3 Ways to Leverage Hedonic Adaptation

Lessons from Serious Mental Illness & Recovery

Harness hedonic adaptation to boost happiness: practice negative visualization, savor experiences, and embrace failure for personal growth.

(Radiant Beast: The Open Workbook is my new series that explores metabolic healing and spiritual growth, reframing psychosis as an altered state of consciousness. This article is from the archives, originally published in 2024, and reflects an earlier perspective during a period of profound personal transformation through metabolic therapies. Please remember that tapering psychiatric medications can be dangerous; it should always be done gradually and with the guidance of a qualified provider. It’s important to research safe practices and stay informed. You can find additional resources on Metabolic Collective’s Safe Tapering page.)

Have you ever wondered why the thrill of a new purchase fades so quickly or how we often bounce back from life’s setbacks with surprising resilience? The answer lies in a fascinating phenomenon called hedonic adaptation, our innate ability to adjust to life’s ups and downs, returning to a baseline level of happiness regardless of circumstances.

We often wrongly predict how a negative or positive event will impact our contentment with life. We usually believe that positive events, such as getting a promotion or finding love, will transform our lives and bring lasting joy, while negative occurrences, like losing a job or ending a relationship, will be utterly debilitating. It turns out even incredibly positive changes lose their novelty more quickly than we expect, and we are much more resilient to adversity than we anticipate.

Hedonic adaptation is neurologically hardwired and is not inherently good or bad. In this article, I’ll offer my reflections and unique perspective on hedonic adaptation from the perspective of someone who has put bipolar 1 disorder into remission using metabolic therapies. In a series of lectures, Dr. Laurie Santos, a professor and Yale University and happiness expert, explores the science behind hedonic adaptation and how understanding it can empower us. Drawing on her work, I’ll share three actionable key takeaways from the perspective of someone who has recovered from serious mental illness including:

• How to appreciate what you have more through negative visualization.

• How mindful savoring can enhance experiences.

• How to lean into our psychological immune system to take risks, fail forward, and grow more.

Practice Negative Visualizations

An effective tactic to counter hedonic adaptation comes from the Stoics: negative visualization. Although it might seem counterintuitive, imagining losing the things we take for granted in life can boost happiness. For example, you could set a timer for ten minutes, close your eyes, and envision life without your partner, job, or car. Negative visualization can help you better value the people, circumstances, and possessions in your life that you have become hedonically adapted to.

I have been hospitalized for psychosis three times; I lost my sanity. So my negative visualization is rooted in reality. Sanity was my most coveted possession—one that I took for granted and that many people rarely even acknowledge because it feels so fundamental. I lost my sense of agency and the ability to control my life. My first manic psychotic episode occurred unexpectedly during a time when it appeared my future was bright, leading to a diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder that left me feeling powerless. During manic episodes, I lost my grip on reality, and while antipsychotic medications stabilized me, they also exacted a heavy toll. I gained seventy pounds and lived under a persistent mental haze that blunted my cognition and vitality.

Discovering metabolic therapies, including a medical keto diet, my cornerstone treatment, along with fasting, exercise, and meditation, helped me put my illness into remission. Regaining control over my mind through lifestyle choices that healed the root cause of my psychiatric condition–metabolic brain dysfunction–was like recovering my most invaluable possession.

When I do a negative visualization and imagine once again being at the mercy of dysfunctional brain metabolism, I open my eyes and feel like I have awoken from a nightmare. I come out of it with profound gratitude that I have the power to orchestrate my life; all the other riches of the world pale in comparison. I would not take back my experiences, as devastating as they were, because they have enabled me to fully cherish the power of agency. Negative visualization reminds me to use it wisely, reinforcing the positive choices I make daily.

Consciously Savor Experiences

Individuals looking to hack their hedonic hardware to experience increased life satisfaction would be wise to invest in experiences rather than material things. While the initial thrill of a new jacket or sofa may fade quickly, experiences—from local concerts to exotic vacations—create enduring memories that resist hedonic adaptation. Your brain does not have the time to adjust and take them for granted; instead, they are quickly converted to cherished memories.

My personal journey with mental illness has taught me to deeply appreciate the simple pleasures of daily life. I have worked to cultivate a mindset of savoring that allows me to look for, find, and appreciate the magic in the day-to-day. I am more fascinated with the ability to enjoy things than the things themselves. Rather than chasing the next novel experience or exciting vacation, I prefer to focus on my ability to enjoy the same day-to-day things even more than I already do.

We can all “rewire” our happiness response through mindful savoring, a practice that involves intentionally focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of our experiences. Simple acts like pausing to photograph a beautiful scene, or consciously choosing rich, descriptive language in our thoughts and writing, can awaken our senses and infuse even mundane moments with a sense of wonder. For example, I used to commute forty minutes to my office in the countryside. I would drive down a winding road along a river. During the winter, sometimes I found myself so captivated by the environment that I would pull over to soak it in and take a photo. Capturing the chunks of sparkling ice floating on the water and the rising sun’s rays illuminating the thick fog made me see the beauty more clearly.

Remember, the key to lasting happiness lies not in accumulating things but in cultivating the ability to savor the experiences and moments that truly matter. Language also shapes our perception of the world. Being intentional and creative with how we employ our inner voice can be a form of savoring. Whether through journaling or just being very in touch with our thoughts, adorning things and experiences with ornamental adjectives can enhance our senses and enjoyment.

Understanding Our Psychological Immune System Can Liberate Us From the Fear of Failure

When brain metabolism is functioning properly and we are mentally healthy, our psychological immune system keeps us resilient; adverse outcomes do not impact us as much as we think they will. When a worst-case scenario comes to pass, we can quickly convince ourselves that it was not such a big deal after all, and we recover more rapidly than we imagined. As Santos explains, our psychological immune system enables us to bounce back from difficult situations by helping us rationalize and minimize negative experiences, leading to faster recovery than we might expect. Being aware of our psychological immune system, we can leverage it. Understanding our true resilience can empower us to take on challenges and get out of our comfort zones to facilitate growth and transformation.

My favorite chapter of Dr. Benjamin Hardy’s enlightening self-development book on the science of “Future Self,” Be Your Future Self Now, is titled “Failing as Your Future Self is Better Than Succeeding as Your Current Self.” Dr. Hardy shares the story of Josh Waitzkin, a world-renowned expert in the art of learning, and his journey to mastering Taiji Push Hands. Waitzkin’s approach, known as “investment in loss,” involves deliberately putting oneself in challenging situations to spur growth. By facing opponents who were much more advanced than him, Waitzkin accelerated his learning curve, even if it meant facing defeat. When we can embrace the idea that the path to success is through failure, we are liberated to fail forward. In the words of Dr. Hardy:

“Commitment to Future Self means investing in loss or failure here and now to accelerate progress. The more willing you are to invest in loss and pain directed at a goal, the faster you’ll adapt to the level of your Future Self.”

As someone who spent many years held captive to an illness and medication side effects, I did not have the energy or enthusiasm for the future needed to embrace challenging myself. Now that I am well, I remind myself to practice an investment in loss strategy for learning and personal growth.

While many people look to accomplishments as a measure of success, a wise question to ask yourself is: Am I failing regularly enough? If not, it might be time to pursue getting out of your comfort zone and taking on bigger challenges that will facilitate rapid growth and transformation. By understanding the power of our psychological immune system and our ability to recover, we can fearlessly embrace the journey of failing forward.