Habituation

“Everybody’s talking about the Good Old Days...the good old days...” These are the lyrics of a popular song by Gladys Knight and the Pips. Today, the same name as the group would have been perceived as pervs or obscene, but that was the early 1970s. The song became famous when it was released in 1973.

Five decades later, many of my school friends are singing the song back, along with others, as they reminisce about the days when the times were good and the days golden.

They complain and whine about how the current days have gone bad and the future is bleak. I refuse to join the group mainly for two reasons.

While my Spotify playlists may cover the late 60s to early 80s hits, I also have a playlist containing Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande with a little sprinkling of Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Rihanna. And I am serious!

The other reason I’m not particularly eager to join the chat group that posts all these songs and singers of the past is that, looking back with a reflective and objective view, the past is not as good as you remember. The present is not as bad as you think, and the future will be better than you anticipate.

Most of us have some wonderful things in our lives—perhaps a great job, a loving family, a comfortable house—but those things often seem to have limited impact on our daily happiness.

Why is that? The authors say it is not laziness or stupidity. It’s because of a basic brain feature called habituation.

Habituation is the tendency of our brains to respond less to things that remain constant or change gradually, rendering even the most remarkable experiences mundane over time. Whether it’s the scent of warm pastries in a bakery or the thrill of a new romance, our brains quickly adapt and diminish the impact of these experiences.

But habituation doesn’t just affect our appreciation of the good; it also desensitizes us to the challenges and injustices around us, making us complacent in the face of change. Like the front page of a daily newspaper, our brain cares about what recently changed, not what remained the same.

So the question is, how can we break free from the grip of habituation and reclaim the joy and excitement in our lives? How can we make what is thrilling on Monday still exciting on Friday?

One way is to break up good experiences.

While consulting for a tourism company, author Tali conducted surveys at resorts to understand what brings the most joy to vacationers. Interestingly, they found that holiday makers experienced peak happiness 43 hours after arriving at a resort—this initial period allowed them to settle in and thoroughly enjoy their surroundings. However, habituation set in after this point, causing joy to diminish gradually. Vacationers emphasized the importance of “firsts”—such as the first glimpse of the ocean or the first sip of a cocktail—indicating that novelty and excitement played a significant role in their enjoyment. To maximize joy, create more firsts by breaking up good experiences into bits. For example, consider taking shorter but more frequent vacations.

Breaks remove habituation, so the level of joy keeps bouncing back.

Let’s return to songs. Would you enjoy them more if you listened to them continuously or with short breaks? Ninety-nine percent of people say no to breaks. Research, however, shows that people enjoy a song more with breaks. And they were willing to pay double to hear the music in concert. Breaks remove habituation, so the level of joy keeps bouncing back.

But it’s not just about adding breaks to the good; it’s also about completing unpleasant tasks in one go, harnessing habituation to help us push through life’s challenges with resilience and determination. We can become stronger and more resilient by embracing discomfort and adversity head-on. Wouldn’t this practice do wonders for people who feel bored and unfulfilled in their jobs?

Another key to combating habituation is diversifying our lives. Just as a varied diet nourishes our bodies, a diverse range of experiences nourishes our souls. By shaking up our routines and stepping outside our comfort zones, we can awaken our senses and see the world with fresh eyes. Consider mixing things up a bit. This is true for personal life but also for company initiatives. Various company activities, including job role changes (even temporary ones), can spice up things.

This is why I said the past is not as good as you remember, the present is not as bad as you think, and the future will be better than you anticipate. And this is why I am not part of that chat group.

(Francis Kong’s “Inspiring Excellence” podcast is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms.)