Happier Hour: How to Spend Your Time for a Better, More Meaningful Life

The results from over a million instances are clear: people are happier outdoors. Furthermore, this boost in happiness doesn’t depend on a) the weather (though people are happier when it’s sunny and warmer), b) what activity they’re doing (though some particularly happy activities in the data, like gardening and bird-watching, can only be done outd

we found that lacking a sense of productivity is why people with excessive amounts of available time feel less satisfied in their lives.14

However, given the now-understood role of confidence in the experience of time poverty, as well as the additional data Zoë, Mike, and I gathered confirming that spending time on others increases feelings of self-efficacy, this finding doesn’t only make sense but offers an empowering tool to combat feeling time poor.

Interestingly, however, the flat portion of the graph between two and five hours suggests that within a pretty wide range, the amount of time people have available is unrelated to their happiness. This is important because it means that, except at the very extremes, to enjoy greater satisfaction in life, it’s not so much a question of the amount we

One way to enhance the quality of connection during a social activity is by deepening the content of your conversation. A vital feature in the development of close relationships is reciprocal and escalating self-disclosure. Sharing information about yourself (e.g., experiences you’ve had, thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing), as well as activ

In addition to the unhappiness from having too little time, the downward slope on the other side of the arc shows that having more than approximately five hours of discretionary time in a day is also linked to less happiness.

Doing good can feel really good. Sometime this week, perform two random acts of kindness—one for a friend or acquaintance and another for a stranger. These acts can be large or small, anonymous or identified, planned or spontaneous, sacrifices of time or money; and the act doesn’t need to be the same for each recipient.

Having between two and five hours seems to be about right.

To avoid this feeling, make sure you engage in at least one social activity every day.