How to stop feeling so “meh”
Do you feel like the things you used to love are no longer bringing you the same joy - for no apparent reason? There’s a scientific name for this “meh” sensation: anhedonia.
Wait - there’s a name for it?
Yep - and it comes from a Greek word meaning “without pleasure”. While not enjoying the things you once loved is a common symptom of depression or anxiety, you don’t have to be diagnosed with a mental health condition to experience anhedonia. In fact, it’s pretty common.
Can you tell me more about how it feels?
Sure! Your senses might be dulled - maybe ice cream doesn’t taste as good as it used to, for example - or you might lack the enthusiasm to attend events you once looked forward to.
The journalist Tanith Carey, who recently wrote about her experience of anhedonia for the i newspaper, described it as “the no-man’s-land” between depression and “the unicorn state of happiness”.
So what causes anhedonia?
In the simplest terms, it’s all to do with dopamine, one of the brain’s feel-good chemicals. Hormonal changes, diet, immune illnesses (including Covid) and burn-out can all play a role in preventing our brain’s reward system from working as it should.
Carey also points out that the constant dopamine hits of our modern world - think: binge-watching TV, online shopping and even porn - overload and throw off our brain’s reward system. “Now everything feels good, nothing does,” she writes.
So how can I break through the bleakness?
If you’re feeling a bit “meh” without any underlying cause, there are steps you can take. “A lot of the things that help balance dopamine are modifiable,” says neuroscientist Tiffany Ho. This could mean getting enough sleep, exercising more, eating balanced meals and having fun with friends.
After consulting with neuroscientists, Carey started making sure she always had something to look forward to in her diary. She also made a deliberate effort to notice and savour positive experiences.
“After a few months, hearing myself laugh, really laugh, no longer took me by surprise, and it felt natural to sing in the shower or have a quick kitchen disco,” she wrote.