In forcing us to reimagine the way we live, work and socialise, the coronavirus pandemic has given us a lot of time to reflect on the past.

Whether you’ve looked back with fondness on the process of picking up your morning coffee and chatting to colleagues in the office or reminisced about the times when you could go shopping without worrying about whether you had a mask in your bag, we’ve all had those moments where we’ve found ourselves looking back at the “normal” we used to have.

In fact, for some people, the process of looking back has become a sort of coping mechanism they rely on when the uncertainty of new restrictions and rising case numbers become overwhelming. But according to a new study, this tendency to look back on what was may be doing us more harm than good.

Struggling to cope with uncertainty? Thinking about your future self could help