THE ART OF ANTICIPATION & HAPPINESS

Travel, or Just thinking about a getaway can yield surprising benefits, pleasure, and happiness.

This is what Elizabeth Dunn, a psychology University professor, called “Anticipation” which is a valuable source of pleasure.”

“You can do something pretty simple and feel fantastic,” she told Stephanie Rosenbloom in an interview for The New York times.

Now may be an excellent time to plan your future adventures. This conversation can even help others who are feeling isolated.

Dun referred to this as a “happiness reset.” No need for extravagant trips. Just plan some local staycations: It might be a beach getaway close to home, a visit to the park with friends.

In fact, this moment we’re in may offer the perfect amount of runway to cultivate anticipation.

“The pandemic is forcing us to prioritize our future selves,” Dr. Dunn said.

Reminisce with others and make them happy

The most unexpected benefit of planning your own trip nowadays is that it can give great joy to someone else.

Having conversations with loved ones and friends about where you wish to go  provides  them with an opportunity to reminisce about their own travels.

Reminiscing, after all, has been shown to give us a happiness boost. We can do this for ourselves by looking at our old travel diaries or photographs.

We can also give the pleasure of reminiscing to others by inviting them to share their memories — something that may be particularly welcome amid the isolation of the pandemic.

Let’s grab a cup of coffee and talk about our future go away plans to replenish our wonder of exploring and being.