Happy Memories Recall: A Nature-based approach to regulating emotions under stress

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”  Tennessee Williams - The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore 

Working as a therapist I often listen to clients lamenting about negative or traumatic memories haunting them, holding them back from developing confidence, or robbing them of experiencing  joy.  As an advocate for empowerment, and from a nature-based perspective, I will ask clients to reflect and remember happy memories from time spent in nature.   I ask them to describe the times they experienced awe in nature,  a time they visited a favorite natural location.  They describe the scenes, the colors, the temperature, the plants or birds they saw, conversations shared with loved ones who were there.  How did they feel?  Calm?  Safe?  Hopeful?  Excited? Proud?

A blue heron waits in the Arkansas River

As they begin to recall these happy memories people start to smile and remember a time when they didn’t feel overwhelmed by anxiety, grief, or depression.  Their bodies relax, legs stop shaking, and their speech slows.  I remind them that they can recall these calming memories at any time, and that it can help restore a grounded mood.  And, recalling happy memories can be more effective than using cognitive-based (thoughts) like positive thought interventions or positive affirmations or mantras.  We often suppress unpleasant feelings or interpret negative events into less negative experiences (diminishing impact or validity) to ward off a strong emotion.  Stress compromises our neural circuitry that emotional regulation relies on.  To sustain or increase positive feelings broadens our cognitive perspective and possibly promotes better decision-making under stress².  

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

  Recalling happy memories reminds us that all states of feeling are temporary.  The process brings past moments into the present and impacts our current mood.  Emotional memories are the most long-lasting and accessible¹.  While negative memories are more vivid and intense, positive memories are highly associative, occur more often, and can lead to even more positive memories.  We can feel better, longer.  Happy memories may also act as a reward to buffer the effects of stress and are linked to our sense of self and perpetuate positive self-esteem.  These positive effects may also encourage us to see good in the world and think more flexibly and creatively about our own future.  

Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

References for more information

Samantha E. Williams et al. The power of negative and positive episodic memories Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience (2022) 22:869–903 

Megan E. Speer and Mauricio R. Delgado Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses Nat Hum Behav. 2017 May ; 1(5): . doi:10.1038/s41562-017-0093.