Hacking the hedonic treadmill

Hey — it’s James

Ever heard of the hedonic treadmill? If not, let me try to explain in my own words.

Let’s start with a simple example: money.

Say you’re making $5,000 a month. You’re 7/10 happy with your salary. Now, thanks to your hard work, you get a promotion—your income doubles to $10,000. Initially, your happiness level shoots up to a solid 9/10.

But after a few months? That extra boost fades. When asked to rate your salary happiness again, you’re back to a 7/10.

The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation is the phenomenon where people return to a baseline level of happiness despite positive or negative changes in their lives.

Why is that?

Let’s stick with the money example.

Now that you’re making more, you might upgrade your apartment, buy new furniture, and invest a bit. You dine out at nicer places, enjoy better vacations, and treat yourself more often. It feels great—but eventually, this new life becomes the new normal. Then, you see others earning even more, and suddenly, that’s your new goal.

Humans are highly adaptable, which has kept us going for millennia. But this adaptability also mean we quickly adjust to new circumstances. And our expectations and desires tend to increase with our circumstances, keeping our happiness level relatively stable over the long term.

I’ll be happier when…

It’s easy to think you’ll be happier once you achieve X, have Y, or earn Z—but this is often a misconception. This mindset can also lead to procrastination, where you’re constantly waiting to find happiness “later.”

If you’re 4/10 happy now, odds are you’ll still be 4/10 in the future if you don’t work on your internal perspective. True happiness often comes from appreciating what you already have. Take a look around and find joy in the present moment, practicing gratitude. No need to become a spiritual yogi—just seek small moments of contentment.

And be aware of that sneaky little thought, “I’ll be happier when…” It’s natural to feel that way. But just noticing this can be the first step toward breaking the cycle and finding lasting happiness.

Hacking the hedonic treadmill

I recently read Adam Mastroianni’s post, The Five Tools of Hedonic Design. He shares a few practical tools to break out of the adaptation cycle:

1. Disruptors: intentionally interrupt enjoyable experiences

   • e.g. ‘commercial breaks—people actually enjoy TV more with commercials’

2. Cutoffs: end experiences abruptly

   • e.g. ‘wordle’s one-puzzle-a-day policy’

3. Variators: slight changes that make an experience different

   • e.g. ‘a party that starts out quiet with just a few people, then gets loud when everybody arrives, then gets quiet again when most people leave’

4. Recyclers: tools to recall positive experiences

   • e.g. ‘a pushpin map that keeps track of your travels’

5. Peaks and finales: purposefully add one or more peak moments to an experience, and strive to end it on a high note (we remember peaks and endings most vividly from any experience)

   • e.g. ‘planning one big splurge activity during a vacation––a decadent meal, a night in a palatial AirBnB, front-row tickets at a show’

Feeling a bit meh? Try these out! You might already have examples of your own.

Anticipate more

Research shows that anticipating an event—like a vacation or exciting activity—often brings more happiness than the event itself. Just like cravings, the build-up is sometimes more powerful than the experience.

I don’t have a big conclusion here, but I see it as a happiness BOGOF: Buy One, Get One Free.

Wishing you a 10/10 happy day ✌️

Cheers!

Bits

• The Adam Mastroianni article I mentioned earlier, The Five Tools of Hedonic Design, has great tips on creating a more fulfilling life.

• This study shows how the anticipation of vacations often brings more happiness than the trips themselves.