Photo by Cierra Woodard
Over the past few weeks I've been experimenting with taking cold showers. There's supposedly a bunch of health benefits:
- Improved Circulation
- Healthier skin and hair
- Strengthened immunity
- Increased energy and testosterone
That being said, the greatest benefit I've experienced so far is realizing how much more I will enjoy the next hot shower I take. Prior to this experiment, I enjoyed taking a nice hot shower, but it was something I more or less took for granted.
I've been thinking about this hedonic adaption a lot recently. It's something I've always known to be true, but never tried to apply to my daily life.
It's the reason why a cup of coffee or a home-cooked meal can taste so good after a backpacking trip. Unfortunately, we often see the effects of hedonic adaption working the opposite way as well.
As Louis C.K talks about in his story about airplane WiFi, humans have a tendency to get used to things very quickly. One minute, having WiFi on an airplane is an incredible feat, 10 seconds later it is already an expectation.
What can you get used to that will help you appreciate the little things more?
