Studies show that better adult health is linked to happy childhood memories

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It is well known that increased mental stress takes a heavy toll on a person’s physical well being. The urban lifestyle is not well suited for most of the people but they choose it regardless to meet the aspirations society has forced them to believe are their own. In cities, people live so close to each other and yet have no time to talk to each other. There is hardly any connection between people.

Social network has brought the world so close and yet have managed to make everyone feel lonely. Children as young as 10 years spend the entire day in front of mobile screens at the cost of creating memories to last them for life. Thus it becomes the parents’ responsibility to teach their children the importance of time management to cure social media addiction.

Ever noticed when you talk to your childhood friends how all the worries in your life just disappear? Nothing can compare with happy childhood memories.

Now studies have found that happy childhood memories also help in better adult health.

Health Psychology

Studies from Michigan State University suggests that there is a direct link between fond memories as a child and better health, less depression and lesser risk of chronic illnesses.

The lead author of the study, William J. Chopik said that memory plays an important role in how we perceive the world. It is about the story we tell ourselves of how our past experiences shape us as a person. These experiences have a bearing upon how a person chooses to act in the future. Thus, our memories, in turn, define our life choices.

Thus, if the childhood memories are happy then they will have a positive impact on a person’s overall well being. However, if they are traumatic, a person will be more likely to engage in substance abuse, will suffer from depression, and will not care about their physical well being.

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Parents’ role in the process
The study used data samples from two other studies conducted previously. The first is the National Survey of midlife development, which examined adults in their mid-40s for eighteen years. The second study is of the Health and retirement study which followed adults of fifty and over for six years.

The participants were asked questions about how their relationship with parents, physical and mental health, and chronic conditions.

Both the studies found that participants who shared a loving relationship with their mothers as a child were in better physical condition and had very less symptoms of depression in adult life.

According to Chopik, the very few participants could recall of the father being too affectionate. However, that may change for coming generations. The earlier studies reflected the broader cultural scenario of the time. These were the time when gender roles were specifically defined and rigid where the mother was the primary caregiver. But as the boundaries of cultural norms are now changing the children’s relationship with fathers will also be equally important.