Experiencing something -- the savory taste of a pepperoni pizza, the sound of gentle waves lapping sugary white sand -- can be an utter delight to the senses.  But according to studies, the experience actually pales in comparison to the anticipation of that experience.  Here are just a few examples: 1. Planning and looking forward to a vacation vs. actually being there. 2. Planning to buy clothes, a car, or other items compared to consuming them.  3. Picturing yourself eating a hearty meal (especially on an empty stomach and/or while watching a restaurant ad) vs actually eating it.  Dopamine, commonly considered the happiness or "feel good" chemical, is more involved in the anticipation of an event or feeling than in the actual feeling of happiness. Often, the experience falls short of what we imagined, whether because it rains on the trip, the food leaves us with gas, or we get buyers' remorse for something we later discover we could have bought elsewhere for much c...

Once you've been in a relationship for a while, there's a good chance things will start to become routine. You'll spend an inordinate amount of time together, leading to complacency in the relationship. Unfortunately, couples who are attached at the hip risk growing bored of one another. It happens more often than you think. So what can do to avoid this fate? Before you got into your relationship, you had a life of your own right? Well, that doesn't have to change once you become involved with someone. The two of you have separate hobbies -- from sports to mall hopping -- that you can enjoy alone or with friends. Have a boys' or girls' night, with only your close buddies in attendance. Your partner does not have to accompany you everywhere you go. Leave a little mystery. You shouldn't be able to predict each other's every move. Spending hours apart here and there affords both of you the opportunity to miss each other. It builds anticipati...

It sure is. We all miss the butterflies in our stomach -- the sheer excitement of having someone new in our life. Maybe your partner did little things that filled you with immense joy, like deliver flowers to your job or leave love notes in your wallet. Once the relationship begins to mature, these things tend to happen less often. As you transition from happy couple to married couple to parents, it becomes less about passionate love and more about companionship. Going from seeing each other once or twice a week to living with one another changes the dynamics of a relationship tremendously. Whereas before you waited for your weekly date with bated breath, now you've fallen into a routine of seeing your partner every day. Sometimes I miss the early days in my relationship, when I looked forward to seeing my now-wife with great anticipation. Everything felt new and exciting. We were getting to know each other. Our future together seemed promising. Now that we've been ...

Moments ago, I was flipping through the channels and noticed that the Hallmark Channel is airing a spate of Christmas-themed shows and movies as part of its "Christmas in July" special. I'm not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, the holiday season is a special if short-lived time of year, so I can see why the network would want to do something like this. Christmas shows and movies are of the feel-good variety -- not only are they ideal to watch with the family, but they build anticipation for the actual holiday season, which is a mere five months away. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hallmark Channel got a major ratings boost from this endeavor. Yet, it feels a little awkward to be watching Christmas-based programming when it's 90 degrees outside and there's nary a Christmas tree or wreath in sight. I can imagine it being like celebrating Valentine's Day in September or the Fourth of July in March. Understandably, some kids might not want t...

Few things are as satisfying as waking up and realizing it's Friday. It means the long slog is finally coming to an end (for this week, at least). At last, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. But for most of us, this feeling is long gone by late Saturday/early Sunday. That's when it hits us: we'll have to go back to work in only a matter of hours. However, I try to make the most of the Friday euphoria while I still can. As I've stressed in prior posts, sometimes we derive more enjoyment out of anticipating something than actually experiencing it. Fridays are no exception. I even begin to get giddy Thursday night. After working hard all week, it feels good to know that two days of rest, relaxation and leisure are upon us. I only wish weekends could be longer; three days would be ideal! What do you think?

Hands down, my favorite day -- or should I say time -- of the week starts the moment I leave work Friday and ends the second I fall asleep Saturday night. We eagerly await Fridays because they not only mark the end of the work week, but they precede two off days that will afford us at least a little bit of time to relax and spend time with friends and family. Saturdays are great, but I don't look forward to them as much as I do Fridays, probably because I see it as "the day that comes before the day before we have to go back to work." And let's not even talk about Sundays; I tend to dread them almost as deeply as I do Mondays. As I've noted in other posts, sometimes the anticipation that builds over time is more exciting than actually experiencing something. That's probably why so many people say the most enjoyable part of a road trip is the drive to one's destination rather than the destination itself. I suppose it ties into "wanting what you c...

Have you noticed that the more we look forward to something, the more disappointed we can be once we're experiencing it? For example, we spend the entire work week yearning for Friday to come. Once Friday evening arrives, the weekend goes by in a snap, and you hardly get to enjoy it because of all the things you have to do (kids, groceries, laundry, etc). Here are some other examples: Looking forward to eating at a specific restaurant but not liking the food, service, or ambiance once there Looking forward to meeting a blind date and winding up disappointed Longing to buy a product -- whether it's a car or cell phone -- and not enjoying it like you'd anticipated once it's in your possession Dying to finish college so you can enter the real world, yet once you're in that real world, you wish you could go back to college Having high hopes at a new job, only to be left disappointed once you realize the job isn't what you had in mind Thinking someone you...