Introduction
In this week’s blog we discuss what is meant by novelty and why our reliance on novelty as a means of attaining happiness is in fact at the very detriment to our happiness over the long term. We also provide three scientifically proven things that bring us genuine, lasting happiness that can be used to combat the concept of novelty.
What is Novelty?
Novelty is essentially the quality derived from something being new, exciting or unique. It can be something material such as a new car, a pair of shoes, or a holiday, but it can also be other things such as a song, food, or a relationship.
Recall how you feel each time you get a new mobile phone.
You probably constantly pull it out of your pocket just to feel the smooth contours, admire the aesthetic, feel it’s slickness and witness it’s intuitive design and technology. But as time moves on, you become familiar with the device, it’s capabilities and limitations, and soon it just feels like another part of your everyday scenery.
Why is This the Case? - Novelty Doesn’t Last
This happens with just about every bit of clothing, technolo.gical device, car, bag, and even friendship/relationship we’ve ever had. We all exp.erience the rush of excitement when booking a holiday. Our intellect constructs an idea of the new sights, sounds, and surroundings we believe we’re due to encounter. Our minds literally trigger the same levels of excitement we would feel if we were actually there. I think a lot of us can all agree that we don’t feel nearly the level of excitement and uplift as we did prior to going, or in the first few days of being there. Right?
When something is perceived as fun and exciting, our brain communicates a signal via our senses into our intellect which tiggers a temporary release of dopamine and norepinephrine, also know as the ‘feel good’ feeling. Whilst it may feel good, that feeling becomes addictive, and with addiction comes problems. The craving for Dopamine through extrinsic objects can be the causation of a lot of the irrational decisions that we make in our lives.
When novelty wears off, we take the things we once thought brought us so much happiness for granted. Often, we even believe that the very reason we’re not happy is because we need to replace the old objects with new ones. This very belief leaves us with the constant feeling of, ‘if only I had this I’d be happy’. And attached closely to that belief are near constant feelings of frustration, anxiety, and sadness.
It is in our nature to seek happiness. It is the one desire that every living human being shares. True happiness comes from within, but unfortunately, our lack of awareness means that many of us look for it externally.
The External will Never Change the Internal.
Whilst we continue in our pursuit for happiness through things outside of ourselves, we continue to live a life dictated by unhealthy spending habits, eating habits, jumping relationship to relationship, and constantly comparing ‘me to them’, ‘this to that’. It really is a vicious cycle.
3 Things that are Scientifically Proven to Make us Happy
Gratitude
Gratitude offers us a way of embracing all that makes our lives what they are. More than just a happy feeling for the parts of our lives currently going our way, gratitude encompasses the willingness to expand our attention so that we perceive more of the goodness we receive, of which we never previously were aware of.
In the past two decades, a growing body of evidence in the field of social science has found that gratitude has measurable benefits for just about every area of our lives. Gratitude appears to contribute substantially to individual well-being and physical health. So much so that the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley—a leader in research on the science of social and emotional well-being—describes gratitude as the “social glue” key to building and nurturing strong relationships.
Physical Exercise
Research has shown that after 20 or 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, our body’s release chemicals called endorphins that interact with receptors in our brain that reduce our perception of pain—meaning we’re more likely to feel positive after a tough workout. It also releases other mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin and dopamine which are feelings associated with happiness.
On a bigger level, while exercise does have those short-lived mental health benefits, it also changes the structure and function of our brains over time. The general consensus is that a multitude of beneficial and chronic changes for a healthier brain and mind can happen if we exercise for an hour a day, three days a week.
Meaning and Purpose
Meaning and purpose are about motivation: What gets us out of bed in the morning. Meaning and purpose are a way of life, not how we feel. While we’re aware of being happy, meaning and purpose are noticeable only in their absence. It’s impossible to be happy for very long if our lives lack meaning and purpose.
A sense of meaning and purpose is a byproduct of value-creation. If we have a set of core values and stick to them, our life is more likely to have meaning and purpose. Building more meaning and purpose in our life requires acting on our values rather than on temporary feelings.
Thank you for reading.
Stay tuned for more weekly wisdom.
Have a great week!
Mindsetverse.
References
1. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10798/6-reasons-why-exercise-makes-you-happy.html
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/202206/why-purpose-is-requirement-happiness
3. https://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-gratitude/
