Get More Happiness Out Of Vacations By Focusing On Unique Experiences

Get More Happiness Out Of Vacations By Focusing On Unique Experiences

A vacation should always make you happy, but you might as well get as much as you can out of it. This psychological trick will help you feel even happier when you return from your vacation.

You’ve probably heard that buying experiences is one of the best ways to buy happiness, but there’s a catch. According to Elizabeth Dunn, the author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, the more unique you can make your vacations, the better you’ll feel about it afterward.

Dunn explains to Jesse Singal at the Science of Us blog for New York Magazine:

…it’s worth seeking out unique vacation experiences — the sorts of stuff that can’t really be compared to your friends experiences. “Experiences seem to be [most] beneficial when they provide a unique opportunity that isn’t easy to compare with other options,” she said. In terms of maximizing happiness, you don’t want to get back, talk about your vacation with friends, and find out that “their cruise boat was bigger and had seven pools, while ours had four.”

Essentially, people like to know that they have experience things that others haven’t. It gives you something interesting to talk about in conversation and makes your experience feel special. If possible, plan things you know not many people do when they travel. Even if you plan on taking a popular vacation (like a cruise), find ways to make it unique and you’ll come back to the real world feeling better about your whole experience.

You can read more about getting the most out of your vacation time at the link below.http://lifehacker.com/how-to-make-yo…

How to Maximise Your Vacation Happiness [New York Magazine]

This story has been updated since its original publication.


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