![]() ![]() The phenomenon is aptly named the “hedonic treadmill” because, well, it’s an exhausting cycle that never ends. This can put us on an endless cycle of trying to recapture that original “high.” The cycle looks like this: We desire some good or experience, obtain it, feel a certain level of happiness, acclimate and gradually lose that same level of happiness, and then look for a new good or experience to reach that same level of happiness again. And that new car, new relationship, new watch, new house all start to appear rather ordinary. The enjoyment we receive diminishes until it stabilizes. This doesn’t happen all at once, but gradually as we acclimate to our new experience. Our brain no longer releases the same amount of chemicals (like dopamine or serotonin) that it once did. We acclimate to a particular good, which causes us to experience a lower and lower emotional response to that good over time. It’s why we aren’t quite as excited about our new job a year after we’ve started it. It’s why that first slice of pizza is always that much more enjoyable than the fourth. Julia Clavien runs a media platform dedicated to this idea - she defines a hedonic reset as “strategically and deliberately enduring a temporary deprivation of certain things we enjoy, to slow down hedonic adaptation and produce a disproportionate gain in happiness.” That word, hedonic, comes from the Greek term for pleasure - it’s an adjective to describe anything having to do with pleasant (or unpleasant) sensations. When I finally did have power again, I felt much, much happier about having electricity than I would have if I had never lost power in the first place. ![]() Without knowing it, I had experienced a “hedonic reset.” By not experiencing certain goods (in my case, consistent electricity and heat) for a few days, my expectations and gratitude levels were reset. I overflowed with gratitude for the invention of electricity and indoor heating - for being able to turn a light on at will, prepare food at my convenience, and not be freezing cold through the night! ![]() I was so happy to finally be warm again in my apartment. When the power was permanently restored, and I was finally able to warm my apartment up to a comfortable 68 degrees, I was downright ecstatic. I woke up one morning with my apartment in the 40s! Without consistent power, I had to wrap myself in any spare blanket I could find, stay clear of the windows, and continually sip hot water. It was during the winter, and the temperature outside dropped down to 0 degrees at one point. Appreciate the awesome.A few months ago, I lost my power on and off for a few days. How about three things/people that are awesome in your life right now? (That you might be taking for granted!) Let’s appreciate the amazing things you have in your life. Today’s +1: Let’s step off the treadmill.Īnother thing Maslow taught us is that the most actualized among us have “fresh appreciation” for the things others tend to take for granted. Ultimately, creating a durable sense of well-being is an inside job. Know that nothing “out there” is E V E R going to make you happy. Well, first, know that this tendency exists. So, how do we deal with this tendency to so quickly adapt and take things for granted as we sweat and get nowhere on that happiness treadmill? It’s not an obvious evil-evil but it’s an evil thing nonetheless. On a related note, Maslow told us that getting used to our blessings is one of the most “nonevil evils” out there. There you are on your treadmill, working harder and harder and not going anywhere. You get fired up about making $x per year or having a certain car or house or whatever then you get to that point and quickly adapt to it-now wanting the NEXT $X per year or house or car or whatever. The way we so easily adapt to awesome stuff is kinda like being on a treadmill. Sonja is one of the world’s leading experts on the science of what is called “hedonic adaptation.”īasically, hedonic adaptation is a fancy phrase for our tendency to get used to good things. Today, let’s hop on a treadmill with well-being researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky. In our last +1 we hopped on a treadmill with Will Smith and Smokeybot. ![]()
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