Some of us hate thinking about the past. It’s in the past, right?

Who cares about then, it’s all about now!

But some people don’t feel this way at all.

They live in the past, long for it, and are constantly filled with a desire to go back to those better days.

When you’re this kind of person, always looking back and longing for the past, you have certain traits that others don’t.

Like the following 7.

1) They daydream all the time

Some of us are dreamers and some of us are realists! People who live in the past are dreamers, that’s for sure.

They’re always daydreaming about what could’ve, would’ve, or should’ve happened.

They’re always creating scenarios in their heads about how things could’ve been.

No matter where they are, they’re daydreaming – and most of the time, it’s focused on the past and what could’ve been.

2) They’re sentimental

People who feel nostalgic like feeling this way – which is why they go out of their way to create nostalgia for themselves!

How? By being sentimental. By holding onto receipts, cinema tickets, books, photos, and even text messages to remind “future” them of the past.

They like basking in a bit of nostalgia now and then, and when something happens in the present moment, they think to themselves, “I’ll keep that to remind me of this in the future”.

It’s sweet, innocent, and not usually harmful to anyone at all.

3) They tend to overthink

Overthinking can be a good or bad trait.

When you’re constantly nostalgic and living in the past, your tendency to overthink is more likely a bad trait than a good one.

Why? Well, it isn’t actually good to live in the past.

The past can teach us a lot, that’s for sure. But ruminating on it can make us feel stuck.

Experts say when you don’t feel able to let go of the past, it can make you feel depressed and anxious.

A friend of mine is a little like this. Even though we’re in our thirties, she’s always bringing up our school days.

She talks about the good old times and hones in on everything that was bad.

Whenever we meet, she has a new theory about why someone was the way they were or a new thing she feels embarrassed about doing when she was younger.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to do this – look back, reflect, and form a mature opinion on things.

But when you do it too much, you’re overthinking it – and it might start getting you down.

4) They romanticize the past

I love romanticizing my life!

When I roll out of bed and it’s dark outside, slip on my clothes, breathe in the fresh air, and grab a coffee on my walk to the office – I feel like I’m living in a movie!

Romanticizing the present moment has been branded a new form of mindfulness.

It can bring a deep feeling of joy and a sense of purpose to your life.

But romanticizing the past isn’t so positive.

It makes you long for who you used to be and what you used to do, believing that those days were better than these days.

5) They don’t like change

I have a love-hate relationship with change. Sometimes I love spicing up my life a bit and trying something new! But other times, I hate it.

It disrupts me and my routine, and I feel lost most days when everything around me is different.

People who are prone to feeling nostalgic get like this, too.

They like things the way they are because it’s how they’ve always done them. Change brings uncertainty.

So when the opportunity to do something different crops up, they don’t usually jump at it.

6) They struggle to find closure

I personally don’t believe in the idea of getting closure. I think the only way you’re going to get closure is by deciding you’ve got it.

Otherwise, you’re always searching for something you’ll never find.

But of course, I learned this the hard way. So I get it.

I get why people want and even need closure in their lives to feel like they can move on.

People who live in the past struggle to give themselves closure or accept it when they have it.

Like my friend I talked about earlier – the one who always talks about the past whenever we meet.

She’s always searching for some kind of closure on the past, hunting for meaning in places where there isn’t any.

It’s what keeps her so stuck in those “better days”, rather than the here and now…

7) They’re self-critical

You might not expect it, but people who feel nostalgic are quite hard on themselves. Why?

It’s usually because they ruminate on their past mistakes a little too often.

Reflecting on the past brings them comfort and peace, but not always. Sometimes it troubles them.

It makes them feel foolish, inadequate, or deeply pained for what happened to them or something they did.

So how do they work through those feelings? Usually by criticizing themselves in the present.

Their obsession with the past makes them obsessed about not repeating it.

It’s why they’re often quite tough with themselves and work so hard to achieve their goals.  

Final thoughts

As we said earlier, it isn’t good to live in the past.

Looking back on it can be healthy, but you can always have too much of a good thing.

Why? The fact remains that you can’t change the past, no matter how much you reflect on it.

You can form a different view of it or understand it differently, but it will always be the way it was.

When you can’t move on from how things used to be, it might be because you feel unhappy with the present.

And while it’s easier said than done, you can change how you feel about the present.

How? First, you need to focus on it. Then, you need to start making some changes.

Use your overthinking tendencies for good, romanticize the present instead of the past, and try to cut yourself some slack when you think about who you used to be!

We only have one past, and I know more than anyone that it’s something to cherish.

But you also only get one present and one future, too – so don’t let them live in the shadows for too long!