During the holidays I certainly feel much more giving and in the mood to be nicer to everyone around me. Santa Claus has been a long-time expired myth for me, so why do I want to be so nice even if I’m not afraid of being on Santa’s bad side during the holiday season?

There is an actual diagnosis that some people have during this time of year; it is called personal nostalgia. According to LiveScience, personal nostalgia is when “someone misses or feels emotions toward the past they themselves lived through, you might call it the autobiographical past. One might feel nostalgia for your childhood or teen years.”

It is kind of a sense of oneself or one’s belonging. Let’s take my own personal nostalgia for an example. When I was a little girl, Christmas was my favorite holiday because it was the only time of year that my entire family got together to celebrate. That’s why during the holidays I start to communicate with them more, so I’m basically trying to reconnect with my childhood. Deep, right?

So what does this have to do with being a better person and giving more during the holidays? Well, personal nostalgia also has something to do with feeling more connected during the holidays. It reminds us of what happiness comes out of being together.

“There is a way nostalgia even in the best of times helps someone feel part of something bigger than themselves,” according to LiveScience.

So if you feel the need to give a little extra this holiday season here are some nostalgic ideas: text a relative saying “have a good day.” Check in with our school Key Club in room 231 to see if you can volunteer anywhere, or give a compliment to a random student in the hallway. Doing these things can help you with your personal nostalgic needs this holiday season.  

Weblink to LiveScience:   https://www.livescience.com/17571-nostalgia-holidays-memories.html