Disrupt your pleasure and prolong your uncomfortable moments to take advantage of the adaptation process

Take regular breaks when engaging in a task you enjoy.
For example, if you’re enjoying a bowl of ice cream, set it aside for a few seconds as you get up to fetch something or make a phone call. When you come back to it, you’ll feel the same pleasure as if you’re eating it for the first time.

Prolong the thrill of having new stuff by spreading out your purchases over time.
Let’s say you got a huge salary bump and you want to furnish your new apartment with a new TV, couch, and mattress. Instead of buying all these items at once, purchase the TV and enjoy it for a few months until the thrill wears off. Then purchase a new foam mattress and enjoy that for some months before making another major purchase. Wait for the excitement of one new item to wear off before buying something else.

When performing a boring or tedious activity, stick with it until it’s finished.
If you’re doing your taxes, studying for an exam or cleaning your room, keep working with no breaks until the job is complete. Avoid any social media, emails, or calls that may interrupt your adaptation to the task.

If you’re struggling with financial problems, slash all your unnecessary expenses at one go.
For example, give up the daily coffee, cancel your cable subscription and move to a smaller apartment at the same time. Endure all the pain possible within a short period of time so that you adapt faster to the uncomfortable changes.

Invest more in fleeting experiences than constant ones.
Engage in an once-in-a-lifetime activity such as scuba diving instead of buying a new couch. Fleeting experiences tend to generate longer-lasting memories compared to a constant experience. You’ll adapt slower to the pleasure of scuba diving than you will to sitting on a couch every day.

Embrace randomness in your life to break monotony.
Take a different route to work, collaborate with a colleague you’ve never worked with or inject humor into your presentations if you’re not known for being a funny person. By switching things up and taking risks regularly, you allow more opportunities for pleasure in your life.