Exercise: Memories are Your Return on Investments for Experiences

Take Withdrawals From Your Memory Bank

Memories are returns on your investment in experiences. They let you look back on good moments, which can shift your state of mind in powerful ways.

At my lowest point in life, I went through my photos on my phone and made a folder of my happiest memories. I found a website to print them for cheap and put them up on a small wall in my apartment. The nostalgia helped shield me from wallowing in my pain. Whenever I started feeling blah, the photos made me smile.

Nostalgia is a complex emotion that involves happy memories and a longing for the past, often triggered by sensory stimuli like smells or music. It’s a common experience that almost everyone has, and its object tends to change throughout life. While nostalgia was originally considered a disease back in the 1700s (crazy!), research shows it’s actually a defense mechanism against unhappiness., By recalling positive memories, nostalgia can strengthen social bonds, improve mood, and increase optimism. In fact, studies have found that inducing nostalgia can even lower existential anxiety and increase spirituality. 

Photos and small souvenirs allow us to powerfully relive moments, especially in times when you need to cultivate gratitude. This is our physical bank of memories. But often they get stuck in our phones, computers, or storage never to be seen again. Making the effort to organize these memories and display them where you live is worth doing. Save the memory, and one day, the memory may save you.

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About Bridget Hilton

Bridget Hilton creates tools to help teams and leaders connect in the workplace through rich experiences and shared goals. Her keynote helps Fortune 500 companies navigate topics of mental health and wellness, burnout, employee belonging and connection, inspiration, motivation, and goal setting. Her book Experiential Billionaire and card deck Treasure Maps is out now. She is located in Los Angeles, CA and is booking keynotes and workshops worldwide now.