Are little treats feeling less exciting? Here’s how to harness small joys

Originally published in The Guardian

Americans say they’re more dissatisfied with life than ever before.

Anhedonia, a loss of enjoyment in usually pleasurable things, and hypernormalization, the experience of daily life amid disconcerting societal change, can lower one’s wellbeing. Even “little treats” – accessible delights like a walk, a piece of cake, a streaming binge – can stop feeling good in this context.

“Part of the issue of living in such a stressed-out world is some conglomeration of burnout and compassion fatigue and doomscrolling, but also, not doing anything about it,” says Michael Steger, founder and director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University.

But joy is crucial for resilience and forward motion. “Being able to actually feel the pleasures of being alive … and having agency over what we’re doing is actually a path of our liberation and a sign of our liberation,” activist Adrienne Maree Brown said in July.

For those experiencing depression or prolonged stress, clinical care from a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist can be invaluable. However, it is possible to bolster one’s baseline capacity for pleasure, priming the brain to more easily access motivation and happiness. Little treats will not fix everything, but here’s what experts say about appreciating them anew.

This story originally appeared in The Guardian, October 2025. To read the full story, click here.