Hedonic Adaptation: Why We Get Used to Good Things (And How to Counter It)

Whether it be a career promotion, a move into a brand new house, taking a much-needed holiday, or simply reaching an important personal milestone, there is usually a surge of joy that accompanies these events. However, what most people can see is that this joy wears off faster than expected. What once felt new gradually becomes familiar, causing the excitement to fade. This is not something related to a lack of appreciation or gratitude towards what one has; rather, it is a psychological process called hedonic adaptation.

The principle of hedonic adaptation accounts for the fact that positive life events fail to provide a person with lasting happiness because the mind always adapts to the change of circumstances and allows one to revert back to their usual emotional state. Although this mechanism provides people with stability in their emotions, it creates problems at the same time: a constant need to adapt to successes and comfort means that a person will always be striving for more without experiencing any satisfaction from it.

The Human Brain Works So That Changes are Normalized

Our brain is made in such a way that we feel and notice differences rather than being aware of similarities all the time. Whenever something new appears in our daily routine, be it a higher salary or a better relationship, we start noticing it since it is different from what we have already known. After a while, when it becomes routine for us, our brain starts paying less Attention to it in favor of something more interesting and fresh.

It was really useful for people in the past, as our brain helped us save mental energy so that we would be able to notice any possible changes which might either benefit or harm us. The only thing is that all good things in our lives eventually start becoming boring and usual, thus, stop making us feel happy.

That is why people overestimate the period of time during which they will enjoy some success achieved in their lives because usually they think about the time of reaching success and not of living in it for months and years.

Satisfaction Fails to Meet the Changing Pace of Expectations

The most fascinating thing about hedonic adaptation is how easily our expectations adjust along with changing situations. Once a particular goal is reached, people rapidly reconfigure what is considered normal. The promotion that meant career success will soon turn into the least one could expect from themself. A bigger house that was considered an improvement earlier is now perceived as the norm.

It is not that we are selfish creatures who cannot be satisfied with what we have got. Our motivation depends, among other things, on comparison between the present situation and possible future opportunities. As standards grow, we tend to lose some emotions caused by achievements in the past, since we now think of achieving something else.

It might be useful when it drives us to learn more and to be ambitious. Problems occur when we are sure that each new accomplishment will make us happy forever. Not realizing the phenomenon of hedonic adaptation, we can keep on going in such a way forever.

Invisible Comforts Are Achieved Faster Than We Think

Hedonic adaptation is not only experienced in important life situations but also impacts our perception of the everyday routines we follow. The comfort of having enough money, loving people around us, being healthy and safe, or living in a safe area becomes unnoticed since everything stays the same. Naturally, the human mind pays more Attention to what is lacking rather than to something which has already been gained.

The attention bias affects our emotional state. Two people with similar conditions may experience different life satisfaction based on their perception of the situation. One person will constantly worry about their desires and pay no attention to the positive routine things. Another person, however, may choose gratitude and continue to enjoy what they have, even when life is not going well.

The knowledge of such a tendency should not mean forgetting about existing problems but just realizing that our brain undervalues some things that are always there.

Novelty Interferes with the Adaptation Process

Introducing novel healthy experiences to one’s life can be the best way to fight against adaptation. Experiences that are different from the everyday norm attract much more Attention from the brain. There is no need for any significant changes in lifestyle and costly purchases to experience novel things. A little bit of variation will allow you to appreciate an experience anew.

Walking to work along a new route, acquiring a new skill, doing exercises differently, cooking unfamiliar dishes, and exploring new places in the neighborhood can all be examples of experiencing new mental stimulation. Novel experiences disrupt the automatic processing of the experiences and help to engage more in the present moment. Often, familiar places become more interesting simply because they are seen from another angle.

Novelty can also contribute to relationships. Couples who share novel experiences claim to be more satisfied in their relationships compared to couples whose interaction is completely predictable.

Gratitude Works as it Redirects Attention

Oftentimes, gratitude is wrongly associated with positive thinking alone. However, there is much more to it. Hedonic adaptation is something that makes an individual overlook many positive aspects in their life. Gratitude helps to reverse this trend and brings an individual’s Attention to those aspects that they stopped being conscious of.

According to research in positive psychology, the reflection on specific positive experiences could make people feel more appreciation for their life while ignoring its problems. This is why it is essential to focus on specifics; phrases like “I have a great life” do not always work the same way as thinking about concrete experiences or opportunities.

Gratitude works against automatic comparisons of the present state to future goals. People do not measure happiness according to unfulfilled needs but concentrate more on what they have already managed to get and experience.

How Constant Comparisons Lead to Rapid Hedonic Adaptation

The digital age complicates adaptation differently. Social networking sites expose people to selectively chosen instances of others’ lives. Every time an individual compares their life with those around them, their expectations for success or achievement go up. With expectations going up, the achievements in one’s own life will lose significance sooner.

It alters the reference point psychologically. A professional accomplishment will feel less significant after comparing oneself with someone else who is far more successful than they are. Similarly, a comfortable place to live might suddenly be viewed as not enough after being exposed to pictures of better places.

Decreasing unnecessary comparisons does not mean avoiding technology altogether. Being more aware of what people see through media helps preserve satisfaction.

Acknowledging Progress Without Reliance on Continued Achievement

Most individuals believe that the only way to ensure sustained happiness is through setting ever more challenging targets. The truth of the matter is that it is possible to sustain happiness by combining the idea of progress with that of appreciating accomplishments. Goals are useful since they give directions and enable one to grow and gain a sense of purpose. However, the trouble arises when each goal accomplishment leads to new ones.

Psychological resilience is enhanced through individuals acknowledging their accomplishments before moving forward. This ensures that the experience does not become routine but rather retains its psychological value. Through reflection, the accomplishment is transformed from an emotional peak to an enduring proof of growth.

Such an approach is helpful in motivating individuals without causing dissatisfaction due to adaptation being overlooked.

Conclusion

One of the reasons why sustained happiness is hard to achieve based solely on external success is the psychological phenomenon of hedonic adaptation. It is human nature to adapt to the changes that happen in life, which makes the amazing things we go through familiar with time. This is part of our psychology and is not a personal flaw.

While it is impossible to overcome adaptation, it is possible to deal with it. Adding novelty to life, consciously being thankful for the good things, reducing comparisons when unnecessary, and acknowledging one’s progress help to keep these experiences psychologically significant.

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