FEATURE
RESTORATIVE NOSTALGIA
AUTHOR John J. Wernert, MD, MHA
It may be evident to you now that we all
will be spending more time in our homes.
Whether working remotely, socializing
electronically or sifting through the jungle
of social media, Americans are reimaging
their homes and the activities
they do there. Homes should be spaces
of comfort. Our current circumstances
mock that claim. The boundaries of space seem to close in and turn
our homes into stressful spaces. This change limits our movement
and imposes a new monotony that can be frightening. We feel “cut
off ” from familiar support networks and comforting places and
landscapes. I certainly miss the consistency and reliability of my
“pre-pandemic” lifestyle.
The pandemic in some ways feels like exile. How do we combat
these feelings of isolation and disconnection? We actually live in
an extreme environment when we are forced in to exile. Authors
have written of the elements involved with extreme environments
and why humans respond negatively:
1) We all need daily structure. Notice how much better you
feel when you have orderliness and predictability in your
normal day? Instead, we now have unpredictable days and
receive contradictory advice daily: to go out or to remain
isolated?
2) Indefinite stays. We like knowing when a crisis or confinement
will end. Uncertainty about when the restrictions will
end just worsens our fears and anxiety.
3) Hypervigilance is exhausting. A feeling of abandonment
sometimes takes over and being on constant alert depletes
our energy.
One simple solution is to try and hold on to memories of experiences
and places that rejuvenated us. Where do you remember
feeling relaxed and untethered? A senior colleague recently offered
me the idea of “restorative nostalgia” as a remedy to these unnerving
feelings.
Our family used to take a yearly week-long summer vacation
to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My favorite pilgrimage was
to Whitefish Point, a finger of land that juts out into Lake Superior.
Even in the broiling heat of late July, Whitefish Point was always
cool, the water cold. The smooth stones were worn from centuries
of waves. There was a raw and powerful nature to this place for me,
and I return to that rustic scenery in my mind when I feel stressed
or confined. Do you have a similar spot for restorative nostalgia?
It is a problem to be separated from what is familiar to us, but
don’t be preoccupied with imagery of loss and alienation. Try to
re-center yourself and re-enjoy the restorative nature of nostalgic
places and feelings, the auras of relaxation and enjoyment there.
This is a solid strategy to reinvigorate our resilience and regain
our homes (and minds) as places of comfort, not confinement.
Dr. Wernert, MHA is the Executive Medical Director of Norton Medical Group and
practices with Norton Behavioral Medicine.
20 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE