How to be Happier | Thwarting Hedonic Treadmill

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a professor at the University of California who is an expert on how to be happier. In her repeated research, she found that being happy is 60% linked to genetic makeup and circumstances, which are difficult to change.

That leaves 40% of learning how to be happier to people’s current attitude and perspective.

This attitude and perspective relates to overcoming Hedonic Adaption.

“Hedonic adaption is the psychological theory that humans tend to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major recent positive or negative life events.”

Campbell Brickman

People who win the lottery are right back to the same levels of happiness in a few months, even though their life has seemingly changed for the better.

To illustrate the example, Adam Fayed had a great illustration on Quora.

Why Hedonic Adaption Makes People Unhappy

Hedonic adaption makes people get used to things in their lives. Then search for the next thing that will make them “happy” begins. However, usually when they get that item, work milestone, or whatever else it may be, eventually people get used to it and you go back to the same level of happiness. The way to beat hedonic adaptation is to increase this baseline level.

That is how you beat this hedonic treadmill that never ends. Especially because hedonic adaptation reinforces itself.

In her earlier research, Dr. Lyumbomirsky found that the main difference between happy people and unhappy people was

“My students and I have found that truly happy individuals construe life events and daily situations in ways that seem to maintain their happiness, while unhappy individuals construe experiences in ways that seem to reinforce unhappiness.”

Sonja Lyumbomirsky

What people are expecting to see shapes their entire lives. If you are someone who is always seeing the negative, it can be hard to flip the switch to see events in a more positive light. At this point, you might be thinking, why work on being happier? Especially if it is a lot of work to improve the baseline level of happiness.

The Benefits of Being Happier

Multiple studies have shown that when individuals are happier, it not only benefits them, but also their communities, families, and society at large. The benefits of being happier include

• Higher-income and quality of work produced:
• Larger social networks: including longer marriages, more friends, and richer social interactions.
• Better physical health
• Improved ability to regulate emotions
• Longer life

Being happier can improve people’s daily lives in almost every facet. Learning to be happier is like changing any habit, it takes work but the rewards are great. Starting the process of becoming happier begins with overcoming hedonic adaption.

How to be Happier and Stop Hedonic Adaptation

“The Science of Well-Being” course at Yale, and other studies offer several strategies created by Happiness experts to overcome this human tendency.

1. Don’t invest in stuff in the first place

We get used to things that stick around, no matter how useful the gadget is, eventually it will disappoint us. For instance, I remember buying the iPhone 6 and was the envy of all my friends for having the latest camera. Five years later, chrome runs slow, and my photos pale in comparison with those around me. I still enjoy my phone, but after five years, it doesn’t bring me the same joy it did when I first bought it.

You should still buy yourself nice things, or that you need. However, recognize the item will not be a lasting source of happiness the way marketers sometimes try to make you feel like it will.

2. Instead, invest in experiences

The fact that the experience is temporary is a benefit. The experience is fleeting and will leave a lasting, fun, memory in its place. It won’t stick around to disappoint us like the iPhone 6.

Experiences also have the benefit of providing something to look forward to for months ahead of the actual event. Think of the last trip or concert you planned. Leading up to the activity was almost as fun as the experience itself. That explains why people tick of the days before their two-week trip to Alaska or listen to the album of the artist they are about to see – it is a fun way to get ready for the experience.

Lastly, it is also more fun and socially relatable to talk about a trip you went on than the brand new TV you bought. People like hearing about experiences more than material items because it is easier to relate to a trip than an expensive new TV.

Which means you can share the story of the experience for years to come, which brings you happiness each time you get relive the experience while telling your story.

3. Practice savoring

Savoring is the practice of stepping outside of an experience to review and appreciate it. It means taking an extra thirty seconds to fully appreciate the cup of hot coffee on a cold winter’s morning or slowing down to appreciate the nice compliment your boss gave you at work acknowledging your hard work.

The benefits of savoring are that it forces you to pay attention to the experience. That focus makes you stick with the experience longer.

Some ways to improve savoring are to:

• Talk to another person about the experience
• Look for people to share the experience with
• Think about how lucky you are to be experiencing this moment
• See the small details
• Notice how the energy in your body feels with this positive experience.

Like any skill, it can be hard to implement at first. Having a consistent meditation practice has proven a way to develop this savoring skill. Click here to learn how to develop a consistent meditation practice.

Savoring is meant to enhance the experience, not detract from it. When you are savoring, avoid the below natural tendencies:

• Focusing on the future
• Telling yourself it wasn’t as good as you thought
• Convincing yourself you don’t deserve this experience.

These thoughts only hurt yourself. They take away from the enjoyment of the activity you were looking forward too.

4. Practice negative visualization

This might seem counter-intuitive, but it can help you realize all the great things you have in your life.

Imagine an important event in your life. Now imagine if that event didn’t happen.

To help, think about how your life would be different had you not met your spouse, or someone else important to you. Realize how you would have missed out on some life experiences, might not have found new passions, or not grown into the better person you are today.

Thinking of how we might have lost something leads us to be more grateful for that person or experience in your life. Which leads practicing gratitude.

5. Practice gratitude

Hedonic adaption is all about going back to the basis point before the positive or negative experience. Practice gratitude to remember the good things in your life and be thankful for them. Making the time to be grateful stops the hedonic adaption trend of getting used to the blessings in your life because we train ourselves to see them every day.

6. Set higher aspirations

Setting goals like finding your dream job, or achieving financial independence are long term and ambitious goals. They are inherently difficult to achieve and become an aspiration to strive for. By setting big goals, you can continue the day-to-day work of being happier with the other strategies while working to monumental goals that will improve your overall life.

Main Take-Aways

• Learning how to be happier takes work
• Hedonic adaption is one of the main reasons why we are not as happy as we should be
• Instead of being investing in material items that lead to wanting more possessions, invest in experiences that provide lasting happiness
• Thwart hedonic adaption by savoring experiences, being grateful for them, and reminding yourself how your life would be less fulfilled if certain blessings hadn’t entered your life.

Action items

Look for an event you can experience this week. It could be a concert, dinner with the family, a trip to a park, a zoom family meeting, and anything else that brings you joy. Organize it today. Then practice looking forward to it. When the event is happening, savor it, and then remember to be grateful for the event after. See how all of this enhances your happiness for the week.