If you’ve wondered how much free time you need to be happy, science has an answer.


A Interference with the Charlie Ross ShowVeteran investor Warren Buffett told his friend Bill Gates: “The difference between successful people and truly successful people is that truly successful people say no to almost everything.”

This reflected on the founder of Microsoft and led him to be more aware of his time management: “The fact that he is so careful with time, he has days when (his agenda) has nothing… sitting down and thinking is a much higher priority. It’s not an indicator of your importance that you occupy every minute of your schedule, it just keeps you busy.”

Maintain that desire Full of programs and things to do This leaves a great loss: the free time we all need to devote to the things we really want to do. For personal retirement.

Bill Gates' Daily Habits to Be More Productive: Three Basic But Important Recommendations for Your Daily Life

Free time to be happy

A Study Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and University of California have discovered How much free time do we need? To truly appreciate positive psychological effects and improve happiness levels. “We found that a lack of discretionary hours during the day led to more stress and less subjective well-being,” the study authors commented.

Researchers interviewed more than 21,700 Americans who participated American Time Use Survey Between 2012 and 2013, which chronologically details what they did in the last 24 hours. From the results obtained, the relationship between the leisure time they had and their level of happiness will be determined.

The survey concluded that ideals are for people to enjoy Free between two and three hours a dayThus meeting the approximate average time required to disconnect from work and connect to personal satisfaction.

According to the researchers, this period was long enough to allow for changes in emotional state, but prevented feelings of guilt or understanding due to lack of productivity.

Activities considered leisure include those without any form of productivity, such as cooking or regular sports activities, however enjoyable and voluntary they may be. These are activities like walking, watching a movie or reading a book.

Too much leisure time causes unhappiness

However, this same study also worked to determine too much leisure time, It also has negative effects About human mood and happiness. “Most people have very little free time, but too much free time isn’t always good,” study lead author Marissa A. Sharif concluded.

The researchers also used data from 13,500 US employees who participated National Study of the Changing Workforce Between 1992 and 2008. This allowed them to expand their case base, confirming that, indeed, a greater amount of leisure time was associated with a greater sense of well-being.

However, once the three hours of free time passed, the happiness curve stagnated and did not evolve at the same rate as the increase in free time.

who enjoyed More than five hours of free time a dayA (we remember that this does not include playing sports or doing housework), they felt it They did not make good use of their time. Doing useful things, such as cleaning the house or shopping, that lead to feelings of dissatisfaction.

Therefore, to improve the level of happiness and satisfaction, the most suitable thing is to reserve two to three hours with exclusive dedication to what you like the most;

In BDtechsupport | When asked whether money brings happiness, a Harvard expert answers: It doesn’t matter, it’s what you do with it.

Picture | unsplash (Austin Schmidt)