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The COVID-19 pandemic feels like a life time ago. Yet, when we look back, some of our experiences seem so vivid, it's as if they just happened yesterday. The compounded feelings of anxiety, fear, helplessness, loneliness, and boredom from that time may occasionally come back like a dark cloud overhead. For some, the loss and devastation they experienced during the pandemic remain as the lasting pain in their life.

Research has begun to examine the unique characteristics of memories from the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal individual and group differences in how people remember things happening during this horrific period. More important, the memories have important implications for one’s sense of self and well-being.

Characteristics of memories from the pandemic

People often report that their memories for what they experienced during the pandemic are blurry, but important to them. Compared with memories from before and after the pandemic, pandemic memories are often less detailed, less about specific events and more about general routines, and more emotionally negative. The memories often focus on pandemic experiences such as quarantine, social distancing, sickness, and financial hardship. There are also positive memories that focus on relationships and work-life balance.

Critically, people who include more negative affect in their memories and who remember more details about the pandemic and the lockdown show worse psychological well-being. On the other hand, positive framing of the experiences and making sense of what happened are linked to better psychological adjustments. Frequently sharing important experiences with others also positively predicts mental health. Additionally, there are special types of memories from the pandemic that are associated with well-being.

Memory about social distancing

Social distancing was a critical measure during the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the infection. At the initial implementation, it generated a great deal of anxiety and distress from health professionals........

© Psychology Today