Your happy memories as a tool for well-being

When a person goes through moments of distress, sadness, or stress, they often look for strategies that restore a sense of calm and safety. One of the best-known techniques is to imagine a “safe place,” that is, a mental space that conveys peace. However, there is also another powerful way: turning to positive memories. These memories act as inner resources stored in our minds and allow us to reconnect with pleasant emotions we have already experienced, such as joy, achievement, or serenity. Instead of inventing a fictitious space, we rely on real experiences that left an imprint on our body and mind.

Accessing these experiences not only provides comfort in the present but also reminds us that we have the capacity to feel good, even when current circumstances are adverse. In a way, it is like expanding our “personal arsenal”: we no longer depend solely on imagining a refuge, but we can use the evidence of our own emotional history as support.

How to work with a positive memory

Write it down
Start by writing a short sentence that captures a moment when you felt joy, well-being, or satisfaction. It could be anything from an academic achievement to a simple instant, such as sharing a meal with someone dear. The essential point is that it evokes a clear and positive emotion.

Identify an image and a word
Think of the most representative scene from that experience and turn it into a mental image, as if it were a photograph. Then choose one word that sums up what you felt, for example: “pride,” “peace,” or “friendship.”

Consciously evoke it
Close your eyes, bring the image and the word to mind, and observe how your body responds. You might notice warmth in your chest, an involuntary smile, or lighter breathing.

Savor and repeat
Stay with that feeling for a few seconds, let it expand, and then release it. Repeat the process several times: bring up the memory, feel it, release it. With practice, the word or the image alone will be enough to reactivate the positive emotion at any moment.

The benefits of this exercise

• Emotional resource: the memory becomes a concrete tool you can rely on when life gets complicated. It is a way of reminding yourself that you carry within you the ability to experience calm and joy.

• Emotional memory check: the exercise also serves as a test to observe how accessible your pleasant memories are. If you can retrieve them clearly, it means your emotional system still has good access to positive experiences.

Possible difficulties

In a depressive state, it may be very hard to find memories that truly feel positive. Even when you recall happy moments, they may appear tinged with melancholy. This happens because our mood directly influences how we remember: when sadness is intense, even joyful memories lose their brightness.

If you notice that you cannot recover positive experiences, or that all of them come with a sense of pain, it is a sign that your emotional distress deserves special attention and professional support.

Precautions

• Do not pressure yourself: if today you cannot bring up positive memories, let it go and try again another time.

• Do not force introspection: avoid going deep into exercises that involve exploring your past if you are in a state of intense sadness.

• Focus on understanding: if unhappiness is constant or comes in waves, the most useful step is to become aware of why it occurs, rather than forcing yourself to feel something different.

Main goal

The purpose of working with positive memories is not only to recall pleasant scenes. The goal is to build a conscious relationship with your emotional world. This involves three key insights:

1. Recognize how your current mood colors your access to memories.

2. Understand that positive memories are a real resource you can return to.

3. Accept that if sadness prevents you from reaching them, it is time to seek external help.

In this way, positive memories stop being mere scenes from the past and become a tool for self-knowledge and self-care that strengthens your well-being in the present.