Happiness from stuff tends to wear off quickly. We get used to things (the concept of ‘hedonic adaptation’). In the beginning, the stuff is new and exciting, but we quickly adapt to it. The next thing we know, we are looking for something new and better to satisfy our cravings. This can become a vicious cycle: new stuff gets old, so we seek more and more of it to be happy.
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Try living with one less desire, even if it’s just for a day or week. While giving up on one of your desires, try focusing more on the simple pleasures in life. In fact, a recent study shows that by temporarily giving up a desire for a period of time, we actually improve our pleasure the next time we revisit the desire. And our overall happiness. (Another way is to break this cycle is to practice gratitude more.)