Nostalgia means a sentimental longing for home. This is a Greek compound word of “return home” and “pain,” meaning homesickness. In the 17th century, a Swiss doctor made this term to describe the pain of the soldiers who lived away from home, missing their hometown and family, and the term had long been regarded as a negative emotion because it caused insomnia or depression.
However, in the 20th century, as psychologists analyzed that nostalgia was mainly associated with positive keywords such as “yearning for home” and “happy time,” people’s viewpoint on the term began to change. Furthermore, social psychologists at the University of Southampton in the U.K. have found that nostalgia elevates a sense of social connectedness. As a result of an actual experiment, the richer a person misses his hometown, the higher scores he gets in relationships, emotional exchanges, and the ability to empathize with others’ emotions.
The reason people miss their hometown is probably because they have beautiful memories with their loved family. When you are fatigued from living away from home, just bringing up your happy memories about hometown can warm your heart.