Hedonic Adaptation—or Why Moving to California Won’t Make Me Happier
My husband Peter and I love the sun and the ocean and have made it a tradition to take a beach vacation nearly every year since we met in 1993. After we got married, we explored moving away from Chicago, with weather a key driver of our potential destinations. After visiting both the San Francisco and San Diego areas, a combination of factors (work, friends, familiarity) kept us in Chicago.
And while we love it here, Peter and I occasionally wonder how much happier we’d be in a more scenic and temperate environment. I mean, aren’t people who live in beautiful sunny places happier?
Research conducted by professors David Schkade and Daniel Kahneman, who specialize in the psychology of judgment and decision-making, has found that we Midwesterners—no surprise—are much less satisfied with our weather than our West coast friends and that we do believe Californians are happier (and they believe it too!). But, as it turns out, self-reported happiness levels are actually the same among respondents in both geographies. Schkade and Kahneman explain this as a “focusing illusion,” whereby we attribute exaggerated weight to one highlighted factor when judging an entire situation. So when we imagine sun-drenched palm trees, we assume this must have a positive impact on life satisfaction.
The truth is that changing our external situation, like where we live, is not the key to happiness. Studies have shown that when it comes to our life circumstances, we have an uncanny ability to adjust to positive events. When we get a promotion or pay raise, buy a fancy car or finally lose that excess weight, marry our soul mate or move to sunnier climes, yes, we do feel a short-term boost in wellbeing—but we eventually settle right back into our former, natural state of happiness, our life satisfaction set point if you will. Our situation simply becomes our “new normal.” This is a well-researched phenomenon psychologists call “hedonic adaptation.”
So is there something we can do to stop taking our good fortune for granted? How can we prolong the joy we feel from positive events? One method, researched by psychology professor and happiness expert Sonja Lyubomorsky, is to work at fostering our appreciation. In her book, The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want, she recommends slowing down hedonic adaptation by learning to “savor” life’s pleasures—and making this a daily practice. So every time you get into your new car, be sure to luxuriate in the plush leather seats; every time you stop for the Starbucks latte your pay raise now allows you, take a moment to relish the frothy richness; and every time you catch yourself taking your partner’s small kindness for granted, notice and let him/her know it.
For my part, I make a point, every time I’m on Lake Shore drive, to marvel at the beauty of the Chicago skyline against the dramatic expanse of Lake Michigan. A gorgeous sight. And while Peter and I may escape our winters for the Caribbean on a regular basis, I truly do believe we will grow old right here, in this wonderful city.
What joys have you let become YOUR new normal? What could YOU do to appreciate life’s pleasures on a daily basis?
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While I do have plans to move south in the next couple of years, I always need to find the fun of where I am. If you’re not having fun where you are and with the ones you love then there needs to be a reset.
Such a good point Jennifer. Thanks for reading!
I can’t tell you how much I loved this, and how I have adopted the same attitude about mindful living every day in two ways:
I live in New England where the foliage right now is more brilliant than I’ve seen elsewhere. Every day I look for something that shows a special side of each season.
I am also writing full time, something I’d waited to do until kids were out on their own. And so every day, I get to celebrate that I’m doing what I love in the place I love most.
Daily life, even if spruced up with sudden good fortune, should never get “old.”
Susan Bonifant recently posted…To protect, to serve, to save in Laconia, NH
I love how aware you are and how you’re finding mindfulness. Having lived for many years on the East coast, I do miss those beautiful fall leaves. Amazing colors! Thanks Susan!
I need to brush up on this mindfulness! Often my day is so crazy, I forget to stop and smell the roses. Thanks for the wonderful reminder.
You are so welcome Ellen. Yes, it’s a daily challenge to stop and be grateful for the gifts in our lives. Thanks for visiting!
Hi Helene! You are so right that we are extremely adaptable to just about anything. AND that gratitude is the key to being happy no matter where you are or what you are doing. That being said I am really happy I live in a warm climate vs a cold one because that suits me and my lifestyle in so many ways. But how I or any of us ever experience happiness is in my mind. Thanks for that reminder! ~Kathy
Kathy @ SMART Living 365.com recently posted…How To Make The Right Choice Or The Power of the Bigger Yes
Love it Kathy. Yes, it’s all about our mindset toward our every day, although more sun couldn’t hurt!!
I have found this short video to be the perfect gratefulness practice for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zl9puhwiyw
I now make a point to appreciate my new life everyday, and the amazing sunrises and sunsets here in southern Colorado really help me with that!
What beautiful images and the narrator has such a soothing voice! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Thank you Helene for the reminder to stay in the moment and to appreciate the little things. As a two year old Californian originally from Minnesota, we honestly did move here for the weather! I try to savor the extra vitamin D and enjoy the ability to get outdoors daily without worrying about the weather conditions.
Well I can’t say I’m not a bit jealous! Sounds like you’re doing a great job not taking the beautiful weather for granted. Thanks for visiting Sarah!
There is so much beauty practically everywhere you go if you look for it. I live in California and have no plans to leave, although I love to travel all over to see what I’m missing here, like seasons. Cold is good for about a week for me mostly because I don’t have the clothes to keep me warm, but snow is beautiful. Tornados terrify me, but I’m used to earthquakes. We all adapt.
Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski recently posted…Peruvian Smoothie with Maca Root and Chia
Most of my family is in California, and I do love to visit!! Thanks for reading Rebecca!
Oops…typo in my original comment! It should be “meditation,” not “medication.”
LOL! Don’t you just love those Freudian slips!
That is so funny. Hadn’t even noticed!!
Your post brings to mind that quote (not sure who originated it, but it was the title of a book about mindfulness medication by Jon Kabat-Zinn): “Wherever you go, there you are.” It underscores your message to be in the moment, and appreciate what IS. I like to recount my blessings at bedtime, mentally walking through what I have to be grateful for as I fall asleep. It’s a nice way to drop off…
What a lovely way to end the day, thanks for that suggestion. And yes, love that quote too. Thanks for commenting!
I really like this post! Because of my life experiences, I would have chosen different words, perhaps, for saying exactly the same thing, but for me, what it all boils down to is a mindset where I take the time to recognize and be grateful for the MANY blessings I have in my life. Taking the time to give thanks is life changing!
However and whenever you arrive at it, I agree it’s a lesson worth learning. Gratitude is so important for joyful living. Thanks for reading Susan!
I love this post. I learned a couple of years ago to try to be present in my life TODAY, RIGHT NOW. I had created a bunch of castles in the air, and they all came crashing down suddenly. I was devastated. But the ultimate outcome was beneficial. Now I know that I can not control what happens to me, I can only control how I react to it. I try to appreciate these things each day:
1) I feel good (no significant pain of any kind)
2) I have all five of my senses, and I try to relish each one
3) Humdrum beauty-I try to pick out at least one thing to admire every day; a leaf, a chestnut, a flower
4) Breathing! I try to focus on my breathing at least once a day.
5) I am more financially blessed than most of the planet-I try to give back something (no matter how small) every day
Be here now. That’s all we really have.
You are way ahead of the game Jessica! Love your list of how you stay present and grateful. I am striving to do the same. Thanks for sharing your insights.