{"id":7711,"date":"2024-06-12T22:00:04","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T22:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=7711"},"modified":"2024-06-12T22:27:48","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T22:27:48","slug":"the-friendship-challenge-how-nostalgia-can-help-revive-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/?p=7711","title":{"rendered":"The Friendship Challenge: How Nostalgia Can Help Revive Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">This is Day 4 of the 5-Day Friendship Challenge. To start at the beginning, <\/em><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/explain\/2024\/friendship-challenge\" title><em class=\"css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0\">click here<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">If you\u2019re like me, you have a staggering number of photos saved to your phone. Does that speak to an unhealthy tendency to obsessively document even the most mundane moments? Perhaps. But today\u2019s objective is to put your photo library to good use.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Nostalgia can be beneficial. It can <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/07\/28\/smarter-living\/coronavirus-nostalgia.html\" title>curb stress<\/a> and help combat feelings of loneliness. And looking back on old memories with a friend instantly makes you feel more connected, said Marisa G. Franco, a psychologist and the author of \u201cPlatonic,\u201d a book about maintaining friendships. Something as simple as looking at an old photo of you and a friend may remind you of the depth of that bond, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In fact, Dr. Franco said, one of the easiest ways to <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/10\/01\/well\/live\/how-to-make-friends-adult.html\" title>make new friends in adulthood<\/a> is to simply reconnect with old ones. Revisiting cherished memories can give a fizzled friendship a much-needed jolt.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-1u37br4 eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-4ecb8cf7\">Friendship Challenge Day 4: Reminisce with a friend.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Text or email a photo or video. <\/strong>This is the quickest option, Dr. Franco said. You might work some details into an accompanying message, such as \u201cI\u2019m thinking about this moment we had together, and this is what it meant to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Dig up some old photo prints. <\/strong>Those 8 x 10s and 5 x 7s that are just gathering dust in storage? Upload them digitally and send them to a group chat. Or have a pal come over and comb through them together while eating snacks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><strong class=\"css-8qgvsz ebyp5n10\">Ask: \u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d <\/strong>Simply chatting about your shared experiences can clue you into a friend\u2019s perspective, said Eric Kim, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. When recalling that camping trip you both went on years ago, you may only remember the mosquitoes and restless sleep. But talking to your friend could remind you of the beautiful waterfall you saw and the s\u2019mores you ate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">You get new insights into a shared memory,<span class=\"css-8l6xbc evw5hdy0\">  <\/span>Dr. Kim said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Yes, reminiscing can be bittersweet. You might find yourself remembering friends who are no longer alive, or staring at a photo from a more carefree time. But you can also feel gratitude for the time you\u2019ve shared. (And <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/08\/well\/mind\/gratitude-health-benefits.html\" title>small, daily doses of gratitude have known benefits<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cPart of reminiscing might be saying, \u2018I\u2019m so glad we had that experience together,\u2019\u201d said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University. \u201cOr, \u2018I\u2019m so grateful we were able to do that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"lazy-loader\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn\">\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is Day 4 of the 5-Day Friendship Challenge. To start at the beginning, click here.If you\u2019re like me, you have a staggering number of photos saved to your phone. Does that speak to an unhealthy tendency to obsessively document even the most mundane moments? Perhaps. But today\u2019s objective is to put your photo library to good use.Nostalgia can be beneficial. It can curb stress and help combat feelings of loneliness. And looking back on old memories with a friend instantly makes you feel more connected, said Marisa G. Franco, a psychologist and the author of \u201cPlatonic,\u201d a book about maintaining friendships. Something as simple as looking at an old photo of you and a friend may remind you of the depth of that bond, she said.In fact, Dr. Franco said, one of the easiest ways to make new friends in adulthood is to simply reconnect with old ones. Revisiting cherished memories can give a fizzled friendship a much-needed jolt.Friendship Challenge Day 4: Reminisce with a friend.Text or email a photo or video. This is the quickest option, Dr. Franco said. You might work some details into an accompanying message, such as \u201cI\u2019m thinking about this moment we had together, and this is what it meant to me.\u201dDig up some old photo prints. Those 8 x 10s and 5 x 7s that are just gathering dust in storage? Upload them digitally and send them to a group chat. Or have a pal come over and comb through them together while eating snacks.Ask: \u201cWhat do you remember?\u201d Simply chatting about your shared experiences can clue you into a friend\u2019s perspective, said Eric Kim, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. When recalling that camping trip you both went on years ago, you may only remember the mosquitoes and restless sleep. But talking to your friend could remind you of the beautiful waterfall you saw and the s\u2019mores you ate.You get new insights into a shared memory, Dr. Kim said.Yes, reminiscing can be bittersweet. You might find yourself remembering friends who are no longer alive, or staring at a photo from a more carefree time. But you can also feel gratitude for the time you\u2019ve shared. (And small, daily doses of gratitude have known benefits.)\u201cPart of reminiscing might be saying, \u2018I\u2019m so glad we had that experience together,\u2019\u201d said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the director of the Social Connection and Health Lab at Brigham Young University. \u201cOr, \u2018I\u2019m so grateful we were able to do that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7713,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7711"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7714,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7711\/revisions\/7714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/medexperts.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}