Psychologies

Step off the hedonic treadmill

Savour life’s small pleasures instead of constantly searching for more, and forge a new path towards long-lasting fulfilment, writes Kellie Gillespie-Wright

Do you ever find yourself trapped in a perpetual cycle of desire and dissatisfaction, constantly chasing after the next big thing on the horizon, because you believe it will make your life better – only to find it makes no enduring difference? It’s a cycle that can be exhausting and, ironically, deeply unsatisfying, and in the long term, can rob us of the joy available to us in this very moment – if we were just able to stop and appreciate it. This phenomenon, known as the hedonic treadmill, can leave us feeling exhausted, unfulfilled, and no happier than when we began our pursuit.

Our relentless quest for more – more money, more status, more – can,

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