The Hedonic Treadmill and Why It Matters In Your Health and Fitness
You have a problem.
You don't realize that, as a human, you are going to feel ALL of the emotions.
Sad, happy, mad, angry, joy, bliss, shame, guilt, fear. You will feel all of these at various times in your life for different durations. Some you will feel everyday of your life, and some you will make choices from, and many you will feel in a single day.
But you try so hard to not feel some while trying to only feel others. This is the problem.
To deny your humanity is crazy. Instead, you must embrace it. Feeling is a gift.
The problem arises in that when you feel an emotion or feeling you don't like, you overreact.
I'm going to remind you of something that you always forget;
All feelings are fleeting. They will come and go.
There is a term called hedonic adaptation aka the hedonic treadmill. This is a concept studied by positive psychology researchers and others who focus on happiness and well-being. It refers to people's general tendency to return to a set level of happiness despite life’s ups and downs. This means that after experiencing positive or negative events, people tend to return to their baseline level of happiness.
Why is this important?
Because when you are sad, angry, upset, feeling shame, guilt you make a choice out of the immediate feeling instead of your baseline. For example, you have a tough meeting at work and the CEO or boss chews you out. You feel like shit and are angry. You grab a couple cocktails after work with co-workers and order take out on the way home to soothe your wounds for the day. A choice made from the immediate, low feeling, instead of your baseline, more level headed self.
It also works the other way too. You feel really proud and accomplished that you got a job promotion or a big bonus and decide to splurge on a vehicle when you are trying to save money for a house.
In either example you are making a choice in the short term based on how you are feeling and often time this is at the expense of long term fulfillment or a long term vision.
Hedonic adaptation reminds us that no matter what the emotion is, we will always go back to our level of default happiness.
For those who are not fulfilled or generally happy, they will continue to look for experiences, events to bring about that high. Again, this often comes at the expense of a long term vision. This is the problem when trying to lose weight or get in shape. These people are constantly seeking foods, drinks and experiences that make losing weight very difficult because they are looking to elevate their default level of happiness and fulfillment in the moment.
Realizing this must come with a level of awareness and honesty.
Not realizing this will impact your life in major ways forever.
Whenever we seek new pleasures to elevate our current level we are doomed to crash back to our default.
To not be a victim of always distracting ourselves with the next "big" thing in life we must do a variety of things:
Gratitude: Practicing gratitude can help you maintain a sense of happiness and contentment. Regularly reflecting on the things you're grateful for can prevent you from taking your circumstances for granted. Journal 3 things each day you are grateful for and why. The why is big because it makes it real.
Mindfulness: Being mindful of your experiences and emotions can help you appreciate the present moment. Mindfulness can prevent you from constantly seeking new sources of happiness and help you find joy in the everyday. Need nothing, get everything has been my experience.
Meaningful Activities: Engaging in activities that provide a sense of purpose or meaning can lead to more lasting happiness. This could involve helping others, pursuing personal growth, or working towards a meaningful goal. Building a healthy body and building a business are also a couple of ways. The key is don't distract yourself, immerse yourself.
Variety and Novelty: Introducing variety and novelty into your life can help prevent hedonic adaptation. This could involve trying new activities, exploring new places, or meeting new people. Be careful not to distract yourself with this either and continue to make the main thing the main thing.
Acceptance: Accepting that happiness levels may fluctuate and that there is no perfect state of constant happiness can help you manage your expectations and find contentment in your current circumstances. Be ok with the ups and downs of life and don't be so quick to get rid of a feeling. Instead look at what the feeling is telling you and choose to learn from it, not distract yourself from feeling it.
The important thing is to always have grace with yourself and be curious. Ask questions of yourself, get to know what is the driving force behind your choices and decision making.
Be ok with what the answers are but know where they are coming from and make choices from your best self and not just how you are feeling in the moment. This is your biggest advantage in life. This is the secret to happiness, health and fulfillment.
Have a great day.
