{"id":2269,"date":"2026-07-09T06:17:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T06:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2269"},"modified":"2026-07-09T06:17:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T06:17:35","slug":"does-leisure-make-us-happy-often-the-answer-is-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2269","title":{"rendered":"Does leisure make us happy? Often the answer is no."},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div><audio><\/audio><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>You might think spending more time relaxing would make you happier.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>But recent research suggests that having more leisure time doesn\u2019t necessarily make people more likely to rate their day as happy. The research, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s American Time Use Survey, shows that people were most satisfied with their days when they included an hour or two of socializing, physical exercise, and \u2014 surprisingly \u2014 up to six hours of work (though more work than this was linked to less happiness).<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2267\">Delco man arrested after antisemitic tirade and threats against Gov. Josh Shapiro, state police say<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean leisure time is bad. It just means that we probably need to use it a little bit differently,\u201d said Laurie Santos, a psychology professor at Yale University who wasn\u2019t involved in the study, which was published earlier this year and analyzed how 15,000 Americans used their time across two nonconsecutive years.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>In the survey, respondents reported \u201cwatching television and movies\u201d was about 70% of their relaxation and leisure time.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Santos said that working \u2014 whether at a day job, or doing another effortful activity, especially if it involves connecting with other people \u2014 often makes us happier than being idle. In particular, she said, scrolling on our phones or binge-watching TV might be a recipe for loneliness.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Yet given the choice, people often choose the easier route, one of the many ways people tend to be misguided when predicting what will make them happy, she said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Santos teaches the course \u201cPsychology and the Good Life,\u201d which became the most popular class on Yale\u2019s campus when she first offered it in 2018. Nearly 1 in 4 students now enroll, which she said is a sign of how many young people are searching for research-backed strategies to help them feel better.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The paradox of happiness<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>One of the pitfalls of searching for happiness is that focusing on it too much can make contentment even more elusive.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Santos cited research from Iris Mauss at the University of California at Berkeley, which found that it\u2019s hard to enjoy a happy moment if you\u2019re too fixated on <i>how<\/i> happy you are.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou know, I\u2019m on vacation in this perfect spot and I\u2019m asking, \u2018Could this be better? Was this worth the money?\u2019 And of course that doesn\u2019t make the vacation feel all that great,\u201d Santos said. \u201cWe tend to be kind of anxious about whether we\u2019re feeling happy and that doesn\u2019t feel good.<i>&#8220;<\/i><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>The second problem is that we think that the perfect job or relationship or achievement will make us happier.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cHappiness is really less about our circumstances and more about our behaviors and our mindsets,\u201d Santos said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>For people who are struggling with essentials like housing or food, changing their circumstances will make them happier, she said, but once basic needs are met, there are diminishing returns.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2265\">Bryce Harper takes Phillies\u2019 leadoff spot with Trea Turner taking the day off; Brad Keller rejoins the team<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>The problem with \u2018good vibes only\u2019 <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Being a happy person does not mean being happy <i>all<\/i> the time.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cA good flourishing life is going to involve some negative emotion,\u201d Santos said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Often it\u2019s our reactions to our emotions that cause problems. For example, if you get an email that stresses you out and let that spill into your next interaction, you might snap at someone, then feel guilty.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Santos recommends recognizing what you\u2019re feeling without adding too much meaning to it \u2014 or shaming yourself for feeling badly \u2014 what Santos calls \u201cmeta-emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>On a vacation, for example, if a rainy day forces a change of plans and you find yourself getting frustrated, that can bring on meta-emotions. You might feel ashamed that you\u2019re annoyed on vacation \u2014 <i>Shouldn\u2019t I just be enjoying it? Feeling grateful?<\/i><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s often those meta-emotions that are worse than the primary emotions that we initially feel,\u201d Santos said. \u201cIt takes some work, but those meta-emotions are under your control.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<h3>What actually makes people happier<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>There is a lot of research about what <i>does <\/i>make people feel better. In the scientific literature and in Santos\u2019s own experience, these little tweaks work by subtly rewiring the brain.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><b>A little bit of effort or challenge is better than pure ease. <\/b>We tend to enjoy things more when they require a bit of work. If you have a free afternoon, you\u2019re more likely to take pleasure in a hike outside rather than scrolling or watching TV alone.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><b>Pretty much everything is better with a friend. <\/b>Even if you\u2019re just running errands, invite a friend, and look for opportunities for small moments of connection, like chatting with a clerk in a store rather than ordering things online.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><b>Try a reframe. <\/b>You\u2019ve probably heard the advice to keep a gratitude journal, but if you can\u2019t stick to writing things down every day, you can still do a quick reframe in a tough moment by asking yourself some questions.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s one thing that I\u2019m really grateful for in this moment? What\u2019s one thing that I\u2019m going to look back on tonight and think was good?\u201d Santos asked. \u201cJust that little change in our attention can be really powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=2263\">A South Jersey K-9 sergeant is charged in the death of two dogs in hot patrol vehicle<\/a><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The things that make us happiest often require a bit of effort, but scrolling on our phones or watching TV tends to be low-effort. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Does leisure make us happy? 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