There are two things that keep my spirits up when everything seems to be going wrong—daydreaming and nostalgia. If you’ve got the blues, there’s nothing like cuddling under a warm blanket, grabbing a mug of hot tea and some childhood snacks, and thinking back to the good old days. (Preferably with an old movie, game, or soundtrack to help you get in the right mood.)
If you’re a nostalgiaholic who loves reminiscing about how things used to be and what we used to have, then the ‘Nostalgia’ subreddit will be right up your alley. A community of nearly 868k people, r/nostalgia is a place for everything—from things to commercials from our past, whether they’re happy, funny, or sad. Get ready to dive headfirst into your childhood. Just remember to upvote your fave pics while you’re swimming through long-forgotten memories.
Feeling nostalgic for some more nostalgia posts? Check out Bored Panda’s earlier article about the ‘Nostalgia’ subreddit right here. And be sure to let us know in the comments what you miss the most from your past, dear Readers.
Bored Panda spoke about nostalgia with Kemi Omijeh, a child and adolescent therapist based in London and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. "Many psychologists, myself included, believe our childhood is the foundation to who we are as adults. It explains why we frequently revisit our childhood as it influences our present," she explained. Read on for Omijeh's full insights about the pros and cons of nostalgia, as well as how to control your daydreaming if it's getting out of hand.
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Therapist and BACP member Omijeh explained to Bored Panda that how we remember our childhood experiences directly correlates to the kind of childhood we've had. In other words (and to generalize a bit), we're nostalgic about our childhood if our experiences are full of being loved and nurtured. Meanwhile, the opposite is also true.
"If we’ve had a difficult childhood, it can be hard to feel nostalgic, instead it will feel like something we need to get over in order to move on," said Omijeh.
According to her, nostalgia, aka our brains reliving the fun and happy times we've had, is good and healthy. "Nostalgia can also be a good coping strategy for times of low mood and challenges," she said. However, Omijeh points out that there's a limit: nostalgia can become a hindrance to everyday life when it interferes with our everyday lives and our ability to be present.
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"If we end up comparing it to our experiences today and feeling like nothing is as good as it was, then this will inevitably affect our mood and our ability to do what we need to do," therapist Omijeh said. “We can become stuck in our nostalgia; in which case it might be best to seek help from a counseling professional to help you process your past in order to enjoy your present. You can find a counseling professional through the BACP."
Another nuance is that when we're living our past memories, we're seeing them through a filter. The details might not be accurate and we're reliving what we want to remember.
Considering that some of us (ahem, yours truly) can get stuck on daydreaming quite a bit, we were curious to find out what can be done to control it and feel more 'present,' instead of always floating about in fairyland.
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90's Movie Theaters
"Identify your patterns. Think about the times you usually daydream, is there something about that situation or those times that mean you’re daydreaming? Do something about it if that is the case. Set a time limit, use a timer if it ensures you stop," BACP member Omijeh said. "Write down the biggest thought or feeling as a result of the daydream. That way you’re not just stopping daydreaming. You are doing something positive as a nice transition from stopping daydreaming to doing something."
She also suggests interrupting daydreams by reminding ourselves of action points and to-do lists. Even something like singing or humming your favorite song can work wonders to distract you. Not a fan of music? Try reciting a poem or remembering your math skills by doing the times table. In other words, do something, anything to distract yourself from your daydreaming if you feel that it occupies too much of your time.
"Finally, turn your daydream into a visualization or goal exercise. Your daydreams could be a communication about your innermost desires. Could you begin to plan how to achieve those desires?" the therapist mused.
Viennetta, The Ice Cream That I Knew My Family Couldn’t Afford
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You know what? I have never pieced these together as the same person lol.
Fisher Price Farm
My mom gave these to me cause she was cleaning out the attic. The silos missing, so is the fence, along with the stuff the horse is carrying, also no trough, it’s kinda dirty. I asked my kids to clean it off to sell it. And they go “NOOOOOOOO DONT SEEEELL IIIIIIT!” and I go “why?” They go “CAUSE I WANT IIIIIT” now guess what, it’s sitting in the corner, collecting dust. (But I also sorta want to keep it because it’s a vintage set I got it when I was like 5 and it was full then but you know how messy kids are 🤣)
Seeing how the r/nostalgia subreddit was formed back in 2008, in a very meta way, it won’t be long before someone’s nostalgic for its founding days as well.
