The 'Expectation Effect' Hack Might Be The Secret To Happiness

With all the gloom and doom in our world, happiness and positivity can understandably feel rather elusive at times.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t exert some kind of control over our mindset and find real joy and satisfaction. One approach is to make “the expectation effect” work in your favor.

So what exactly is the expectation effect and how can you harness this phenomenon to boost happiness? HuffPost asked experts to break it down.

What is the ‘expectation effect’?

“The expectation effect is this fascinating thing our brains do ― essentially, what we expect to happen influences how we experience what actually happens,” life coach and entrepreneur Tomas Svitorka told HuffPost. “In practical terms, let’s say you expect something to be enjoyable, useful or exciting. Then your brain unconsciously looks for evidence to confirm your expectation. It also filters out or downplays anything that doesn’t match that expectation.”