Hedonic Treadmill: Coffee

 

What is the Hedonic Treadmill theory?

According to Wikipedia it is "the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes".

You might say coffee has little to do with major anything. Well, maybe not but it has been a major pursuit in my life for sometime now. The perfect cup of coffee is ever elusive. I think I have it just right but then a couple of cups later it appears something is not good enough. Back to the drawing board.

The drawing board has taken me through: Keurig, French Press, Expresso machine, & my pretty red stovetop expresso maker:

I've also gone through various grinds & many add ins. Half & half? Evaporated milk? Oat or almond milk? Sugar? Sweetener? Monk fruit?

What I finally came back to? Drip coffee is so much easier & just as good. You set it up the night before, click a button in the morning & voila...coffee. Also - for now I went back to powdered non-dairy creamer because I'm tired of the stuff in my throat from so much dairy. 

I'm sticking with my Monk Fruit over sugar or sweetener, though. It's all natural. It tastes good. And it helps keep blood sugar levels balanced.

So - I have returned to my roots as far as happy coffee is concerned. It definitely wasn't a quick return, though.

Black Coffee In Bed by Squeeze

PS - there are two theories of happiness: hedonic - experiences of pleasure & enjoyment & eudaimonic - experiences of meaning & purpose. Coffee would fall into hedonic happiness for me.

The non-writing life

 Lately I am not writing. Maybe I'll get back to it one day. Who knows.

For now I am focusing my efforts on getting my place ready to sell because we want to move out of Florida which gets more expensive - and bizarre - to live in everyday.

Here we should have some of the best produce in the world. But someone has been messing with the migrant workers until there is no one to pick crops. So you go to the grocery store & the produce isn't from  here. Tomatoes are woody - limes are hard rocks - lemons cost a fortune. You get the picture.

The process of buying & selling homes is stressful. I am learning. I just don't want to end up in an unaffordable, unsustainable situation. 

So what is giving me joy these days?

The community of commenters on Jenny Crusie's blogpost - arghink.com

Playing throw the bone with my granddog Cooper.

Anticipation of going to see my family end of September.

I think I've spoken on this blog before about watching the youtube channel of the couple in Azerbaijan - countrylife vlog. Now I have discovered a Sri Lankan youtube channel called Traditional Me & it is also good.

Listening to Taylor Swift.

And last but not least - 

Hope!!!