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Hedonic adaptation

The tendency for the emotional lift or sting of a change to fade over time, so that how happy you feel drifts back toward where it was before.

What It Means

Hedonic adaptation is the tendency to get used to changes in your life, good or bad, so that their emotional effect fades and your sense of well-being drifts back toward where it was. A raise, a new home or a new car feels wonderful at first and ordinary a while later. Psychologists Brickman and Campbell described the idea in a 1971 chapter as the "hedonic treadmill," and later research has kept the core idea while showing it doesn't work the same way for everyone or every event.

Try It: Spot What You've Already Adapted To

Tick anything from the last few years that felt exciting at first and now just feels normal. These are Buhata's examples.

Already feels normal0
Out of6

None yet. Come back to this list in six months.

How People Say It

  • "The new car smell wore off, and so did the thrill."
  • "I was so excited about the raise, and now it's just my salary."
  • "You get used to anything after a while."

The Breakdown

Signs you're on the treadmill

  • A purchase you saved for months for feels ordinary a few weeks later.
  • Each upgrade sets a new normal, and the old version now feels like a step down.
  • You're already looking forward to the next thing before enjoying this one.

How the idea has changed

IdeaWhat researchers said
Hedonic treadmill (1971)Brickman and Campbell compared emotional adaptation to sensory adaptation: like a new smell you stop noticing, a change in life fades and well-being returns toward its baseline
Revision (2006)Diener, Lucas and Scollon argued that people differ in their set points and in how long the return takes, and that life satisfaction and day-to-day emotions can move differently
Later reviewsA meta-analysis in PubMed Central compares how people adapt across different life events and different parts of well-being

A short self-check. Think about the last thing you bought expecting it to make you happier. Rate how much it lifts you now, compared with the first week. A big drop is the treadmill at work.

Starting the conversation. "Before we upgrade, can we ask whether it'll still feel special in six months?"

Where It Comes From

Brickman and Campbell introduced the "hedonic treadmill" in a 1971 chapter, comparing it to the way the senses adapt. Diener, Lucas and Scollon proposed a revised version, "Beyond the hedonic treadmill," in American Psychologist in 2006.

Good to Know

Adaptation isn't the same for every event or every person, which is the main point of the 2006 revision. Because adaptation varies, a hard change won't necessarily wear off on its own schedule. When a loss, illness or other hard change still weighs on you months later, or low mood isn't lifting, talk with a doctor or licensed mental health professional. If you're thinking about suicide, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), and call 911 in an emergency.

FAQ

What is an example of hedonic adaptation?

A raise that thrills you for a few weeks and then simply becomes your normal pay is a common one. The same pattern shows up with new cars, homes and gadgets.

Is hedonic adaptation the same as the hedonic treadmill?

They describe the same process. The hedonic treadmill is the 1971 name from Brickman and Campbell; hedonic adaptation is the broader research term, and the 2006 revision showed it varies more than the original idea suggested.

Does everyone return to the same level of happiness?

Not exactly. Diener, Lucas and Scollon's 2006 paper argued that set points differ between people, that the return can take different amounts of time, and that satisfaction with life and day-to-day feelings can change in different ways.

Do It in Buhata

Notes (Premium)

Write one line a week in Notes (Premium) in Buhata about something good you'd stopped noticing, and read back through them when you're tempted by the next upgrade.

Open Buhata

Related Terms and Categories

  • Gratitude journal

    A notebook or app where you regularly write down specific things you're grateful for, often up to five at a time, once a week.

  • Self-compassion

    Treating yourself with the kindness you'd offer a friend when you struggle; researcher Kristin Neff describes three parts: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness.

  • Mindfulness

    Paying attention to what's happening in the present moment, such as your breath, your body, your thoughts and your surroundings.

  • Lifestyle creep

    When spending rises along with income, so a raise or a new job leads to a bigger lifestyle but little or no extra saving.

  • Mood tracker

    A daily record of how your mood was, often a number or a color for each day, kept to spot patterns over weeks and months.

Wellbeing and habits

Sources

Diener, Lucas and Scollon, "Beyond the hedonic treadmill: Revising the adaptation theory of well-being," American Psychologist (2006), via PubMed; "Subjective Well-Being and Adaptation to Life Events: A Meta-Analysis on Differences Between Cognitive and Affective Well-Being" (PubMed Central); "Reflections on changeability versus stability of health-related quality of life: distinguishing between its environmental and genetic components" (PubMed Central); "Health, Hope, and Harmony: A Systematic Review of the Determinants of Happiness across Cultures and Countries" (PubMed Central); 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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