How Deprivation Makes Us Stronger, Happier, and Smarter
“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.”
- Epictetus
As children, we generally lie on a spectrum with two extremes: self-indulgence and deprivation. Some of our parents may have given us everything we wanted as children, thereby teaching us that nothing needs to be earned in life and therefore nothing has value. Let’s call this extreme self-indulgence.
Others may have restricted us from spending any time in front of the television, prevented us from eating three meals a day, or punished us for partaking in any form of enjoyment. Let’s assume this is extreme deprivation.
A self-indulgent child expects to find a source of pleasure at every turn without having to do any work. This can range from something as minute as a candy bar to something as grand as a trip to his favorite amusement park. Inevitably, this child is set up for failure because he is constantly disappointed by the cruel realities of life.
At the other extreme of this spectrum, a deprived child expects disappointment at every turn, which leads him to be confused or even frustrated any time he is rewarded. Unfortunately, this child is also set up for failure because he doesn’t know when to stop depriving himself of life’s pleasures.
In between these two extremes lies a third child. This is someone who knows that pleasure must be earned by working hard, but not too hard. Candy bars and trips to the amusement park are within reach, but they’re not free and they require work. Rewards require discipline and taking risks. This is the successful, happy child; here lies the self-indulgent abstainer.
Deprivation makes us Stronger
Throughout my life, I’ve lived like all three of these children at different points in time. As a result, I’ve learned how powerful deprivation can be.
A year ago, I made the decision to start working overnights to save more and pay off some debts. At the time, I knew this decision shouldn’t have been taken lightly and I expected to make some sacrifices.
However, I never really knew the magnitude of my decision and what its effects would be until after the fact. For months, I deprived myself of a variety of things without even realizing it. Over time, my mindset shifted, my goals deteriorated, and my inspiration had all but vanished.
Looking back, I realize that I used to take a lot for granted. I now appreciate daylight more, I enjoy being able to go out more at normal times of day, and I am overall more thankful for the simple joys in life, like having the time and energy to write this message.
Gradually, I became more resilient to obstacles that previously would have been soul-crushing. Living normally became more and more difficult until I plateaued, and the difficulties became more tolerable. I can’t pinpoint an exact moment when things got easier, but soon enough I could tolerate being exhausted most of the day. Later, I could withstand that life-sucking feeling I felt at sunrise, which had previously felt like being shot by a horse tranquilizer dart.
I sincerely hope you won’t misinterpret my message. By no means do I encourage anyone to try living the life of a deprived child. My article about addiction further explains the importance of balance. Although I am grateful for everything I learned from this experience, sacrifice should never supersede happiness unless it’s entirely necessary.
Deprivation makes us Happier (sort of)
Truthfully, it is not so much the lack of self-indulgence that makes us happier, but rather the restoration of things that give us pleasure. Regardless, the light at the end of the tunnel can help remind us of what to look forward to.
In my case, I was fortunate enough to be able to end that period of deprivation and look for work elsewhere. For most, though, that just isn’t a possibility. Most times, we can’t simply hit the off switch and go back to normality, but I hope my message serves as motivation to work towards ending that deprivation, whatever it may be in your life.
Taking it a step further, for the last 8 months or so, I have been sleep-deprived on a regular basis. Some days, I would sleep for 10 hours. Other days, I’d sleep for three. No matter how long I slept, I always felt like I’d been hit by a 16-wheeler when I woke up.
Additionally, caffeine became the only way I could stay upright, which only worsened my already dreadful sleep conditions. Unsurprisingly, sleep conditions and mental health are deeply intertwined.
A severe lack of sleep can drastically reduce one’s mood and motivation. One’s reduction in motivation and worsened mood can lead oneself to sleep less and less. Symptoms of sleep loss include:
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Depressed mood
- Difficulty learning new concepts
- Forgetfulness
- Inability to concentrate
- Lack of motivation
- Clumsiness
- Increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings
- Reduced sex drive
I can vouch for the validity of these symptoms because I personally experienced every single one on this list.
According to Harvard research, sleep deprivation also increases one’s risk of developing mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.
Recent studies have shown that around 65%-90% of adults and 90% of children with major depression experience sleep deprivation.
A different group of studies in other populations have shown that 69%-99% of people with bipolar disorder have reported sleep deprivation during manic episodes.
As for ADHD, there are several types of sleep issues that affect people with this disorder, such as restlessness, difficulty falling asleep, sleep-disordered breathing, and shorter sleep times. Reportedly, these issues affect 25%-50% of children with ADHD.
Lack of sleep can affect the hormones that affect body weight and cause the release of insulin, which makes your body store more fat and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Insufficient sleep also decreases cytokine production, which increases inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of infection. The body’s immune system also takes a hit from lack of sleep.
Sleep deprivation also affects growth hormone production and testosterone production in men.
Finally, a study by Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience used a variety of methods to find that human longevity is directly tied to regular sleep patterns. In addition, researchers found that women who worked on rotating night shifts for 5+ years were about 11% more likely to die earlier than their day-shift counterparts.
Deprivation makes us Smarter
While I will probably never again work the overnight shift because the negatives outweigh the positives for me, I can say with certainty that I have learned various valuable lessons from the experience.
This brings me to my next point: the positive effects of deprivation only work if there’s an end goal in mind. This is a risky topic for me to discuss because I am not urging you to go out and intentionally deprive yourself of the things that make you happiest in life.
Rather, I want to remind you that there are almost always positive results of having gone through a bad situation. Most of the time, you can come out on the other side with knowledge that you didn’t have before. That knowledge and experience can help you overcome your problems in the future.
Take the ongoing coronavirus situation, for example. I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. we are being deprived of participation in large events and many of our favorite restaurants, shopping centers, and entertainment centers are temporarily being closed until there’s evidence of the virus dying down, so to speak.
As a result, people are out of jobs, companies are going bankrupt, and people are losing hope. Although this is a tragic situation in many ways, I also see some of the positive effects it is having on society.
Due to schools and universities closing for the semester and companies forcing employees to stay home, parents are spending more time with their children. The current quarantine is also leading people to have to find new outlets like walking, exercising, and socializing. In my eyes, these are all positives.
As for employment, being laid off is awful and I’ve personally witnessed first-hand the catastrophic financial and psychological effects of losing one’s job. However, it is also an opportunity to recollect oneself, learn new skills, and make oneself more visible to recruiters so that next time an unexpected disaster occurs, one will be more prepared to handle the consequences.
Once again, though, I return to my previous point concerning the need for a limit.
At some point soon, I expect that the general population will grow tired of these restrictions and look for ways to cope with this deprivation. The current quarantine is as unsustainable for businesses as it is for individuals, but at the end of it we will come out stronger, happier, and smarter.
My hope is that all of us will grow to appreciate the small things in life just a little bit more. I hope that this social distancing will make us more grateful for everyday interactions. Lastly, I hope that this crisis will bring us closer together, not push us further apart.
If you’re experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or believe you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus, contact a doctor or urgent care hotline, but do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or health care facility.
COVID-19 Hotline in Georgia: (844) 442–2681
If you or a loved one suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts and need help, visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call 1–800–273–8255
