Nostalgia, we all know it. Sometimes it seems like everything was better before and we get stuck in that thought. For example, you miss an old job, an old love or just what life was like in the past. You then start to romanticize the past, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Are you romanticizing the past and want to break away from it? This is how you do that.
See the past for what it really was
If you romanticize the past, you’re probably not looking at the past as it really happened. You focus on the good things and leave out the bad things. To ensure that you do not have a distorted view of the past, you can ask yourself several questions. Start by asking yourself how true the story you tell yourself is. Do this by looking at the past with a neutral view and also include the negative aspects of reality. For example, if you miss an old flame, it’s very easy to focus on the good things from the relationship. But in reality, things also happened that were less fun, and you have to acknowledge that.
Acknowledge what you are really missing
We don’t just romanticize the past. You miss something from the past, but this is not always easy to place. So consider this question for a moment. What do you really miss from the past? What feelings do you miss or what experiences? Once you know what you are missing, you can start looking at how you can combat this lack. You can look more specifically at the gap you are trying to fill. The first step in solving a problem is knowing where the problem lies.
Don’t force yourself to be grateful
It is good to occasionally reflect on the things you are grateful for in life. But sometimes it’s also okay not to force this if it doesn’t feel right. Sometimes you are in a situation where you don’t want to focus on gratitude. If you romanticize the past, you may long for a time when you were happier. Forcing yourself to see the positive aspects of your current situation is not necessarily the way to get rid of the feeling. Rather, you can be aware and try to accept that life is no longer the way it used to be.
Bring yourself to the now
One way to pull yourself out of the past is to start living in the now. That is of course easier said than done. You can approach this in different ways. For example, by journaling or meditating. Find a way that suits you and what you might like to do. If you have to force yourself to meditate, it may not be for you after all.