Whether or not nostalgia is good or bad for you is a complex question, as we've seen. But, in short, it’s all about balance. On the one hand, living just in your memories draws you away from the present, making you blind to your surroundings and the important events happening around you. We should be happy with where we are in the present, not just the past.
And, well, if we’re not too content with where we are in life, it’s best to make some honest changes so we have some great memories to look forward to in the future. But nostalgia has some great upsides, too, and plenty of researchers and therapists agree.
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On the other hand, being nostalgic can have benefits as well. It’s no secret that the way we think and what we think about affects our daily lives. Similarly, Scientific American confirms that the bittersweet nostalgic feelings we get actually improve our mood, our vitality, and possibly even our mental health.
That’s because nostalgia boosts something known as ‘self-continuity’ which is how connected we feel to our past selves and the narrative we have about our lives. So it really does pay off to reminisce about the brightest parts of your life, full of loved ones, warmth, and wholesome activities. Just remember not to get stuck there for too long, Pandas—it’s time to make new heartwarming memories.
I Miss This Cartoon Network
Mumma had a chicken, mumma had a cow, daddy was proud he didn’t care how.
Somehow, This McDonald's Floor Was Always Sticky And Slippery At The Same Time
The Tupperware Lemonade Jug That Was In Everyone’s Fridge
Anyone Remember Seeing Wishbone?
Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993)
Getting Your Feet Measured Whenever You Got New School Shoes
Wooden Playground: Despite Scorching Hot Metal Slides And Rubber Bridges - We Always Went Back For More...
Big Wood Grain Console Tvs
My Collection Of Old Electronics That I Cannot Throw Out
The Blanket That Was Set Over Every Grandma’s Couch
Ohhh. I have one of these in my closet. Can’t bring myself to get rid of it. Nana made it! In those exact colors.
Checking The New Release Section In Blockbuster
I'm not saying I dislike having 1000's of shows and movies at my fingertips. However, when you don't have instant access to things, it makes them special and fun. Going and picking out a movie was special. It was fun. And I miss that.
Ancient Cup From Pizza Hut. Nostalgic Enough?
Bazooka Joe Gum
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The Toxic Smell And Taste Of Plastic Balloons
90s High School Science Classroom
they are in the cabinets. The gas valves are visible on the tables. The Bunson burners had rubber hoses you would connect to the natural gas nozzle.
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Ah science - how nostalgic. I barely remember those days when people believed doctors and not their mommy blogs.
I'm a high school science teacher and my classroom still looks like that.
lol that's what my science classroom looks like. it was built in 2006. different wood color tho.
90's? My high school science classroom looked like this in the late 70's!
My science room never looked like that, but my home ec room did except add ovens and stove tops.
Fun story: So, I read in James Herriot's "All Creatures Great & Small" that adding a drop of turpentine to a pinch of iodine crystal's produces a small explosion & purple smoke. Yeah - it turns out a bit differently when you use 1 cup of iodine crystals and about a 1/2 gallon of turpentine. You do get an explosive reaction - and a s**t ton of purple smoke! So much so that the neighbors near your high school call 911. ALMOST got expelled for that one & it took about 3 weeks to get the greasy purple residue off the walls & ceiling of the chem lab. WORTH IT. (And now any greatly failed life attempt is simply referred to as "Dude, purple smoke".
I was at school all through the 70s: we had exactly the same science benches in the late 70s, in my state comprehensive.
Looks like my high school cooking class kitchen xD except the sinks were in the middle of the counter, and there were 2 back to back so 4 people could use the counter (2 on each side) and there were microwaves under the cupboards that only myself and the 2 teachers knew how to use cause I was the only one with one of those microwaves xD
Ours stood in the middle of the room, like islands. The only time I ever came close to passing out was in that room. (Lab partner poked a frog's innards with a scalpel and something burst, spattering me in the face. Lab partner says, "Ewww, that got in my mouth!". Down I almost went.)
My chemistry teacher would make a literal flaming symbol for each holiday. To this day I remember that copper burns green
My high school science class rooms look like that and I still remember even though I’ve graduated
Umm . . . . presumably they're still there? No one's ripping out perfectly good science labs wholesale?
