Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been experiencing feelings of nostalgia. We are in the midst of moving our business to our new location and moving our personal home of eight years at the same time. As we pack up our things, it brings up so many positive memories of the times we’ve had in both areas of our lives. Certain songs take me right back to how I was feeling at work on specific days, thumbing through photo books and albums sparks reminders for events that have since been forgotten, and digging out toys from my childhood (hidden deep in our storage room) dusting them off, remembering the joy they brought to me as a child, has created an opportunity to make new memories while sharing those same toys with my children.

The modern definition of nostalgia is, “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” However, it was thought to be a neurological affliction - a disease with strange and harmful treatment options until the 19th century. The word, nostalgia, was coined by Swiss medical student, Johannes Hofer in 1688 when he combined the greek words: nostos (homecoming) and algos (pain). While originally thought to be a psychopathological disorder, we now know that nostalgia is not an illness at all, but can actually provide comfort during times of loss, anxiety, uncertainty or transition.

Over the past 50 years, studies have highlighted how personal nostalgia counteracts loneliness and can provide a sense of belonging. It has been shown to drive preferences for consumer products and It’s proven to be a healthy coping strategy that gives us hope and inspiration. Clay Routledge, a psychology professor at North Dakota State University and author of Nostalgia: A Psychological Resource, said; “Nostalgia mobilizes us for the future, increases our desire to pursue important life goals and our confidence that we can accomplish them.”

As I turn the page on these chapters in my life, I’m making it a point to embrace the nostalgia. We are having a “farewell to the building” happy hour this week to remember all of the good times that location brought to us. We are in the process of creating our annual year in review video where we capture the events of the year, recognize what we accomplished and celebrate how far we’ve come. And I’m encouraging my team to lean into those feelings of nostalgia as we go through this transition period. There has been plenty of unease and uncertainty over the past year and I know fond memories have provided a bit of stability and a reminder of what is most important to me. I’m excited about what is ahead and I’m also grateful for the opportunity to take some time to reflect on the past, cherish those memories and use it to fuel the future.