Feeling overloaded by your to-do list can certainly make you unhappy, but new research suggests that more free time might not be the elixir many of us dream it could be.
In a new study released last week, researchers analyzed data from two large-scale surveys about how Americans spend their time. Together, the surveys included more than 35,000 respondents. The researchers found that people with more free time generally had higher levels of subjective well-being — but only up to a point. People who had around two hours of free time a day generally reported they felt better than those who had less time. But people who had five or more hours of free time a day generally said they felt worse. So ultimately the free-time "sweet spot" might be two to three hours per day, the findings suggest.
Part of finding this seemingly tricky "sweet spot" has to do with how people spend the extra time they have, the researchers behind the new study argue. They conducted several smaller online experiments. In one they asked participants to imagine having 3.5 to 7 free hours per day. They were asked to imagine spending that time doing "productive" things (like exercising) or to imagine doing "unproductive" activities (like watching TV). Study participants believed their well-being would suffer if they had a lot of free time during the day — but only if they used it unproductively. Though that experiment was hypothetical, which is one limitation of the new research, it's certainly in line with other research showing that being in a state of "flow" can be good for people's mental health.
Of course, what feels "productive" is up to you. Many traditionally productive or purposeful activities can be easy and fun. Engaging in a bit of low-key cardio, like walking and jogging, can help burn stress. Free-time activities like reading or cooking are also known to put people in a state of flow.
