Happy International Happiness Day!

Originally shared in Tuesday Notes on March 17, 2026.

This Thursday, March 20th, is International Day of Happiness.

Which made me think about something interesting. Psychology doesn't actually treat happiness as one single thing. Researchers often talk about two different kinds of happiness.

The first is hedonic happiness.

This is the happiness most of us think about automatically.

Pleasure. Comfort. Good food, good wine, a sunny afternoon, laughing with friends, bingeing Love is Blind. It's the feeling of life being enjoyable.

But there's another kind.

Eudaimonic happiness, recognize the name 😉?

This is the quieter, deeper version.

It comes from meaning. From growth. From doing things that align with who you really are, even when they're hard.

Finishing something you didn't think you could. Helping someone in a way that matters. Becoming a slightly better version of yourself over time.

One isn't better than the other. A life full of pleasure but no meaning can feel strangely empty. But a life full of meaning without joy can feel exhausting.

The most satisfying lives tend to include both. Little sparks of pleasure. And a deeper sense that your life is going somewhere meaningful.

A Small Psychological Insight

Interestingly, research suggests our brains are very good at adapting to happiness.

Psychologists call this hedonic adaptation.

The raise, the new apartment, the vacation, the exciting new relationship, they all feel amazing at first. But over time, our brains quietly reset the baseline. Which is why chasing happiness directly often backfires.

What seems to work better is designing a life that creates small moments of joy while also building meaning over time.

Happiness is less like a destination and more like a side effect of how we live.

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Tuesday Brain Snack

A few unconventional ways to celebrate International Happiness Day

1. "Nothing Productive" Hour

Block one hour where you're not allowed to optimize anything. No pushing, no self-improvement, no multitasking. Just... exist.

Happiness insight: your nervous system needs moments where it's not being "used."

2. Main Character Walk (But With a Twist)

Go for a walk, but instead of romanticizing your life, narrate your thoughts like a David Attenborough documentary: "Here we see Claudia in the wild, slightly overwhelmed, but pushing through..."

This creates psychological distance, reduces stress.

3. Do Something You Used to Love at 15

Music. Hobby. Food. Style (think MTV low-rise jeans Britney Spears era).

Nostalgia increases mood because it reinforces identity continuity.

Go have fun with it!