All leisure activities are equal, but some are more equal than others

When it comes to work-life balance, we are often told to pursue leisure activities. When you do things away from work, you will be happier and live a more balanced life. Although this pursuit of leisure activities is vital, have you ever stopped to think that some leisure activities may contribute more to your happiness than others?

The pursuit of leisure activities creates the space for creating connotations that help promote quality of life and can assist individuals in:

1. Experiencing positive emotions;
2. Gain self-esteem and nurture positive identity;
3. Form cultural and social connections, and
4. Learn and develop throughout your life (1).

Leisure activities allow people to socialize with others, experience relief from stress, fulfil goals and examine personal values. It also reinforces happiness (4). Several studies have been conducted to examine whether a variety of activities increase happiness. The studies found that if you participate in a variety of activities for a short period of time (like an hour) it decreases happiness as people perceive the variety to decrease their productivity. However, when there is variety amongst activities over a longer period of time (like a day) it increases happiness as they felt more stimulated. The findings of the study concluded that “variety is the spice of life – but not for an hour.” As both productivity and stimulation are integral to happiness, individuals must look for ways to balance these over different periods (2).

Leisure activities need to address certain aspects of an individual’s life for that person to have a true quality of life. These domains are:

1. Physical (energy, fatigue and pain discomfort)
2. Psychological (self-esteem, positive and negative feelings)
3. Level of Independence (work capacity, daily living activities and mobility)
4. Social Relationships (social support and interpersonal relationships)
5. Environment (work satisfaction, physical safety and security, financial resources, home environment, social and healthcare, opportunities for and participation in leisure/recreational activities)
6. Personal Beliefs/Religion/Spirituality (1).

Variety amongst activities can help individuals address these spheres.

It was also found that optimism plays an integral part in fostering personal goal pursuit (experienced as perceived progress) when people pursue leisure activities. Optimism further influences whether individuals experience failure or attainment and thereby overall happiness. Furthermore, people who have high expectancy and deem the goal as important are more likely to be committed to achieving the specific goal than someone who deems the activity insignificant. This commitment also means that these individuals are likely to report their progress to their friends, colleague or share it on social media (3).

Happiness then is related to the way people choose their free time, not only the amount of free time they have. A study by Wang and Wong (2014) found that:

1. Leisure time is not as important as certain other measures – quantity as opposed to quality
2. Leisure’s role in social interaction and self-fulfilment
3. Leisure’s relation to your job and other aspects of life
4. Some activities can negatively impact happiness.

The study found that individuals who pursue leisure activities that increased overall happiness include allowing people to be the person that they are, allow them to make valuable contacts, learn useful skills, and pursue activities associated with higher happiness levels such as listening to music, attending sporting events, getting together with relatives, attending cultural events, shopping and reading books. While activities such as spending time on the internet decreased overall happiness (4).

What are your thoughts? Do you create variety amongst leisure activities? How often do you participate in activities that bring you joy? Do you prioritize leisure or does work always take preference in your life?

References

1. Iwasaki, Y. Leisure and quality of life in an international and multicultural context: what are major pathways linking leisure to quality of life?. Soc Indic Res 82, 233–264 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-006-9032-z
2. Etkin, Jordan & Mogilner, Cassie. (2016). Does Variety Among Activities Increase Happiness? Journal of Consumer Research. 43. ucw021. 10.1093/JCR/ucw021.
3. Monzani, Dario & Steca, Patrizia & Greco, Andrea & D'Addario, Marco & Pancani, Luca & Cappelletti, Erika. (2015). Effective pursuit of personal goals: The fostering effect of dispositional optimism on goal commitment and goal progress. Personality and Individual Differences. 82. 10.1016/j.paid.2015.03.019.
4. Wang, M., Wong, M.C.S. Happiness and Leisure Across Countries: Evidence from International Survey Data. J Happiness Stud 15, 85–118 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9417-z