cabaco, A. S., Castillo-Riedel, E., Alvelais-Alarcon, M., Mejia-Ramirez, M., & Rueda, A. V. (2023). Enhancement of quality of life in older people through positive reminiscence intervention: a pilot study. Psicología Conductual, 31(1), 197–215. https://doi.org/10.51668/bp.8323112n

Speer, M. E., & Delgado, M. R. (2017). Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0093

World Health Organisation. (21 February 2023) Q&A Stress. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress#:~:text=Stress%20can%20be%20defined%20as,and%20threats%20in%20our%20lives