The hedonic treadmill (also called hedonic adaptation) is a psychological concept describing how people tend to return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative life changes.
Core Idea
No matter what happens — winning the lottery, getting a promotion, or experiencing loss — our emotional state tends to “reset” over time. After a period of excitement or sadness, people usually revert to their baseline level of happiness.
Psychological Explanation
Adaptation: Humans quickly get used to new circumstances. Once something becomes familiar, it has less emotional impact.
Comparison: We constantly compare ourselves to others or to our past selves, adjusting expectations and satisfaction levels.
Desire Renewal: Once one goal is achieved, a new one arises — keeping us “running” on the treadmill of seeking happiness.
Example
Someone wins $10 million. At first, their happiness spikes.
After months or a year, they adapt to the new lifestyle, and their happiness returns to roughly the same level as before the win.
Similarly, someone who loses their job may feel depressed but often recovers emotionally over time.
Therapeutic Implications
In psychotherapy or positive psychology, this concept emphasizes:
The importance of cultivating internal sources of happiness (like gratitude, mindfulness, or meaning) rather than external ones.
Encouraging clients to build sustainable well-being practices, not rely solely on changing life circumstances.
I would like to explain how the hedonic treadmill connects specifically to psychotherapy:
In psychotherapy, the hedonic treadmill helps explain why external life changes — money, success, relationships — often fail to produce lasting happiness or relief from emotional distress.
Here’s how it connects clinically and therapeutically:
1. Understanding Client Dissatisfaction
Many clients enter therapy believing:
“If I get this job, partner, or house, I’ll finally be happy.”
The hedonic treadmill helps therapists show that external goals alone don’t create enduring fulfillment. This awareness can shift therapy toward internal growth, values, and self-awareness, rather than constant pursuit of new external “fixes.”
2. Focus on Sustainable Well-Being
Therapists often teach clients to build psychological resilience and inner contentment through:
Mindfulness (staying present and savoring experiences)
Gratitude practices (appreciating what one already has)
Values-based living (pursuing meaning, not just pleasure)
Self-compassion (reducing self-criticism)
These help break the cycle of adaptation and create a deeper baseline of well-being.
3. Cognitive and Behavioral Reframing
In Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), clients may learn that chasing external rewards can reinforce avoidance of inner pain.
Instead, therapy works on acceptance, mindfulness, and committed action — anchoring happiness in personal meaning and acceptance, not constant novelty.
4. Example in Session
Client: “I thought getting this promotion would make me happy, but I feel empty again.”
Therapist: “That’s a common experience — our minds adapt quickly to new rewards. Let’s explore what lasting satisfaction means for you beyond achievement.”
This opens the door to deeper existential or emotional exploration.
5. Ultimate Goal
Psychotherapy helps clients step off the hedonic treadmill — to find a sense of peace and meaning that isn’t constantly dependent on external changes.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 