How to do it
- Pick the later date that still works. Holiday-goers were happier before the trip; that further out gives more is untested.
- Let yourself think about it. Picture the day in detail; richer picturing went with stronger feeling.
- Don't count on the trip itself. Afterwards, only a very relaxing holiday lifted happiness, and not for long.
- Decide what first, then when. Book the experience covers the what.
How the wait pays
- Picturing itruns it ahead of time
In five experiments, people felt more looking forward to an event than looking back on it. The researchers linked that to picturing the future in more detail.
- The run-upmay hold the lift
Before the trip, holiday-goers were a bit happier than people not going; after it, the gap was gone. The authors guessed anticipation but didn't test it.
- A longer waitmore run-up
That a later date gives you more of this is a guess. Nobody has compared a near booking with a far one.
- Youa lift before you go
The thing you booked may give less than waiting for it did. That's the holiday finding, not a trial of booking.
Why it works
Looking forward to something draws more feeling than remembering it afterwards. That held across five experiments, for Thanksgiving, for an imagined ski trip, and even for routine events. Evidence: decent In a survey of 1,530 Dutch people, those about to go on holiday were a bit happier than those who weren't; after the trip, the gap was gone. Evidence: decent The researchers put the gap down to anticipation, but that was their guess, not something they measured. Evidence: worth trying
So the run-up is part of what you paid for. A later date that still fits gives it more room. That last step is a guess: nobody has tested it. Evidence: worth trying What to book is in book the experience. This is about when.
The long readEvery step of the chain, each study with its numbers, and what's still unproven. 2 min read.
What happens in your brain
This chain is behaviour, not brain areas. Nobody has scanned it.
Picturing it runs it ahead of time. In five experiments, people reported stronger feelings when anticipating an event than when recalling it. The researchers tied the gap to how richly people pictured the future compared with the past. Evidence: decent
The run-up may hold the lift. 1,530 Dutch people were surveyed, 974 of whom went on holiday. Before the trip, the holiday-goers were a bit happier than the 556 who weren't going; after it, the gap was gone. Only those who'd had a very relaxing holiday came back happier, and that faded. Evidence: decent The authors guessed anticipation explains the pre-trip gap; they didn't test it. Evidence: worth trying
A longer wait means more run-up. If the run-up is the good part, a later date gives you more of it. That's an inference from the two findings above, not something anyone measured. Evidence: worth trying
You get a lift before you go. Put together: the thing you book may give less than waiting for it did. Evidence: worth trying
The proof
- Five experiments: feelings were more intense looking forward to an event than looking back on it. The events included Thanksgiving, a hypothetical ski trip, and routine or annoying things. Evidence: decent The size of each experiment isn't confirmed here.
- 1,530 Dutch people, 974 of them holiday-goers: before the trip they were a bit happier than the 556 staying home; after it, no difference. Only a very relaxing holiday raised happiness afterwards, and the rise didn't last. Evidence: decent That's observational, not an experiment, and the pre-trip gap was small.
- Nobody has tested booking further out against booking soon. Evidence: worth trying
How to do it
- Next time you book something good, pick the later date that still works. Evidence: worth trying
- Let yourself think about it between now and then. Picture the day in some detail; that's what went with the stronger feeling. Evidence: decent
- Don't expect the event to carry the whole thing. After the holiday, most people were no happier than those who stayed home. Evidence: decent
- Choose what with book the experience, then use this for when.
Watch out
The further-out step is untested. Evidence: worth trying In the anticipation experiments, one of the events was a ski trip that never happened, and none of them were about booking anything. Evidence: decent The holiday study shows a link, not a cause. Evidence: decent And it cuts both ways: looking ahead to an annoying event was more intense than remembering it, too. Evidence: decent Don't book the dentist further out and expect a lift.
Flat for a few weeks, with sleep or appetite off and no interest in things you used to like: that's not a happiness gap, it's a doctor visit.