What is the 'hedonic treadmill' and why is it the foe of Christmas cheer?

Experts say the buzz of new things soon fades and we should accumulate memorable experiences rather than the latest must-have purchases

Shoppers flock to Fortnum & Mason in London during the busy Christmas period. Bloomberg

In the run-up to Christmas, many of us who celebrate the festival will have been feverishly visiting shops to find items to give as presents.

According to the website Voucher Codes, households in the UK, for example, will spend an average of £428.22 (Dh1,976) on gifts this Christmas, which by most standards would be considered a substantial amount.

However, experts say that this festive season, we might be better off focusing on having a memorable and enjoyable time – or giving out gifts that will result in memorable experiences – than handing out things.

Misplaced materialism

Dr Michael Plant, founder and director of the Happier Lives Institute, a non-profit research institute, and a research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Wellbeing Research Centre, said that objects tend not to make people happier because we have adapted to them, something termed the hedonic treadmill.

"Think of some item you'd really like to buy and you think will make you happier," he said. "Say it's a new car or phone.

"Now, think about the car/phone you already have, and ask how much happiness it gives you now. Probably, you don't think about it any more. It's faded into the background.

"For what it's worth, there's a good evolutionary reason for adaptation. Mother Nature doesn't want us to be happy – she wants us to survive and reproduce. Getting used to things – but not realising that we get used to things – is her trick to motivate us to acquire resources."

Few people have looked into our preoccupation with things to the degree James Wallman has. He is author of a bestselling book called Stuffocation: Living More With Less. Our desire for things is easy to understand and not necessarily a bad thing because, he told The National, we “use stuff to get things done”.

“We go places quickly on a bicycle; we stay warm with clothes,” he said. Indeed, anthropologists have highlighted the way that our identity as humans is bound up with objects in a way that contrasts with other animals, who remain free of the need for possessions.

Ian Hodder, an emeritus professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University in the US, has put forward the idea of “entanglement” to described our dependence on objects. A researcher at the Neolithic archaeological site of Catalhoyuk in Turkey, he said in comments published by the university that “being dependent on things is what makes us human”.

“Our dependence on things is not completely negative. It’s clear that our ability to invent new technologies and tools has been important in helping people live longer lives and have less disease,” he said. Mr Wallman said that the psychology behind our obsession has been well studied and that the buzz comes from “the thrill of the chase”.

Counting the cost

“When it’s over, people go and find more stuff,” he said. “It’s much easier to buy stuff; it’s enabled a problem. You end up with too much clutter. For the world this has an environmental cost.” This comes, for example, in the form of the environmental damage and carbon emissions that result from extracting raw materials, and in the energy needed to manufacture and transport goods.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, in particular is a growing concern, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) describing it as “one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams”.

“In 2022, an estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally. Only 22.3 per cent was documented as formally collected and recycled,” the WHO states in a briefing document.

Aside from the environmental impact, Mr Wallman said that an obsession with "stuff" negatively affects well-being. “There are people who just buy more stuff and end up with financial problems – it’s a bit like gambling,” he said.

According to Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics and behavioural science at the University of Warwick in the UK, there is little scientific evidence on whether having more stuff makes a person happier. “A successful marriage, close friends, good health – all these have much larger positive effects on humans’ happiness than, say, another $50,000 a year going into your bank account,” he said.

Given that things – whether clothes, the latest smartphone or a shiny new car – appear not to be the secret to happiness, Mr Wallman said that we should try to have enjoyable and memorable experiences. He has taken this to heart, founding and running the World Experience Organisation (WXO), which brings together organisations that offer experiences of various kinds and “shares insights and ideas to make better experiences”.

“Our unofficial motto is, ‘Let’s fill the world with great experiences,’” he said. In his own life, Mr Wallman prioritises what he has termed experientialism. He and his family live in a modest terraced house, he will wear clothes that have been patched up, and he spends money on doing things rather than on buying “stuff”.

Prof Oswald advises having a good network of friends, eating eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day and keeping slim and fit. A fulfilling relationship is also important.

Dr Plant recommends spending more time with people you like and, if friends and family are making you unhappy, see less of them. Finding a job that is enjoyable, that you feel is useful and that offers supportive colleagues is also important.

“Be grateful,” he said. “Our minds focus on the negative. Remind yourself what’s good in your life, [such as by] writing three specific things each day.” So this holiday season, it may be worth remembering that there are more important things in life than the gifts that you give and receive.