My grade 10 science teacher hands me a test tube "here mix these two powders and add a cup of water, put in the stopper and shake" Her after it exploded sending glass and black liquid all over me, ruining my favourite sweater "oh it wasn't supposed to do that". Point is, never hire a drama teacher to teach science.
Ours had a... black spongy thing on the ceiling. Chemistry teacher never said, what happened exactly, but maintenance workers decided it was easier to paint it over, rather than try to scrape it off...
This looks wildly high tech compared to the science classrooms I remember from the 70s!
Christmas Life Savers Book
School Maps Over The Whiteboard
Paper Plate Holders
My primitive ass didn't even know this existed. Ever, not only in 90ies :D
Who Remembers Tiny Sized Chiclets?
Flintstones Vitamins
My doctor recommended I start taking 4 a day to help boost my immune system when she determined I had long-haul COVID. No joke. I'm 37.
"Zip Off" Shorts
if you're into hiking, i bet you've got a pair in your closet. i sure do.
Anyone Played Aladdin?
Mcdonald’s Ash Tray
Having To Watch The Price Is Right When You Stayed Home Sick From School
A Piece Of Childhood That Meant Warm And Fuzzy Memories. Gracie Films Logo
Sand-Filled, Glittery, Rainbow Lizards
The Dining Room Table & Chairs That Everyone Seemed To Have
Bubblicious Watermelon Bubble Gum
The Golden Age Of Cartoon Network (1998-2005)
Cartoon Cartoon (in dexters voice, from dexters laboratory)
Does Anyone Remember The Pagemaster?
Throwback To The Times When You Could Happily Spend Hours Just Moving Piles Of Sand From One Place To Another
Going To The Mall In The 80s And Having A Wall Of Cassettes To Choose From
Land Before Time! Pizza Hut Toys! In The 80s And Early 90s..pizza Hut Did Cool Stuff
LEGO Ghost From The 90s. Glows In The Dark!
Note: this post originally had 86 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I guess this was a very American article, because I hardly recognised any of these.
im not american and recognized most of them, maybe its an age thing?
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I used to watch a show called Banana Splits when I was little. I loved the theme song part at the beginning!
The effin Banana Buggies! Who else wanted to drive one?
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Pepper Ann, Pepper Ann, much to cool for 7th grade. Pepper Ann she's like one in a million! Pepper-Ann...94503f.jpg 
I'm 70, and recognized most, except for the TV shows....I never saw that playground Excavator, and I would have spent a LOT of time digging around...
Hi I grew up in Poland (although in capital city which is always a step ahead when compared to the rest of the country) in 90’s and 00’s shocked to see that I can relate to and remember 80-90% of the things described above. My point is that: We weren’t that different from the west and US after all.
Wow. Like many other people I also thought that these things might be American or British because I couldn't recognize many of them but now I guess not
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Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. That was another of my favorite toys:) And the weeble haunted house . The ghost glowed in the dark.
Not for me, but my children's time. So, I remember and enjoyed a lot of that...second hand of course!
I am an American (apparently a very old American). I recognized the grade-school writing paper and, of course, card catalogues.
I recognized perhaps 10 of them and I am in my 30's. Is this an American article?
I guess this was a very American article, because I hardly recognised any of these.
im not american and recognized most of them, maybe its an age thing?
Load More Replies... I used to watch a show called Banana Splits when I was little. I loved the theme song part at the beginning!
The effin Banana Buggies! Who else wanted to drive one?
Load More Replies... Pepper Ann, Pepper Ann, much to cool for 7th grade. Pepper Ann she's like one in a million! Pepper-Ann...94503f.jpg
I'm 70, and recognized most, except for the TV shows....I never saw that playground Excavator, and I would have spent a LOT of time digging around...
Hi I grew up in Poland (although in capital city which is always a step ahead when compared to the rest of the country) in 90’s and 00’s shocked to see that I can relate to and remember 80-90% of the things described above. My point is that: We weren’t that different from the west and US after all.
Wow. Like many other people I also thought that these things might be American or British because I couldn't recognize many of them but now I guess not
Load More Replies... Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. That was another of my favorite toys:) And the weeble haunted house . The ghost glowed in the dark.
Not for me, but my children's time. So, I remember and enjoyed a lot of that...second hand of course!
I am an American (apparently a very old American). I recognized the grade-school writing paper and, of course, card catalogues.
I recognized perhaps 10 of them and I am in my 30's. Is this an American article?
