The first time I heard about the term hedonic adaptation was in a course titled the “Science of Well-Being” taught by Dr Laurie Santos from Yale University. This is one of the must enroll courses that I would suggest for anybody trying to find scientific ways to increase happiness.
Now, what is hedonic adaptation?
It is a mechanism by which we have the tendency to reach a fixed state of happiness. So even if we encounter moments that make us happy or get things that are supposed to spark joy, the moments of euphoria are temporally spiked and then we return to our previous baseline mood level. On a positive note it is the same with bad moments, that we assume will wreck our life forever. It does not affect us for as long as we think. But we often prolong this process by visualizing it or ruminating about its negative points over and over again.
Another way to look at hedonic adaptation is to envision our happiness potential to be like a sponge. Initially, that single like, or that first raise or making one good friend would inflate our happiness sponge and we are brimming with happiness. But after a slow but continuous rise in subsequent variables that increase happiness, we reach a point of saturation where more of the same things don’t make us as happy as it used to make us. And this is almost an unconscious process that plagues us all. That is why the third car might not give you as much happiness as the first.
If it is an unconscious process, is there any hope to break that cycle?
I am going to give you 3 quick strategies to combat hedonic adaptation and if you sincerely adopt it, it will do you good over time.
Savouring
Our brain often goes through each day on auto-pilot often filing away all the good moments like an efficient often emotionless secretary. The good memories are often gone before we even have a chance to process it. Savouring is the very intentional act of slowing down and immersing ourselves completely in that moment.
It is akin to the act of slowly taking a bowl of our favourite ice cream, taking the time to drizzle it with warm chocolate sauce and throwing on some toppings of our choice. And then sitting down, totally focussed on the coolness emanating from the bowl and swirls of colour in the bowl. You stick a spoon into and take a luxurious scoop, close your eyes and let the taste and texture override your senses. This is a moment of savouring where you engage all your senses and you are completely devoted to the moment.
Contrast this without how we usually shove our mouths with icecream while simultaneously being engaged in other tasks and before we know it, we are frustrated that it’s over. And we are mad at the universe because all good things last for milliseconds. Savouring can be applied to all sorts of situations, such as talking to a loved one, going for a walk, when you do well on a test. Just immerse yourself in that feeling and this prolongs the feeling. You can prolong it further by sharing that positive experience to someone, or recalling it during other times of the day or even writing about it.
Gratitude
It is not just about fully experiencing moments but it also about being grateful for those moments once the experience is over. This is why keeping a gratitude journey is the best way to increase happiness. This especially helps us when we look back to it and are able to relive all the happy moments that memory would have erased. It is also important to show gratitude towards people. Writing a gratitude letter for people who have impacted your life in small or big ways, will reorient your perspective of life more positively. Count your small blessings and be vocal about it.
Negative Visualisation
This is a technique that helps you break hedonic adaptation by visualising the quality of life if you didn’t have the things/people that you do have and enjoy. For example, instead of overthinking about a fight with your loved one and how it has reduced your level of happiness, visualise what your life would have been like if you had never met that person. If you’re unhappy with your current progress, envision your life if you had a brain injury and couldn’t even articulate a single sentence.
I hope that these tips were helpful and you find avenues to make it actionable. So take 5 mins every day (set a timer), either once you wake up or right before you go to bed and practise one of these techniques religiously. Go through all the how your life would have been if you didn’t have your house while brushing your teeth. Think about all the good moments you had in your day when you are trying to go to sleep. Completely enjoy that feeling of accomplishment when you achieved that one small goal. Once this becomes a habit, let’s all hope for a rising trend in happiness.
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Picture Credits: https://www.njlifehacks.com/negative-visualization-antidote-to-hedonic-adaptation/
The Creative Ninja speaks 